Applied enhances its RTP temperature annealing eqipment for sub 28nm semiconductor process

The new enhanced temperature annealing equipment used in semicondcutor equipment from Applied material adress the the issue of radiation absorption differences between oxide and silicon material on the chip. The equipment called Vantage Vulcan rapid thermal processing (RTP) advanced spike anneal system supports faster spike in heat generation and also uniform radiation of heat. It has RTP chamber with heating lamps under the semiconductor wafer and heat sensors above. The device region is heated through the smooth, uniformly absorptive back side of the wafer producing less than 3 Deg C of temperature non-uniformity within each die to improve the chip yield. Applied says the RTP represents a roughly $500M annual equipment market for Applied.

Semiconductor Annealing is a fast temperature rising process so that so that dopant atoms such as boron, phosphorus or arsenic, can diffuse into substitutional positions in the crystal semiconductor lattice, resulting in the changes in the electrical properties such as conductivity of the semiconductor material.
The challenges in deeper nodes includes minimizing temperature variations arising from differences in radiant energy absorption within a die, areas on the wafer that are more densely populated with silicon-based materials will absorb and emit more energy than oxide-based material, creating "hot spots" within each die.

As devices scale to the 28nm node and below, there has been a simultaneous trend to larger die sizes, making the pattern loading effect more pronounced. Applied says its Vantage Vulcan RTP system addresses these challenges.

An additional challenge with device scaling is the need to form shallower device junctions after implant doping of the source/drain regions. According to applied the Vantage Vulcan RTP system accomplishes faster temperature spikes, with residence times reduced to approximately 1 second. These sharper spike anneals can enable faster chip speeds by reducing junction diffusion depth without compromising activation.

Minimizing the thermal budget while sustaining minimum reaction temperatures (metal anneals) necessitates low-temperature (<200ºC) anneals. With transmission-based sensors, the Vantage Vulcan system is the first RTP lamp product with closed-loop capability at near room temperature, says Applied. Multi-point measurement produces superior wafer-to-wafer repeatability and this capability will enable the Vulcan chamber to provide unique solutions for low-temperature (<200ºC) applications, as per Applied.

Applied also claims the Vantage Vulcan RTP system offers an energy savings benefit over previous systems, with an advanced design that makes more efficient use of grid electricity. The Vantage Vulcan RTP system features wide process control range of 150°C-1300°C.