Method for rapidly thermally processing a semiconductor wafer by irradiation using semicircular or parabolic reflectors

Claim 1

A method for rapidly thermal processing a semiconductor wafer with electromagnetic irradiation with a main irradiation arrangement that comprises at least one radiation source and which transmits the majority part of the energy required for heating the semiconductor wafer, comprising the steps of: (a) irradiating with a main irradiation arrangement (62) said semiconductor wafer (1) on at least one side such that the intensities (I M , I R ) of the radiation directed onto the central region (6) of the semiconductor wafer (1) and onto the edge regions of the semiconductor wafer (1) are identical; and (b) irradiating with additional electromagnetic radiation which heats the semiconductor wafer (1) at the edge regions (5) and the intensity (I 7 ) of such additional electromagnetic radiation varied as a function of time such that the temperatures (T M , T r ) in the central region (6) and in the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1) are identical during the entire tempering process, and comprising the step of placing a screen (61) which has a hemispherically shaped cross section around the edges of the semiconductor wafer (1) such that the radiation of heat from the edges (5) of the semiconductor wafer are reflected back by the reflection screen (61) so that the radiation from the edges is compensated.

Claim 2

A method for rapidly thermal processing a semiconductor wafer with electromagnetic irradiation with a main irradiation arrangement that comprises at least one radiation source and which transmits the majority part of the energy required for heating the semiconductor wafer, comprising the steps of: (a) irradiating with a main irradiation arrangement (62) said semiconductor wafer (1) on at least one side such that the intensities (I M , I R ) of the radiation directed onto the central region (6) of the semiconductor wafer (1) and onto the edge regions of the semiconductor wafer (1) are identical; and (b) irradiating with additional electromagnetic radiation which heats the semiconductor wafer (1) at the edge regions (5) and the intensity (I 7 ) of such additional electromagnetic radiation varied as a function of time such that the temperatures (T M , T r ) in the central region (6) and in the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1) are identical during the entire tempering process, and comprising the step of placing a screen (61) which has a hemispherically shaped cross section around the edges of the semiconductor wafer (1) such that the radiation of heat from the edges (5) of the semiconductor wafer are reflected back by the reflection screen (61) so that the radiation from the edges is compensated.

Claim 6

A method for rapidly thermal processing a semiconductor wafer with electromagnetic irradiation with a main irradiation arrangement that comprises at least one radiation source and which transmits the majority part of the energy required for heating the semiconductor wafer, comprising the steps of: (a) irradiating with a main irradiation arrangement (62) said semiconductor wafer (1) on at least one side such that the intensities (I M , I R ) of the radiation directed onto the central region (6) of the semiconductor wafer (1) are identical; and (b) irradiating with additional electromagnetic radiation which heat the semiconductor wafer (1) at the edge regions (5) and the intensity (I Z ) of such additional electromagnetic radiation varied as a function of time such that the temperatures (T M , T R ) in the central region (6) and in the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1) are identical during the entire tempering process, and comprising the steps of: a reflector (101, 111) over the semiconductor wafer (1) as a main irradiation arrangement, such that with a given defined distance of the semiconductor wafer (1) from the reflector (101, 111), the semiconductor wafer (1) is irradiated such that the intensities (I M , I R ) of the radiation incident on the central region (6) and on the edge regions (5) are identical and for a different distance of the semiconductor wafer (1) from the reflector (101, 111), the intensity (I R +I Z ) of the radiation incident on the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer is greater than the intensity (I M ) of the radiation incident on the central region (6) of the semiconductor wafer (1); and (b) by varying for compensating the radiation of heat occurring to an increased degree in the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1), the intensity (I R +I Z ) of the radiation incident on the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1) the distance of the semiconductor wafer (1) from the reflector (101, 111) is varied.

Claim 7

A method for rapidly thermal processing a semiconductor wafer with electromagnetic irradiation with a main irradiation arrangement that comprises at least one radiation source and which transmits the majority part of the energy required for heating the semiconductor wafer, comprising the steps of: (a) irradiating with a main irradiation arrangement (62) said semiconductor wafer (1) on at least one side such that the intensities (I M , I R ) of the radiation directed onto the central region (6) of the semiconductor wafer (1) are identical; and (b) irradiating with additional electromagnetic radiation which heat the semiconductor wafer (1) at the edge regions (5) and the intensity (I Z ) of such additional electromagnetic radiation varied as a function of time such that the temperatures (T M , T R ) in the central region (6) and in the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1) are identical during the entire tempering process, and comprising the steps of: a reflector (101, 111) over the semiconductor wafer (1) as a main irradiation arrangement, such that with a given defined distance of the semiconductor wafer (1) from the reflector (101, 111), the semiconductor wafer (1) is irradiated such that the intensities (I M , I R ) of the radiation incident on the central region (6) and on the edge regions (5) are identical and for a different distance of the semiconductor wafer (1) from the reflector (101, 111), the intensity (I R +I Z ) of the radiation incident on the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer is greater than the intensity (I M ) of the radiation incident on the central region (6) of the semiconductor wafer (1); and (b) by varying for compensating the radiation of heat occurring to an increased degree in the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1), the intensity (I R +I Z ) of the radiation incident on the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1) the distance of the semiconductor wafer (1) from the reflector (101, 111) is varied.