ASIC Multichamber Rapid Thermal Processing with Microwave Enhancement

Project 2319

Keywords wafer fabrication, rapid thermal processing, multichambers

Start Date: 15-DEC-88 / Duration: 36 months

Objectives and Approach

The growing pressure on manufacturers to obtain high yields from their wafer fabrication operations is leading a trend towards single wafer processing. Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) has come to be viewed as the single wafer alternative to furnace tube processing. The project aimed to develop a multichamber RTP machine with improved control of the on-wafer temperature and including novel microwave-enhanced techniques for precleaning before oxidation or deposition processes.

The principal technical tasks of this project involved:

the identification of the requirement put on RTP for VLSI ASIC
development of the RTP techniques and processes including precleaning, dielectric and polysilicon deposition
evaluation of the new multichamber RTP machine in an industrial environment.

Progress and Results

During the first year of the project, several results were demonstrated concerning:

process simulation
process characterisation and optimisation on existing experimental reactor
temperature measurement and emissivity control
specification of the industrial automatic multichamber machine.

Such equipment was expected to give high yields in high-temperature processes. Because of its greater flexibility, it is expected to be an important production tool for low-volume and fast-turnaround ASICs.

The project was discontinued in June 1990.

CONTACT POINT

Mr Alain Picard
SITESA ADDAX
ZI de Percevaliere
F - 38170 SEYSSINET-PARISET
tel: + 33/ 76 49 38 04
fax: + 33/ 76 96 55 69
telex: 308588

Participants

SITESA ADDAX - F - C
CNRS-LAAS - F - P
SGS-THOMSON MICROELECTRONICS SA - F - P
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH - UK - P
BNR EUROPE LTD - UK - P
CEA - F - P

Project 2319, December 1993

please address enquiries to the ESPRIT Information Desk

html version of synopsis by Nick Cook