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Preliminary performance data is presented for a new thermal processing module. ' :e system is directed towards conducting the temperature sensitive baking and chilling steps for chemically amplified photoresists. The module is comprised of 49 individual heating zones. The zones can be controlled independently with separate temperature sensing, actuation and feedback control mechanisms. A supervisory control strategy is applied to coordinate the individual zones. An in-situ chill plate is used to enable a temperature controlled cool-down phase without the need for substrate movement. Results are presented to demonstrate temperature control over the plate to within Wafer temperature is controlled to within as measured at 5 sites. Photomask processing results are presented depicting steady-state control to within as measured at 16 sites within one quadrant of the substrate. The advantages of the system are discussed including better temperature uniformity than conventional systems and the ability to conduct multiple experiments in a single run by biasing the setpomt across the substrate.

Influence of gas composition on wafer temperature in a tungsten chemical vapor deposition reactor: Experimental measurements, model development, and parameter identification A temperature processing module and control system is presented for the thermal cycling of substrates such as semiconductor wafers and/or quartz photomasks. The module consists of a multizone etched foil heater adhered to the surface of a fluid heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is designed with aluminum foam that enables an angularly uniform temperature distribution on the heat exchanger surface as heat is transferred to it from the fluid. A temperature control algorithm is employed to manipulate the multizone surface heater to compensate for wafer temperature nonuniformities during the thermal cycle. The performance specifications for the thermal technology are: 30 s ramp-up time, 35 s ramp-down time, 3.5°C peak nonuniformity during ramp up, 1°C steady-state nonuniformity, and 3°C peak nonuniformity during ramp down for a 200 mm wafer. The control results are achieved at the expense of significant energy expenditure. The total energy for the thermal cycle exceeded 10 kW compared to a theoretical minimum of a few hundred watts for 200 or 300 mm wafers. The axial temperature gradients in the module plate also induce thermal stresses that lead to a transient mechanical deformation of the heat exchanger that can be as large as 15 mil ͑380 m͒ during the ramp up. We conclude that the proposed technology is more appropriate for operations with low throughput applications, such as photomask or large substrate processing, that benefit from thermal cycling.