阅读说明：本技术 在低温下对工件进行热处理和温度测量的系统和方法 (System and method for heat treatment and temperature measurement of workpieces at low temperatures ) 是由 罗尔夫·布雷芒斯多费尔 M·利贝雷尔 P·J·蒂曼斯 杨晓晅 于 2019-07-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开了在低温下热处理工件的系统和方法。在一个示例实现方式中,热处理设备包括具有工件支撑件的处理腔室。该工件支撑件可以被配置为用于支撑工件。该设备可以包括一个或多个热源,该一个或多个热源被配置为发射第一波长范围内的电磁辐射以将该工件加热至处理温度。该处理温度可以在约50℃至150℃的范围内。该设备可以包括一个或多个传感器,这些传感器被配置为用于当该工件处于该处理温度时获得对第二波长范围内的电磁辐射的测量。该第二波长范围可以不同于该第一波长范围。(Systems and methods for heat treating a workpiece at low temperatures are disclosed. In one example implementation, a thermal processing apparatus includes a process chamber having a workpiece support. The workpiece support may be configured to support a workpiece. The apparatus may include one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range to heat the workpiece to a process temperature. The treatment temperature may be in the range of about 50 ℃ to 150 ℃. The apparatus may include one or more sensors configured to obtain a measurement of electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range when the workpiece is at the process temperature. The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range.)

1. A thermal processing apparatus, comprising:

a process chamber having a workpiece support configured to support a workpiece;

one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range to heat the workpiece to a process temperature, wherein the process temperature is from about 50 ℃ to about 150 ℃; and

one or more sensors configured to obtain measurements of electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range while the workpiece is at the processing temperature, wherein the second wavelength range is different from the first wavelength range.

2. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, comprising one or more processors configured to determine a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on measurements of electromagnetic radiation obtained by the one or more sensors.

3. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat sources emit electromagnetic radiation in a narrow band infrared range.

4. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength range is in a range from about 850 nanometers to about 950 nanometers.

5. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength range is such that the workpiece has an absorbance greater than about 0.5 at the first wavelength range and the processing temperature.

6. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a field of view of at least a portion of the workpiece through one or more windows transparent to the second wavelength range.

7. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a cooled orifice or a cooled tube to limit a field of view of the one or more sensors.

8. The thermal processing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range during a period of time in which the one or more heat sources do not emit electromagnetic radiation within the first wavelength range.

9. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat sources comprise one or more light emitting diodes.

10. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the workpiece comprises lightly doped silicon.

11. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein there is no overlap between the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range.

12. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional radiation sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range, wherein the workpiece is at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range, and wherein electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range passes through the workpiece before being measured by the one or more sensors.

13. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second wavelength range comprises wavelengths longer than about 1000 nanometers.

14. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measurements obtained by the one or more sensors are indicative of a transmittance of the workpiece, wherein the apparatus comprises one or more processors configured to determine a temperature of the workpiece at least in part by comparing the measurements obtained by the one or more sensors indicative of the transmittance of the workpiece to a reference transmission spectrum of a sample having a known initial temperature.

15. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second wavelength range comprises wavelengths of about 7 microns to about 17 microns.

16. The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises one or more processors configured to determine a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on an emissivity of the workpiece, wherein the emissivity of the workpiece is measured in situ.

17. A method for heat treating a workpiece, the method comprising:

heating the workpiece to a process temperature using one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range;

measuring electromagnetic radiation at one or more sensors within a second wavelength range while the workpiece is at the process temperature, the second wavelength range being different from the first wavelength range; and

determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range measured by the one or more sensors;

controlling the one or more heat sources to adjust or maintain the temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the temperature of the workpiece.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein measuring electromagnetic radiation within the second range of wavelengths at the one or more sensors includes:

emitting electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range by one or more additional radiation sources; and

measuring the electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range at the one or more sensors;

wherein the electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range passes through the workpiece before being received by the one or more sensors.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on electromagnetic radiation within a second range of wavelengths measured by the one or more sensors comprises:

determining a reference transmission spectrum associated with the workpiece;

determining a transmittance of the workpiece based at least in part on the electromagnetic radiation in the second range of wavelengths measured by the one or more sensors;

determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the reference transmission spectrum and a transmittance of the workpiece.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on electromagnetic radiation within a second range of wavelengths measured by the one or more sensors comprises:

determining an emissivity of the workpiece at the second wavelength range at one or more reference temperatures;

determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on an emissivity of the workpiece at the second wavelength range at one or more reference temperatures.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a thermal processing system for a workpiece (e.g., a semiconductor workpiece).

Background

As used herein, a thermal processing chamber refers to a device that can heat one or more workpieces (e.g., semiconductor wafers). The apparatus may include a support plate for supporting the workpiece and an energy source, such as a heat lamp, laser, or other heat source, for heating the workpiece. During the heat treatment, the workpiece may be heated under controlled conditions to a preset temperature pattern. For example, the workpiece may be heated by an array of lamps passing through the support plate to a temperature of, for example, from about 50 ℃ to about 150 ℃, such as about 100 ℃. During heat treatment, the primary goal may be to measure the workpiece temperature as accurately as possible.

Disclosure of Invention

Aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments.

One example aspect of the present disclosure relates to a heat treatment apparatus. The apparatus includes a process chamber having a workpiece support. The workpiece support may be configured to support a workpiece. The apparatus may include one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range to heat the workpiece to a process temperature. The treatment temperature may be in the range of about 50 ℃ to 150 ℃. The apparatus may include one or more sensors configured to obtain a measurement of electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range when the workpiece is at the process temperature. The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of various embodiments will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the relevant principles.

Drawings

A detailed discussion of embodiments directed to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth in the specification with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts an example thermal processing apparatus according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts an example thermal processing apparatus according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 depicts an example transmission spectrum of an example workpiece material according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 depicts an example change in transmittance versus temperature of an example workpiece material according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 depicts an example thermal processing apparatus according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 depicts an example emissivity spectrum of an example workpiece according to an example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 depicts an example blackbody radiation curve at an example temperature according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 depicts an example method for heat treating a workpiece according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 depicts an example method for determining a temperature of a workpiece, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 10 depicts an example method for determining a temperature of a workpiece according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided for the purpose of explaining the embodiments, and not limiting the present disclosure. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure are intended to cover such modifications and variations.

Example aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for heat treatment of workpieces. More particularly, in some embodiments, example aspects of the present disclosure relate to performing a thermal treatment process, such as doping, deposition, annealing, or any other suitable thermal treatment process, on a workpiece (e.g., a semiconductor workpiece). In some embodiments, the thermal treatment process may include Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP), such as dopant activation, Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA), metal reflow, or any other suitable rapid thermal process. According to example aspects of the present disclosure, the heat treatment may involve heating the workpiece at a relatively low temperature, such as ultra-low temperatures, such as below about 200 ℃, such as about 100 ℃.

For purposes of illustration and discussion, example aspects of the disclosure may be discussed herein with reference to processing a workpiece (e.g., a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor wafer, etc.). Those skilled in the art, using the disclosure provided herein, will appreciate that various aspects of the disclosure may be used in conjunction with the processing of other workpieces without departing from the scope of the disclosure. As used herein, the term "about" used in connection with a numerical value may mean within 20% of the stated numerical value.

Thermal treatment of the workpiece may include heating the workpiece to a desired temperature and/or maintaining the workpiece at a desired temperature for performing the process. In some applications, it may be desirable to heat the workpiece to a relatively low temperature, such as a temperature below about 200 ℃, for example about 50 ℃ to about 150 ℃, for example about 100 ℃, before and/or during the heat treatment.

At relatively low temperatures, such as at temperatures below about 200 ℃, heat treatment of workpieces may involve various challenges. For example, it may be desirable to accurately measure the temperature of a workpiece during heat treatment. Various systems for thermal processing may employ non-contact temperature measurement techniques, such as pyrometry, to measure the temperature of a workpiece. Such non-contact temperature measurement techniques may involve measuring electromagnetic radiation, such as electromagnetic radiation emitted by the workpiece. However, the measured electromagnetic radiation may sometimes be contaminated by electromagnetic radiation from a heat source used to heat the workpiece. In addition, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation of a particular wavelength by the workpiece may vary as a function of temperature. These challenges may be exacerbated by the characteristics of the workpiece at low temperatures, such as the low emissivity associated with the workpiece at low temperatures.

For example, if the workpiece is a lightly doped silicon wafer at about 100 ℃, the workpiece may not be able to absorb electromagnetic radiation associated with an infrared light source, such as electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in a range of about 1.1 μm to about 14 μm. An alternative to infrared light is Ultraviolet (UV) radiation having a wavelength of about 10nm to about 400 nm. However, some applications may disfavor or otherwise prohibit the use of UV light sources, such as broadband UV light sources. As used herein, lightly doped silicon refers to silicon having a resistivity greater than 1 ohm/cm.

As another example, non-contact temperature measurement techniques, such as pyrometry, may be employed to measure the temperature of the workpiece without requiring direct contact with the workpiece. Such non-contact measurement techniques may, for example, measure thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece and determine the temperature based on the emitted thermal radiation. At relatively low temperatures, for example temperatures below 200 ℃, the thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece may sometimes be insufficient to obtain an accurate measurement. These challenges can be exacerbated by contamination by electromagnetic radiation emitted by the heat source used to heat the workpiece.

To overcome these challenges, a system for thermal processing of a workpiece may include a process chamber having a workpiece support. The workpiece support may be configured to support a workpiece. The system may include one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range to heat the workpiece to a process temperature. The processing temperature can be from about 50 ℃ to about 150 ℃ (e.g., about 100 ℃). The system may include one or more sensors configured to obtain a measurement of electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range when the workpiece is at the processing temperature. The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range and may not overlap with the first wavelength range. In some embodiments, the spectral power density associated with radiation from the heat source in the second wavelength range may be less than about 5% of the peak spectral power density associated with the second wavelength range, such as less than about 1% of the peak spectral power density associated with the second wavelength range. According to example embodiments of the present disclosure, a temperature of a workpiece may be determined based at least in part on measurements of electromagnetic radiation obtained by one or more sensors.

According to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for thermal processing of a workpiece may include a process chamber. The process chamber can have any shape, configuration, and/or construction suitable for processing the workpiece. Additionally, the process chamber may include one or more additional elements to aid in the thermal processing of the workpiece.

In some embodiments, the process chamber may have a workpiece support configured to support a workpiece. The workpiece support may have any suitable shape, configuration, and/or construction to support the workpiece. In some embodiments, the workpiece support may be configured to support the workpiece while having limited impact on electromagnetic radiation in the processing chamber (e.g., electromagnetic radiation passing through or thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece). For example, at least a portion of the workpiece may be adjacent to an aperture in the workpiece support, allowing electromagnetic radiation to pass from one side of the workpiece to the other without interference from the workpiece support. In some embodiments, the workpiece support may include additional suitable components to assist in the thermal treatment of the workpiece. In some embodiments, the workpiece support may comprise a quartz support plate (e.g., a quartz support pin) having one or more support pins.

In some embodiments, the workpiece may be a semiconductor workpiece, such as a workpiece composed at least partially of silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), germanium (Ge), or other suitable semiconductor, or combinations thereof. The workpiece may have any suitable shape or size in accordance with the present disclosure. For example, the workpiece may be a "wafer" or substrate having a substantially circular or oval surface.

In some embodiments, a system for thermal processing of a workpiece may include one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range. The one or more heat sources may be, for example, a light source or other radiant heat source. The one or more heat sources may be operable to heat the workpiece without physical contact between the heat source and the workpiece. For example, the one or more heat sources may include an infrared light source, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a pulsed heat source, a coherent light source (e.g., a laser), a narrow band heat source, or other suitable heat source or combination thereof. For example, the one or more heat sources may be narrow band heat sources, such as LEDs, to reduce or limit contamination by electromagnetic radiation outside the first wavelength range.

The one or more heat sources may be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within the first wavelength range to heat the workpiece. The first wavelength range may be selected such that the workpiece has a suitable absorption, for example a suitably high absorption, of electromagnetic radiation in the first wavelength range. For example, the first wavelength range may have a suitably high absorption such that the workpiece is capable of absorbing radiation in the first wavelength range, e.g., an amount of radiation suitable for heating the workpiece in an efficient manner. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths at which the workpiece has an absorbance of about 0.3 or higher, such as about 0.5 or higher, for example, high 0.7 or higher. The workpiece may be heated by absorbing an appropriate portion of the energy carried by the electromagnetic radiation. However, any suitable wavelength range may be used for the first wavelength range. In some embodiments, the workpiece may be heated to about 50 ℃ to 150 ℃, for example to about 100 ℃.

Additionally and/or alternatively, the first wavelength range may be selected to provide a suitable absorption rate based at least in part on a temperature of the workpiece. For example, the absorption of the workpiece may vary with temperature, and it may be desirable to select the first wavelength to provide sufficient absorption at a desired temperature. For example, the first wavelength range may be selected to provide a suitable absorbance at an initial temperature of the workpiece (i.e., before the workpiece is heated by the one or more heat sources), at a process temperature (i.e., a temperature to which the workpiece is heated and/or maintained during heat treatment), within a temperature range (e.g., within a range from the initial temperature to the process temperature), or at any suitable temperature or temperatures, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the temperature may be from about 50 ℃ to about 150 ℃. In some embodiments, the temperature may be about 100 ℃.

In one example application of heating a workpiece comprising a lightly doped silicon wafer to a process temperature of about 100 ℃, the one or more heat sources may comprise high power narrow band LEDs configured to provide electromagnetic radiation of about 900 nm. The lightly doped silicon wafer may have an absorption of about 0.7 for electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of about 900nm at 100 ℃. The LED may be a narrow band heat source having a bandwidth of less than about 200nm, such as less than about 100nm, such as less than about 50nm, such as less than about 20 nm. As used herein, the LED bandwidth is a half-power bandwidth in which the power radiated per unit wavelength falls to 50% of the peak power per unit wavelength. In this way, a 900nm LED may provide sufficient capability to heat a workpiece, provide limited interference in other wavelengths, and avoid complications that may be associated with electromagnetic radiation having shorter wavelengths (e.g., UV light). However, any suitable heat source having any suitable wavelength range may be used in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, a system for thermal processing of a workpiece may include one or more sensors configured to obtain measurements of electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range. In some embodiments, the workpiece may be at least partially transparent to the second wavelength range. In some embodiments, the second wavelength range may correspond to a wavelength range in which the workpiece emits a substantial amount of thermal radiation. Based on measurements from one or more sensors, the temperature of the workpiece may be determined. The one or more sensors may include, for example, a photodiode, a pyrometer, or other suitable sensor.

The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range and/or may not overlap with the first wavelength range. For example, the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range may be selected to reduce or limit contamination between the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range. For example, the second wavelength range may be selected to be a wavelength range outside the radiation band emitted by the one or more heat sources. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths of about 900nm and the second wavelength range may include wavelengths of about 1100 nm. As another example, the second wavelength range may be a wavelength range having a different order of magnitude than the first wavelength. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths on the order of about 1000nm (e.g., 900nm), and the second wavelength range may include wavelengths on the order of about 10 μm (e.g., 16 μm). In some embodiments, the spectral power density associated with radiation from the heat source in the second wavelength range may be less than about 5% of the peak spectral power density associated with the second wavelength range, such as less than about 1% of the peak spectral power density associated with the second wavelength range.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may obtain measurements of electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range during times when the one or more heat sources are not emitting radiation. For example, the one or more heat sources may be pulsed on and off (e.g., at a high frequency), and the one or more sensors may obtain measurements during the time that the one or more heat sources are off. In this example embodiment, there may be some overlap between the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range.

By pulsing the one or more heat sources in addition to and/or optionally obtaining measurements in a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range, contamination of measurements made by the one or more sensors from the one or more heat sources may be reduced, allowing accurate measurements to be made by the one or more sensors while still providing effective heating of the workpiece.

In some embodiments, one or more sensors may be sensitive to undesired radiation despite obtaining measurements in a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range emitted by the one or more heat sources. For example, thermal radiation from components outside of the workpiece, such as from other components within the processing chamber, may interfere with measurements obtained by one or more sensors. For example, thermal radiation from the component, particularly a component at about the same temperature as the workpiece, may at least partially fall within the second wavelength range or be used to contaminate measurements obtained by the one or more sensors.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may include a field of view of at least a portion of the workpiece through one or more windows. The one or more windows may be transparent to the second wavelength range. In some embodiments, the one or more windows may be configured to limit wavelengths other than the second range of wavelengths. For example, the one or more windows may be positioned between the workpiece and the one or more sensors to limit interference of electromagnetic radiation other than that which the one or more sensors are configured to measure, or to prevent damage to the one or more sensors, for example, by debris or thermal conditions in the processing chamber. For example, the one or more windows may be configured to at least partially block thermal radiation from components in the process chamber other than the workpiece. In embodiments having more than one sensor, each sensor may include a separate window, or more than one sensor may be positioned to view the workpiece through the same window. In some embodiments, the one or more windows may be implemented in an aperture in a wall of the process chamber. In some embodiments, one or more of the windows may comprise a suitable window material, such as quartz.

In some embodiments, the field of view of the one or more sensors may be limited by one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures. For example, the one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures may be configured to reduce interference of electromagnetic radiation other than that for which the one or more sensors are configured to measure, or to prevent damage to the one or more sensors, for example, by debris or thermal conditions in the process chamber. For example, one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures may direct the field of view of one or more sensors substantially toward the workpiece to prevent interference from undesired electromagnetic radiation. For example, the cooled tube and/or the cooled orifice may be configured to at least partially block thermal radiation from components in the process chamber other than the workpiece. As another example, a cooled sight tube and/or a cooled orifice may prevent damage to one or more sensors.

In some embodiments, the thermal treatment system may include one or more additional radiation sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range. The one or more additional radiation sources may be positioned such that the emitted radiation is generally perpendicular (e.g., within about 10 ° of perpendicular) to the surface of the workpiece or at any other suitable angle relative to the surface of the workpiece. In some embodiments, the one or more additional radiation sources may be positioned substantially opposite the one or more sensors. For example, each of the one or more additional radiation sources may be positioned on an opposite side of the process chamber from each of the one or more sensors and oriented linearly with each of the one or more sensors. Any other suitable orientation for the one or more sensors and/or the one or more additional radiation sources may be used in accordance with the present disclosure. The one or more additional radiation sources may include, for example, a laser (e.g., a laser diode), an infrared light source, an Ultraviolet (UV) light source, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a pulsed radiation source, a coherent light source, a narrow band radiation source, or other suitable radiation source, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more additional radiation sources may be located behind the one or more windows.

In some embodiments, the workpiece may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range. For example, the workpiece may have a transmittance of greater than about 0 at the second wavelength range. In this way, electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range may at least partially pass through the workpiece to a side of the process chamber opposite the one or more additional radiation sources.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be configured to obtain measurements of the second wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation after the electromagnetic radiation has passed through the workpiece. In this manner, the transmittance of the workpiece may be determined by comparing the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more additional radiation sources with the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation measured by the one or more sensors.

In some embodiments, the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more additional radiation sources may be varied with respect to time, wherein measurements of electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range from the one or more sensors may still be used to determine the transmittance and thus the temperature of the workpiece. For example, in measurements of electromagnetic radiation obtained by one or more sensors, intensity variations of one or more additional radiation sources may be compensated.

The measurement of electromagnetic radiation of the second wavelength range obtained by the one or more sensors may vary with the temperature of the workpiece even though the output from the one or more additional radiation sources is constant. In this manner, measurements from the one or more sensors may be directly correlated to the temperature of the workpiece as a function of the transmissivity of the workpiece (e.g., as a temperature change between an initial temperature and a current temperature).

In some embodiments, the temperature of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on the transmittance of the workpiece. For example, the transmittance of the workpiece may vary with the temperature of the workpiece. For example, the transmittance of the workpiece may vary as a function of at least the temperature of the workpiece. Other factors related to the transmissivity of the workpiece may be measured or otherwise known or determined, such as, but not limited to, the shape of the workpiece, the thickness of the workpiece, the composition of the workpiece, and the like. In some embodiments, a reference transmission spectrum may be determined and the transmittance of the workpiece during thermal processing may be measured. The temperature of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on a comparison between the reference transmission spectrum and the transmittance of the workpiece.

In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may indicate a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on a transmittance of the workpiece. For example, in some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be based at least in part on the measured transmittance of one or more reference workpieces at a plurality of temperatures. The one or more reference objects may share one or more characteristics with the object. In some embodiments, one or more of the one or more reference workpieces may be workpieces to be heat treated. In some embodiments, the measured transmittance may be measured in a process chamber according to the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a separate device may be used to obtain the measured transmittance.

In embodiments where the reference transmission spectrum is based at least in part on the measured transmittance, the reference transmission spectrum may include a model or equation, a look-up table, or any other suitable reference transmission spectrum. For example, the measured transmittance may be used to extrapolate a mathematical model or equation of transmittance as a function of at least temperature. In some embodiments, the model or equation may be calibrated based at least in part on additional characteristics, such as, but not limited to, thickness of the workpiece, composition of the workpiece, or any other suitable characteristics, or combinations thereof. For example, the model may be adjustable based on the thickness of the workpiece, such that several substantially similar workpieces having varying thicknesses (e.g., within a range or percentage error of the thickness) may be associated with the same model. In some embodiments, a separate model or equation may be used for each thickness, and the thickness of the workpiece to be processed may be rounded to the nearest thickness with the reference transmission spectrum. In some embodiments, the model or equation may not be thickness dependent.

As another example, the measured transmittance may be used to populate a lookup table that relates transmittance to temperature of the workpiece. For example, various look-up tables may be populated based at least in part on various characteristics of the workpiece from which measurements are obtained. In some embodiments, the look-up table data may be manipulated after being retrieved based on various characteristics. For example, if the transmittance of the workpiece measured during the thermal process falls between two values in the lookup table, the two values may be averaged by a weighted sum. As another example, the look-up table may be slightly adjusted using a multiplier that at least partially represents some characteristic of the workpiece (e.g., thickness), e.g., without having to fill an entirely different look-up table based on the characteristic.

In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be based at least in part on approximate or simulated data, or other data not measured directly from the workpiece. For example, an equation or model based on physical and/or chemical properties of the workpiece may be generated for the workpiece. For example, the model may be based on computer simulations, or based on the transmittance of one or more materials comprising the workpiece, or other similar models.

In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be calibrated to provide an accurate correlation between the transmittance and temperature of a given workpiece. For example, one or more parameters, variables, etc. of the model or equation may be adjusted based on the workpiece. As another example, a reference transmission spectrum may be selected from a plurality of candidate reference transmission spectra for the workpiece.

In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be calibrated by matching a reference transmittance measured from the workpiece to the reference transmission spectrum. For example, a reference transmittance may be measured from the workpiece at a known initial temperature. In one embodiment, the reference transmittance may be compared to a candidate reference transmission spectrum known to closely correspond to the transmittance of the workpiece to adjust the candidate reference transmission spectrum to more accurately correspond to the workpiece. As another example, the reference transmittance may be compared to points on the plurality of candidate reference transmission spectra to select which of the plurality of candidate reference transmission spectra most accurately represents the workpiece, such as a point associated with a temperature at which the reference transmittance is measured. Any other suitable method of calibrating the reference transmission spectrum may be used in accordance with the present disclosure.

By correlating the measured transmittance with a reference transmission spectrum, the temperature of the workpiece can be determined. For example, the measured transmittance may be an input to a model or equation that relates transmittance to temperature. As another example, the measured transmittance may be mapped to a point on an X-Y plot, where transmittance is on one axis (e.g., ordinate) and temperature is on the other axis (e.g., abscissa). As another example, the measured transmittance may be an input into a temperature look-up table. Thus, the measured transmittance may be used to accurately and indirectly determine the temperature of the workpiece.

As another example, changes in the signal at one or more sensors that occur as a result of changes in the transmittance of the workpiece may be used to determine the temperature of the workpiece. For example, at a first temperature of the workpiece, the one or more sensors may measure a first intensity of electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range. At a second temperature of the workpiece, the one or more sensors may measure a second intensity of electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range.

For example, the temperature of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on a difference between the first intensity and the second intensity. For example, the first temperature may be known and the second temperature may be unknown, and the first temperature and the first intensity may be used to establish a reference point on a model, such as an equation, curve, data set, or other suitable model that relates intensity and temperature (e.g., for a given workpiece). The model may be determined based on simulated or estimated data (e.g., based on one or more properties of the workpiece) and/or measured data (e.g., measured from the workpiece and/or one or more other workpieces having similar characteristics as the workpiece). For example, the model may be determined in a similar manner to the reference transmission spectrum described above. A second point may then be established on the model using the second intensity, and the second temperature may thus be determined based on the second point. Any other suitable method known in the art may be used to determine the temperature of the workpiece based on measurements obtained by one or more sensors.

Aspects of the present disclosure are discussed with reference to using transmittance to determine a temperature of a workpiece. Other optical characteristics (e.g., reflectivity) may also be used to determine the temperature of the workpiece without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, where the workpiece is translucent, reflectivity may be used as an alternative to transmissivity, since reflectivity includes a component from internal reflection at the back of the workpiece, and the magnitude of this component is affected by absorption in the workpiece.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be configured to obtain measurements of electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range, and the second wavelength range may include at least a portion of a range of thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece. The thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece may vary with the temperature of the workpiece. Thus, a measurement of the thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece in the second wavelength range may be made and compared to the emissivity and/or expected amount of thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece at temperatures in the second wavelength range to determine the temperature of the workpiece.

For example, the thermal radiation of the workpiece may be a function of both the blackbody radiation emitted by an ideal blackbody at the temperature of the workpiece and the emissivity of the workpiece. The emissivity of the workpiece may be a ratio between an amount of thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece at a particular wavelength and temperature and an amount of thermal radiation emitted by an ideal black body at the particular wavelength and temperature. In some cases, at least a portion of the blackbody curve and emissivity curve of the workpiece may be inversely related, resulting in challenges in selecting a second wavelength range that emits a suitably high amount of thermal radiation.

In some embodiments, to measure thermal radiation emitted by a workpiece at a particular temperature, a wavelength band may be selected for measurement that has a relatively high magnitude on the blackbody plot at that temperature, while also having a relatively high emissivity constant for the workpiece.

In some embodiments, the second wavelength range may be selected based at least in part on one or more local characteristics associated with the emissivity of the workpiece. For example, the emissivity profile of the workpiece may have one or more local maxima that provide a relatively higher emissivity at a particular wavelength than at ambient wavelengths. Particularly where the blackbody curve and emissivity curve are inversely related, the local characteristic may correspond to a relatively desired wavelength for thermal radiation measurement, provided that the local characteristic corresponds to a wavelength desired in view of other considerations discussed herein. For example, the workpiece may emit a greater amount of thermal radiation at the wavelength of the one or more local features than at the wavelength immediately surrounding the one or more local features.

For example, in particular embodiments in which the workpiece comprises a lightly doped silicon wafer at about 100 ℃, the workpiece may have one or more local features related to emissivity at 9 μm and/or 16 μm. For example, the local feature at 9 μm may be a local maximum, such that the emissivity at 9 μm is substantially higher than the emissivity at, for example, 8 μm or 10 μm. Therefore, it is desirable to obtain measurements at 9 μm, since the workpiece emits a relatively large amount of thermal radiation at 9 μm, in addition to having a significant magnitude associated with the blackbody curve of 9 μm at 100 ℃.

In some embodiments, the emissivity properties of the workpiece may be obtained in situ, i.e., without removing the workpiece from the processing chamber.

In some embodiments, the emissivity of the workpiece may be measured by causing electromagnetic radiation from one or more measurement radiation sources to interact with the workpiece at a known intensity and measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources after interacting with the workpiece. For example, the one or more measurement radiation sources may be any suitable radiation source, such as one or more heat sources for heating the workpiece, one or more additional radiation sources, or any other suitable radiation source. In some embodiments, the workpiece may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources. In this way, a first portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources may pass through the workpiece to a side of the process chamber opposite the one or more measurement radiation sources, and a second portion of the electromagnetic radiation may be reflected from a surface of the workpiece.

For example, in an example embodiment in which the workpiece comprises a 100 ℃ lightly doped silicon wafer, the workpiece may not be completely opaque to wavelengths below about 25 μm. Thus, to measure the emissivity of the workpiece, the transmittance of the workpiece and the reflectance of the workpiece may be measured. For example, the transmittance may be determined as a ratio of the intensity of the first portion of electromagnetic radiation that has passed through the workpiece to the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources. The reflectivity may be determined as a ratio of an intensity of the second portion of the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the workpiece to an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources. Thus, any electromagnetic radiation not considered by the sum of transmittance and reflectance corresponds to electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the workpiece. In thermal equilibrium, it may be determined that the amount of energy emitted by the workpiece is the same as the amount of energy absorbed by the workpiece. In this way, the emissivity of the workpiece can be measured.

Based on the measured workpiece temperature, one or more process parameters of the thermal processing system may be controlled. For example, the measured temperature may be used in a feedback loop, and the intensity of one or more heat sources may be controlled to adjust and/or maintain the temperature of the workpiece. For example, the intensity of one or more heat sources may be adjusted to heat the workpiece to a desired processing temperature.

An example embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a heat treatment apparatus. The apparatus may include a process chamber having a workpiece support. The workpiece support may be configured to support a workpiece. The apparatus may include one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range to heat the workpiece to a process temperature. The treatment temperature may be from about 50 ℃ to about 150 ℃, for example about 100 ℃. The apparatus may include one or more sensors configured to obtain a measurement of electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range when the workpiece is at the process temperature. The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may include one or more processors configured to determine a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on measurements of electromagnetic radiation obtained by the one or more sensors.

In some embodiments, the one or more heat sources may be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in the narrow band infrared range. The first wavelength range may be from about 850 nanometers to about 950 nanometers, such as about 900 nanometers. The first wavelength range may be selected such that the workpiece has an absorbance of greater than about 0.5 at the first wavelength range and the process temperature, for example greater than about 0.7 at the first wavelength range and the process temperature. The second wavelength range may include wavelengths longer than about 1000 nanometers, such as greater than about 1100 nm. In some embodiments, the second wavelength range may include wavelengths of about 13 microns to about 17 microns, such as about 16 microns. In some embodiments, the second wavelength range may be a wavelength of about 7 microns to about 12 microns, such as about 9 microns. In some embodiments, there is no overlap between the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may include a field of view of at least a portion of the workpiece through one or more windows transparent to the second wavelength range. The apparatus may include a cooled orifice or a cooled tube to limit the field of view of the one or more sensors.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors are configured to measure electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range during a period of time when the one or more heat sources are not emitting electromagnetic radiation in the first wavelength range.

In some embodiments, the one or more heat sources comprise one or more light emitting diodes. The workpiece may comprise a semiconductor. For example, the workpiece may comprise silicon and/or lightly doped silicon.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may include one or more additional radiation sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range. The workpiece may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range. Electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range may pass through the workpiece before being measured by the one or more sensors.

In some embodiments, the measurements obtained by the one or more sensors are indicative of the transmittance of the workpiece. The one or more processors may be configured to determine the temperature of the workpiece at least in part by comparing measurements obtained by the one or more sensors indicative of the transmittance of the workpiece to a reference transmission spectrum of a sample having a known initial temperature.

In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to determine the temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on an emissivity of the workpiece. The emissivity of the workpiece may be measured in situ. The emissivity of the workpiece may be measured by providing electromagnetic radiation of known intensity to the workpiece and measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation after interaction with the workpiece. The emissivity of the workpiece may be measured based at least in part on the reflectivity of the workpiece, the transmissivity of the workpiece, or a combination thereof.

A method for heat treating a workpiece. The method may include heating the workpiece to a process temperature using one or more heat sources. The one or more heat sources may be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range. The method may include measuring electromagnetic radiation within a second range of wavelengths at one or more sensors while the workpiece is at the process temperature. The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range. The method may include determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the electromagnetic radiation in the second range of wavelengths measured by the one or more sensors. In some embodiments, the method may include controlling one or more heat sources to adjust or maintain the temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the temperature of the workpiece.

In some embodiments, measuring electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range at the one or more sensors may include emitting electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range by one or more additional radiation sources; and measuring electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range at the one or more sensors. Electromagnetic radiation within the second range of wavelengths may pass through the workpiece before being received by the one or more sensors.

In some embodiments, determining the temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the electromagnetic radiation in the second range of wavelengths measured by the one or more sensors may include determining a reference transmission spectrum associated with the workpiece; determining a transmittance of the workpiece based at least in part on the electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range measured by the one or more sensors; and determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the reference transmission spectrum and the transmittance of the workpiece.

In some embodiments, determining the temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range measured by the one or more sensors comprises determining an emissivity of the workpiece in the second wavelength range at one or more reference temperatures; and determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on an emissivity of the workpiece at the second wavelength range at the one or more reference temperatures.

Another example embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a heat treatment apparatus. The apparatus may include a process chamber having a workpiece support. The workpiece support may be configured to support a workpiece. The apparatus may include one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range to heat the workpiece to a process temperature. The treatment temperature may be about 50 ℃ to 150 ℃. The device may comprise one or more additional radiation sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range. The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range. The workpiece may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range. The apparatus may include one or more sensors configured to obtain a measurement of electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range when the workpiece is at the processing temperature. Electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range may pass through the workpiece before being measured by the one or more sensors. The transmittance of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on measurements of electromagnetic radiation obtained by one or more sensors. The temperature of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on the transmittance of the workpiece.

Another example embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a heat treatment apparatus. The apparatus includes a process chamber having a workpiece support. The workpiece support may be configured to support a workpiece. The apparatus may include one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range to heat the workpiece to a process temperature, wherein the process temperature is from about 50 ℃ to 150 ℃. The apparatus may include one or more sensors configured to obtain a measurement of electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range when the workpiece is at the processing temperature, wherein the second wavelength range is different from the first wavelength range. The one or more sensors determine a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on an emissivity of the workpiece.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure will now be discussed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 depicts an example thermal processing system 100 that may be used in accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the RTP system 100 includes a process chamber 105, a workpiece 110, a workpiece support 120, heat source arrays 170A and 170B, an air bearing 145, a controller 175, a door 180, and an airflow controller 185.

In some embodiments, the workpiece 110 may be a semiconductor workpiece, such as a workpiece composed at least partially of silicon (Si), gallium (Ga) (e.g., GaAs), germanium (Ge) (e.g., SiGe), or other suitable semiconductor, or combinations thereof. In accordance with the present disclosure, the workpiece 110 may have any suitable shape or size. For example, the workpiece 110 may be a "wafer" or substrate having a generally circular surface.

According to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a system 100 for thermal processing of a workpiece may include a processing chamber 105. The process chamber can have any shape, configuration, and/or configuration suitable for processing the workpiece 110. Additionally, the process chamber may include one or more additional elements (not shown) to aid in the thermal processing of the workpiece 110.

In some embodiments, the process chamber 105 may include a workpiece support 120. The workpiece support 120 can be configured to support the workpiece 110. According to example aspects of the present disclosure, the workpiece support 120 may have any suitable shape, configuration, and/or construction to support the workpiece 110. In some embodiments, the workpiece support 120 may be configured to support the workpiece 110 while having limited impact on electromagnetic radiation in the processing chamber (e.g., electromagnetic radiation passing through the workpiece 110 or thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece 110). For example, at least a portion of the workpiece 110 may be adjacent to an aperture in the workpiece support 120, thereby allowing electromagnetic radiation to pass from one side of the workpiece 110 to the other without interference from the workpiece support 120. In some embodiments, the workpiece support 120 may include additional suitable components (not shown) to aid in the thermal processing of the workpiece 110. In some embodiments, the workpiece support may comprise a quartz support plate (e.g., a quartz support pin) having one or more support pins.

A workpiece 110 to be processed may be supported in a process chamber 105 (e.g., a quartz chamber) by a workpiece support 120. The workpiece support 120 can support the workpiece 110 during thermal processing. In some embodiments, the workpiece support 120 may include a rotatable base 135 and/or one or more support pins 115 (only one shown). The support pins 115 and the rotatable base 135 may transfer heat from a heat source 170B. The support pins 115 and the rotatable base 135 may be made of quartz. The rotatable base 135 may rotate the workpiece 110 at a defined rotational orientation and a defined rotational speed. The rotatable base 135 may be supported by an air bearing 145. The airflow impinging on the rotatable base 135 may rotate the rotatable base 135 about the axis 155. In some embodiments, the rotatable base 135 may not be present, and the workpiece 110 may be supported solely by one or more support pins 115 and/or a stationary support plate.

Guard rings (not shown) may be used to mitigate the effects of the radiation edge from one or more edges of the workpiece 110. The end plate 190 seals the process chamber 105 and the door 180 may allow the workpiece 110 to enter and, when closed, may allow the process chamber 105 to be sealed and the process gas 125 to be introduced into the process chamber 105 from the gas flow controller 185. The process gas 125 may include an inert gas that does not react with the workpiece 110, and/or the process gas 125 may include a reactive gas that reacts with the material of the workpiece 110 (e.g., a semiconductor wafer, etc.) to form a layer on the workpiece 110. The process gas 125 may be a gas capable of containing a silicon compound that reacts at the heated surface of the workpiece 110 being processed to form a layer on the heated surface without consuming any material from the surface of the workpiece 110.

In some embodiments, a system for thermally processing a workpiece may include one or more heat sources 130 configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range. The one or more heat sources 130 may be, for example, a light source or other radiant heat source. The one or more heat sources 130 may be operable to heat the workpiece without physical contact between the heat sources 130 and the workpiece 110. For example, the one or more heat sources 130 may include an infrared light source, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a pulsed heat source, a coherent light source, a narrow band heat source, or other suitable heat source, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of the heat sources 130 may be a narrow band heat source, such as an LED, to reduce or limit emission of electromagnetic radiation outside the first wavelength range.

The one or more heat sources 130 may be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within the first wavelength range to heat the workpiece 110. The first wavelength range may be selected such that the workpiece has a suitable absorption, for example a suitably high absorption, of electromagnetic radiation in the first wavelength range. For example, the first wavelength range may have a suitably high absorption such that the workpiece is capable of absorbing radiation in the first wavelength range, e.g., an amount of radiation suitable for heating the workpiece in an efficient manner. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths at which the workpiece has an absorbance of about 0.3 or higher, e.g., about 0.7 or higher. The workpiece 110 may be heated by absorbing an appropriate portion of the energy carried by the electromagnetic radiation. However, any suitable wavelength range may be used for the first wavelength range. In some embodiments, the workpiece 110 may be heated to about 50 ℃ to 150 ℃, for example to about 100 ℃.

Additionally and/or alternatively, the first wavelength range may be selected to provide suitable absorption based at least in part on the temperature of the workpiece 110. For example, the absorption of the workpiece 110 may vary with temperature, and it may be desirable to select the first wavelength to provide sufficient absorption at a desired temperature. For example, the first wavelength range may be selected to provide a suitable absorption rate at an initial temperature of the workpiece 110 (i.e., before the workpiece 110 is heated by the one or more heat sources 130), at a process temperature (i.e., a temperature to which the workpiece is heated and/or maintained during thermal processing), within a temperature range (e.g., within a range from the initial temperature to the process temperature), or at any suitable temperature or temperatures, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the temperature may be a processing temperature in the range of about 50 ℃ to about 150 ℃. In some embodiments, the processing temperature may be about 100 ℃.

In one example application of heating a workpiece 110 comprising a lightly doped silicon wafer to a process temperature of about 100 ℃, the one or more heat sources 130 may comprise high power single color LEDs configured to provide light at about 900 nm. The lightly doped silicon wafer may have an absorption of about 0.7 for electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of about 900nm at 100 ℃. These LEDs 130 may be narrow band heat sources and therefore emit negligible radiation in wavelengths other than about 900 nm. In this way, the 900nm LED130 may provide sufficient capability to heat the workpiece 110, provide limited interference in other wavelengths, and avoid complications that may be associated with electromagnetic radiation having shorter wavelengths (e.g., UV light). However, any suitable heat source 130 having any suitable wavelength range may be used in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Two heat source arrays 170A and 170B are shown on either side of the workpiece 110. Each heat source array may include a plurality of heat sources 130. Examples of heat sources 130 may include lamps (e.g., incandescent lamps, etc.), Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), laser diodes, or other suitable monochromatic heat sources. Each heat source may be circular, linear, or other shape. In some embodiments, the heat source arrays 170A and 170B may have the same configuration. In some implementations, the heat source arrays 170A and 170B can have linear heat sources that can be positioned parallel to each other with an open space therebetween. In some implementations, the heat source arrays 170A and 170B can have circular heat sources that can be positioned in a close-packed (e.g., honeycomb, etc.) configuration with a physical barrier between them. In some embodiments, the heat source arrays 170A and 170B may have different configurations. The heat source array 170A may have a linear heat source and the heat source array 170B may have a circular heat source, or vice versa.

The heat source arrays 170A and 170B are discussed as having a plurality of heat sources. However, only a single heat source may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, in some embodiments, the apparatus 100 may include only the heat source array 170A. In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 may include only the heat source array 170B. In some embodiments, device 100 may include both arrays 170A and 170B.

The controller 175 may be configured to perform some or all of the methods discussed herein. For example, the controller may include one or more processors 176 configured to perform some or all of the methods discussed herein. Controller 175 may include one or more storage devices 177 storing one or more computer-readable instructions that, when implemented (e.g., by one or more processors 176), perform any of the methods disclosed herein. For example, the instructions may cause the controller 175 to control aspects of the thermal processing system 100, such as the output intensity of the one or more heat sources 130. As another example, the instructions may cause any of the components discussed herein, such as the controller 175 and/or one or more sensors 210 (shown in fig. 2 and 5), to perform temperature measurements of the workpiece 110 according to the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an example thermal processing apparatus 200 is discussed in accordance with the present disclosure. For purposes of this discussion, some components discussed with respect to the thermal processing apparatus 100 of fig. 1 are omitted with respect to the thermal processing apparatus 200 of fig. 2. However, some embodiments of the thermal processing apparatus 200 may include some or all of the components discussed with respect to fig. 1.

The thermal processing apparatus 200 may include a process chamber 105, one or more heat source arrays 170A, 170B having one or more heat sources 130, and a workpiece support 120 configured to support a workpiece 110, as discussed with respect to fig. 1.

In some embodiments, the thermal treatment system may include one or more additional radiation sources 220 configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range 225. The one or more additional radiation sources 220 may be positioned such that the emitted radiation is generally perpendicular (e.g., within about 10 ° of perpendicular) to the surface of the workpiece 110 or at any other suitable angle relative to the surface of the workpiece 110. In some embodiments, one or more additional radiation sources 220 may be positioned substantially opposite one or more sensors 210. For example, each of the one or more additional radiation sources 220 may be positioned on a side of the process chamber 105 opposite each of the one or more sensors 210 and oriented linearly with each of the one or more sensors 210. Any other suitable orientation for the one or more sensors and/or the one or more additional radiation sources may be used in accordance with the present disclosure. The one or more additional radiation sources may include, for example, a laser (e.g., a laser diode), an infrared light source, an Ultraviolet (UV) light source, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a pulsed radiation source, a coherent light source, a narrow band radiation source, or other suitable radiation source, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more additional radiation sources 220 may be located behind the one or more windows 215.

The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range and/or may not overlap with the first wavelength range. For example, the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range may be selected to reduce or limit contamination between the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range. As an example, the second wavelength range may be selected to be a wavelength range outside of the radiation band emitted by the one or more heat sources 130. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths of about 900nm and the second wavelength range may include wavelengths of about 1100 nm. As another example, the second wavelength range may be a wavelength range having a different order of magnitude than the first wavelength. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths on the order of about 1000nm (e.g., 900 nm). In some embodiments, the spectral power density associated with radiation from the heat source in the second wavelength range may be less than about 5% of the peak spectral power density associated with the second wavelength range, such as less than about 1% of the peak spectral power density associated with the second wavelength range.

The second wavelength range may comprise wavelengths having an order of magnitude of about 10 μm, for example in the range of about 13 μm to about 17 μm, for example about 16 μm. In some embodiments, the second wavelength range may be in a range of about 8 μm to about 12 μm, for example about 9 μm, which may correspond to a location where the Si — O bond provides an absorption/emission peak.

The thermal processing device 200 can further include one or more sensors 210 configured to obtain measurements of electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range. In some embodiments, the workpiece 110 may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation of the second wavelength range. Based on the measurements from the one or more sensors 210, the temperature of the workpiece 110 may be determined. For example, the intensity of thermal radiation measured by the one or more sensors 210 may be compared to a plot, graph, look-up table, or the like of temperature versus intensity of thermal radiation at wavelength to determine the temperature of the workpiece 110. The one or more sensors 210 may include, for example, a photodiode, a pyrometer, or other suitable sensor.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors 210 may obtain measurements of electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range during times when the one or more heat sources 130 are not emitting radiation. For example, one or more heat sources 130 may be pulsed on and off (e.g., at a high frequency), and one or more sensors 210 may obtain measurements during the time that one or more heat sources 130 are off. By pulsing the one or more heat sources 130 in addition to and/or optionally obtaining measurements in a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range, contamination of measurements by the one or more sensors 210 from the one or more heat sources 130 may be reduced, allowing for accurate measurements by the one or more sensors 210 while still providing effective heating of the workpiece 110.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors 210 may include a field of view of at least a portion of the workpiece 110 through one or more sensor windows 230. The one or more sensor windows 230 may be transparent to the second wavelength range. In some embodiments, the one or more sensor windows 230 may be configured to limit wavelengths other than the second wavelength range. For example, the one or more sensor windows 230 may be located between the workpiece and the one or more sensors 210 to limit interference of electromagnetic radiation other than that which the one or more sensors 210 are configured to measure, or to prevent damage to the one or more sensors 210 from, for example, debris or thermal conditions in the processing chamber 105. For example, the one or more sensor windows 230 may be configured to at least partially block thermal radiation from components of the process chamber 105 other than the workpiece 110 and/or the one or more additional heat sources 220. For example, the one or more sensor windows 230 may be configured to be at least partially opaque to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more heat sources 130. In embodiments having more than one sensor 210, each sensor 210 may include a separate sensor window 230, or more than one sensor 210 may be positioned to view the workpiece 110 through the same window 230. In some embodiments, one or more sensor windows 230 may be implemented in an aperture in a wall of the process chamber 105.

The thermal processing apparatus 200 may further include one or more windows 215, such as quartz windows, positioned between the one or more heat source arrays 170A, 170B and the workpiece 110. The window 215 may be at least partially transparent to at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation in the process chamber 105. For example, the window 215 may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in at least a first wavelength range (e.g., electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more heat sources 130) and/or a second wavelength range (e.g., electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more additional heat sources 220 and/or emitted by the workpiece 110).

In some embodiments, the workpiece 110 may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range 225. In this way, electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range 225 may at least partially pass through the workpiece 110 to a side of the processing chamber 105 opposite the one or more additional radiation sources 220.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be configured to obtain measurements of the second wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation after the electromagnetic radiation has passed through the workpiece. In this manner, the transmittance of the workpiece may be determined by comparing the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more additional radiation sources with the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation measured by the one or more sensors. For example, the transmittance may be determined based at least in part on a ratio of the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation measured by the one or more sensors 210 to the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more additional radiation sources 220.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example graph 300 of transmittance of an example workpiece material over a range of wavelengths. As shown by curve 302, the workpiece material may have a transmission greater than zero over a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, it may be desirable to select a second wavelength range in a range of about 1 micron to about 10 microns for a workpiece made of an example workpiece material whose transmissivity is shown in fig. 3.

In some embodiments, the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more additional radiation sources 220 may vary over time, wherein measurements of the electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range 225 from the one or more sensors 210 may still be used to determine the transmittance of the workpiece 110 and, thus, the temperature of the workpiece 110. For example, in measurements of electromagnetic radiation obtained by the one or more sensors 210, intensity variations of the one or more additional radiation sources 220 may be compensated.

The measurement of electromagnetic radiation of the second wavelength range obtained by the one or more sensors 210 may vary with the temperature of the workpiece 110 even though the output from the one or more additional radiation sources 220 is constant. Other properties of the workpiece 110 and/or the thermal processing system 200 (e.g., workpiece thickness, composition, etc.) may be determined to be constant throughout the temperature variation. In this manner, measurements from the one or more sensors 210 may be directly correlated to the temperature of the workpiece 110 as a function of the transmittance of the workpiece 110 (e.g., as a temperature change between an initial temperature and a current temperature).

In some embodiments, the temperature of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on the transmittance of the workpiece. For example, the transmittance of the workpiece may vary with the temperature of the workpiece. For example, the transmittance of the workpiece may vary as a function of at least the temperature of the workpiece. Other factors related to the transmissivity of the workpiece may be measured or otherwise known or determined, such as, but not limited to, the shape of the workpiece, the thickness of the workpiece, the composition of the workpiece, and the like.

For example, fig. 4 shows an example graph 400 of transmittance changes as a result of temperature at various wavelengths for an example workpiece material that may at least partially constitute a workpiece (e.g., workpiece 110). Specifically, each of the curves 402-414 corresponds to the transmittance of the workpiece material at a unique wavelength. As can be seen in fig. 4, the transmittance of the workpiece material at a particular wavelength undergoes a slight change as the temperature of the material changes. In this way, a sensor that measures the intensity of electromagnetic radiation transmitted through a material will experience a change in intensity as a result of temperature. Thus, such a change in intensity may be correlated to a change in temperature and used to determine a change in temperature and/or a temperature of the workpiece.

In some embodiments, a reference transmission spectrum may be determined. In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be determined based at least in part on measurements associated with a plurality of different wavelengths. During the heat treatment, the transmittance of the workpiece may be measured. The temperature of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on a comparison between the reference transmission spectrum and a measured transmittance of the workpiece.

In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may indicate the temperature of the workpiece 110 based at least in part on the transmittance of the workpiece 110. For example, in some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be based at least in part on the measured transmittance of one or more reference workpieces at a plurality of temperatures. The one or more reference objects may share one or more characteristics with the object 110. In some embodiments, the reference workpiece may be the workpiece 110 to be heat treated. In some embodiments, the measured transmittance may be measured in a process chamber 105 according to the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a separate device may be used to obtain the measured transmittance.

In embodiments where the reference transmission spectrum is based at least in part on the measured transmittance, the reference transmission spectrum may include a model or equation, a look-up table, or any other suitable reference transmission spectrum. For example, the measured transmittance may be used to extrapolate a mathematical model or equation of transmittance as a function of at least temperature (e.g., as in one of curves 402 and 414). In some embodiments, the model or equation may be calibrated based at least in part on additional characteristics, such as, but not limited to, the thickness of the workpiece 110, the composition of the workpiece 110, or any other suitable characteristics, or combinations thereof. For example, the model may be adjustable based on the thickness of the workpiece 110, such that several substantially similar workpieces having varying thicknesses (e.g., within a range or percentage error of the thickness) may be associated with the same model. In some embodiments, a separate model or equation may be used for each thickness, and the thickness of the workpiece to be processed may be rounded to the nearest thickness with the reference transmission spectrum. In some embodiments, the model or equation may not be thickness dependent.

As another example, the measured transmittance may be used to populate a lookup table that relates transmittance to temperature of the workpiece. For example, various look-up tables may be populated based at least in part on various characteristics of the workpiece from which measurements are obtained. In some embodiments, the look-up table data may be manipulated after being retrieved based on various characteristics. For example, if the transmittance of the workpiece 110 measured during the thermal process (e.g., by the sensor 210 and/or the additional radiation source 220) falls between two values in the lookup table, the two values may be averaged by a weighted sum. As another example, the look-up table may be slightly adjusted using a multiplier that at least partially represents some characteristic of the workpiece (e.g., thickness), e.g., without having to fill an entirely different look-up table based on the characteristic.

In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be based at least in part on approximate or simulated data, or other data not measured directly from the workpiece. For example, an equation or model based on physical and/or chemical properties of the workpiece may be generated for the workpiece. For example, the model may be based on computer simulations, or based on the transmittance of one or more materials comprising the workpiece, or other similar models.

In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be calibrated to provide an accurate correlation between the transmittance and temperature of a given workpiece 110. For example, one or more parameters, variables, etc. of the model or equation may be adjusted based on the workpiece 110. As another example, a reference transmission spectrum may be selected from a plurality of candidate reference transmission spectra for the workpiece 110.

In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be calibrated by matching a reference transmittance measured from the workpiece 110 to the reference transmission spectrum. For example, a reference transmittance may be measured from the workpiece at a known initial temperature. In one embodiment, the reference transmittance may be compared to a candidate reference transmission spectrum known to closely correspond to the transmittance of the workpiece 110 to adjust the candidate reference transmission spectrum to more accurately correspond to the workpiece. As another example, the reference transmittance may be compared to points on the plurality of candidate reference transmission spectra to select which of the plurality of candidate reference transmission spectra most accurately represents the workpiece 110, such as a point associated with a temperature at which the reference transmittance is measured. Any other suitable method of calibrating the reference transmission spectrum may be used in accordance with the present disclosure.

By correlating the measured transmittance with a reference transmission spectrum, the temperature of the workpiece 110 can be determined therefrom. For example, the measured transmittance may be an input to a model or equation that relates transmittance to temperature. As another example, the measured transmittance may be mapped to a point on an X-Y plot, where the transmittance is on one axis (e.g., the vertical axis) and the temperature is on another axis (e.g., the horizontal axis), as in one or more of curves 402 and 414. As another example, the measured transmittance may be an input into a temperature look-up table. Thus, the measured transmittance may be used to accurately and indirectly determine the temperature of the workpiece.

As another example, changes in the signal at the one or more sensors 210 that occur as a result of changes in the transmittance of the workpiece 110 may be used to determine the temperature of the workpiece 110. For example, at a first temperature of the workpiece, the one or more sensors may measure a first intensity of electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range 225. At a second temperature of the workpiece 110, the one or more sensors may measure a second intensity of the electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range 225.

For example, the temperature of the workpiece 110 may be determined based at least in part on a difference between the first intensity and the second intensity. For example, the first temperature may be known and the second temperature may be unknown, and the first temperature and the first intensity may be used to establish a reference point on a model, such as an equation, curve, data set, or other suitable model that relates intensity and temperature (e.g., for a given workpiece). The model may be determined based on simulated or estimated data (e.g., based on one or more properties of the workpiece) and/or measured data (e.g., measured from the workpiece 110 and/or one or more other workpieces having similar characteristics as the workpiece). For example, the model may be determined in a similar manner to the reference transmission spectrum described above. A second point may then be established on the model using the second intensity, and the second temperature may thus be determined based on the second point. The temperature of the workpiece 110 may be determined based on measurements obtained by the one or more sensors 210 using any other suitable method known in the art.

Referring now to fig. 5, an example thermal processing apparatus 500 is discussed in accordance with the present disclosure. For purposes of this discussion, some of the components discussed with respect to the thermal processing apparatus 100 of fig. 1 and/or the thermal processing apparatus 200 of fig. 2 are omitted with respect to the thermal processing apparatus 500 of fig. 5. However, some embodiments of the thermal processing apparatus 500 may include some or all of the components discussed with respect to fig. 1 and/or fig. 2.

Fig. 5 illustrates a thermal processing apparatus 500 having substantially similar components as the thermal processing apparatus 100 of fig. 1 and/or the thermal processing apparatus 200 of fig. 2. For example, the thermal processing apparatus 500 may include the workpiece 110, the workpiece support 120, one or more heat source arrays 170A, 170B each having one or more heat sources 130, one or more sensors 210, one or more windows 215, and/or one or more sensor windows 230.

In some embodiments, the field of view of one or more sensors 210 may be limited by one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures 310. For example, the one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures may be configured to reduce interference of electromagnetic radiation other than that for which the one or more sensors 210 are configured to measure, or to prevent damage to the one or more sensors 210, for example, from debris or thermal conditions in the processing chamber. For example, one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures 310 may direct the field of view of one or more sensors 210 substantially toward the workpiece 110 to prevent interference from undesired electromagnetic radiation. For example, one or more cooled tubes and/or cooled orifices 310 may be configured to at least partially block thermal radiation from components in the process chamber 105 other than the workpiece 110. As another example, one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures 310 may prevent damage to one or more sensors 210.

In some embodiments, one or more sensor windows 230 may be positioned near and/or within one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures 310. The one or more sensor windows 230 may be transparent to the second wavelength range. In some embodiments, the one or more sensor windows 230 may be configured to limit wavelengths other than the second wavelength range. For example, the one or more sensor windows 230 may be located between the workpiece and the one or more sensors 210 to limit interference of electromagnetic radiation other than that which the one or more sensors 210 are configured to measure, or to prevent damage to the one or more sensors 210 from, for example, debris or thermal conditions in the processing chamber 105. For example, the one or more sensor windows 230 may be configured to at least partially block thermal radiation from components of the process chamber 105 other than the workpiece 110 and/or the one or more additional heat sources 220. For example, the one or more sensor windows 230 may be configured to be at least partially opaque to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more heat sources 130. In embodiments having more than one sensor 210, each sensor 210 may include a separate sensor window 230, or more than one sensor 210 may be positioned to view the workpiece 110 through the same window 230.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors 210 may be configured to obtain measurements of electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range, and the second wavelength range may include at least a portion of a range of thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece 110. The thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece 110 may vary with the temperature of the workpiece 110. Accordingly, a measurement of the thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece 110 over the second wavelength range may be obtained and compared to the emissivity and/or expected amount of thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece 110 over temperatures over the second wavelength range to determine the temperature of the workpiece 110.

For example, the thermal radiation of the workpiece may be a function of both the blackbody radiation emitted by an ideal blackbody at the temperature of the workpiece 110 and the emissivity of the workpiece 110. The emissivity of the workpiece 110 may be expressed as a ratio between the amount of thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece 110 at a particular wavelength and temperature and the amount of thermal radiation emitted by an ideal black body at a particular wavelength and temperature. In some cases, at least a portion of the blackbody curve and emissivity curve of a workpiece (e.g., workpiece 110) may be inversely related, resulting in challenges in selecting a second wavelength range that emits a suitably high amount of thermal radiation.

In some embodiments, to measure the thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece 110 at a particular temperature, a wavelength band may be selected for measurement that has a relatively high magnitude on the blackbody plot at that temperature, while also having a relatively high emissivity constant for the workpiece 110.

In some embodiments, the second wavelength range may be selected based at least in part on one or more local characteristics associated with the emissivity of the workpiece 110. For example, the emissivity profile of the workpiece 110 may have one or more local maxima that provide a relatively higher emissivity at a particular wavelength than at ambient wavelengths. Particularly where the blackbody curve and emissivity curve are inversely related, the local characteristic may correspond to a relatively desired wavelength for thermal radiation measurement, provided that the local characteristic corresponds to a wavelength desired in view of other considerations discussed herein. For example, the workpiece 110 may emit a greater amount of thermal radiation in wavelengths at the one or more local features than in wavelengths immediately surrounding the one or more local features.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example emissivity spectrum 600 of an example workpiece material that may at least partially comprise a workpiece (e.g., workpiece 110). Curves 602-608 show emissivity at different temperatures. For example, curve 602 may represent emissivity at a relatively low temperature (e.g., less than 300℃.), and curve 608 may represent emissivity at a relatively high temperature (e.g., greater than 700℃.). As can be seen in curves 602 and 604, the emissivity may have one or more local features (e.g., local peaks 612 and 614) that correspond to non-uniformities in the emissivity curve. For example, the local peaks 612 and 614 represent wavelengths at which the emissivity is relatively higher than the emissivity at ambient wavelengths, resulting in relatively higher emission of thermal radiation at that wavelength.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example blackbody curve 700 at an example temperature, such as the temperature of the workpiece 110. As shown in curve 700, the black body radiation at temperature may have a peak 702, the peak 702 corresponding to the wavelength at which the most thermal radiation is emitted by an ideal black body at the example temperature. Furthermore, as can be seen by comparing the curve 700 with any of the curves 602-608 shown in FIG. 6, the emissivity and blackbody coefficient of an object at one temperature may have portions that may be inversely related in some cases, or completely unrelated in other cases.

In some embodiments, the emissivity characteristic (e.g., at least a portion of at least one of the curves 602 and 608) of the workpiece (e.g., the workpiece 110) may be obtained in situ, i.e., without removing the workpiece 110 from the processing chamber.

In some embodiments, the emissivity of the workpiece 110 may be measured by interacting electromagnetic radiation from one or more measurement radiation sources (not shown) with the workpiece 110 at a known intensity and measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources after interacting with the workpiece 110. For example, the one or more measurement radiation sources may be any suitable radiation source, such as one or more heat sources 130 for heating the workpiece 110, one or more additional radiation sources 220, or any other suitable radiation source. In some embodiments, the workpiece 110 may be at least partially transparent to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources. In this manner, a first portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources may pass through the workpiece 110 to a side of the processing chamber 105 opposite the one or more measurement radiation sources, and a second portion of the electromagnetic radiation may be reflected from a surface of the workpiece 110.

For example, in an exemplary embodiment where workpiece 110 comprises a 100 ℃ lightly doped silicon wafer, workpiece 110 may not be completely opaque to wavelengths below about 25 μm. Thus, to measure the emissivity of the workpiece 110, the transmittance of the workpiece 110 and the reflectance of the workpiece 110 may be measured. For example, the transmittance may be determined as a ratio of the intensity of the first portion of electromagnetic radiation that has passed through the workpiece 110 to the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources. The reflectivity may be determined as a ratio of the intensity of the second portion of the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the workpiece 110 to the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources. Thus, any electromagnetic radiation not considered by the sum of transmittance and reflectance corresponds to electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the workpiece. In thermal equilibrium, the amount of energy emitted by the workpiece 110 may be the same as the amount of energy absorbed by the workpiece 110. In this way, the emissivity of the workpiece 110 may be measured.

Based on the measured temperature of the workpiece 110, one or more process parameters of the thermal processing system 100, 200, 500 may be controlled (e.g., by the controller 175, the processor 176, and/or the memory device 177). For example, the measured temperature may be used in a feedback loop, and the intensity of one or more heat sources 130 may be controlled to adjust and/or maintain the temperature of the workpiece 110. For example, the intensity of one or more heat sources 130 may be adjusted to heat workpiece 110 to a desired processing temperature.

Fig. 8 depicts a flowchart of a process (800) for measuring a temperature of a workpiece in a thermal processing chamber according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The process (800) may be implemented using the thermal processing system 100 of fig. 1, the thermal processing system 200 of fig. 2, and/or the thermal processing system 500 of fig. 5. However, as will be discussed in detail below, the process (800) according to example aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented using other thermal processing systems without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of the disclosure provided herein will appreciate that various steps of any of the methods described herein may be omitted, expanded, performed concurrently, rearranged and/or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, various additional steps (not shown) may be performed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

At (802), processing may include placing a workpiece on a workpiece support in a processing chamber. For example, the workpiece may be a workpiece described according to the present disclosure, such as workpiece 110. The workpiece support may be, for example, workpiece support 120. The thermal processing chamber may be, for example, the processing chamber 105. The workpiece may have any suitable shape, composition, and/or other characteristics. The workpiece support may have any suitable shape, configuration, and/or other features. The process chamber may have any suitable shape, configuration, and/or other features.

At (804), the processing may include heating the workpiece to a processing temperature using one or more heat sources configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range. For example, the one or more heat sources may be heat sources 130. The one or more heat sources may be, for example, a light source or other radiant heat source. The one or more heat sources may be operable to heat the workpiece without physical contact between the heat source and the workpiece. For example, the one or more heat sources may include an infrared light source, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a pulsed heat source, a coherent light source, a narrow band heat source, or other suitable heat source, or a combination thereof. For example, the one or more heat sources may be narrow band heat sources, such as LEDs, to reduce or limit contamination by electromagnetic radiation outside the first wavelength range.

The one or more heat sources may be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within the first wavelength range to heat the workpiece. The first wavelength range may be selected such that the workpiece has a suitable absorption, for example a suitably high absorption, of electromagnetic radiation in the first wavelength range. For example, the first wavelength range may have a suitably high absorption such that the workpiece is capable of absorbing radiation in the first wavelength range, e.g., an amount of radiation suitable for heating the workpiece in an efficient manner. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths at which the workpiece has an absorbance of about 0.5 or higher, e.g., about 0.7 or higher. The workpiece may be heated by absorbing an appropriate portion of the energy carried by the electromagnetic radiation. However, any suitable wavelength range may be used for the first wavelength range. In some embodiments, the workpiece may be heated to about 50 ℃ to 150 ℃, for example to about 100 ℃.

Additionally and/or alternatively, the first wavelength range may be selected to provide a suitable absorption rate based at least in part on a temperature of the workpiece. For example, the absorption of the workpiece may vary with temperature, and it may be desirable to select the first wavelength to provide sufficient absorption at a desired temperature. For example, the first wavelength range may be selected to provide a suitable absorption rate at an initial temperature of the workpiece (i.e., before the workpiece is heated by the one or more heat sources), at a process temperature (i.e., a temperature to which the workpiece is heated and/or maintained during heat treatment), within a temperature range (e.g., within a range from the initial temperature to the process temperature), or at any suitable temperature or temperatures, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the temperature may be from about 50 ℃ to about 150 ℃. In some embodiments, the temperature may be about 100 ℃.

In one example application of heating a wafer comprising lightly doped silicon to a process temperature of about 100 ℃, the one or more heat sources may comprise high power single color LEDs configured to provide electromagnetic radiation of about 900 nm. The lightly doped silicon wafer may have an absorption of about 0.7 for electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of about 900nm at 100 ℃. These LEDs can be narrow band heat sources and therefore emit negligible radiation in wavelengths other than about 900 nm. In this way, a 900nm LED may provide sufficient capability to heat a workpiece, provide limited interference in other wavelengths, and avoid complications that may be associated with electromagnetic radiation having shorter wavelengths (e.g., UV light). However, any suitable heat source having any suitable wavelength range may be used in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

At (806), the processing may include measuring electromagnetic radiation at the one or more sensors within a second wavelength range that is different from and/or does not overlap with the first wavelength range while the workpiece is at the processing temperature. For example, the one or more sensors may be one or more sensors 210. In some embodiments, the workpiece may be at least partially transparent to the second wavelength range. In some embodiments, the second wavelength range may correspond to a wavelength range in which the workpiece emits a substantial amount of thermal radiation. Based on measurements from one or more sensors, the temperature of the workpiece may be determined. The one or more sensors may include, for example, a photodiode, a pyrometer, or any other suitable sensor.

The second wavelength range may be different from the first wavelength range and/or may not overlap with the first wavelength range. For example, the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range may be selected to reduce or limit contamination between the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range. For example, the second wavelength range may be selected to be a wavelength range outside the radiation band emitted by the one or more heat sources. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths of about 900nm and the second wavelength range may include wavelengths of about 1100 nm. In some embodiments, the spectral power density associated with radiation from the heat source in the second wavelength range may be less than about 5% of the peak spectral power density associated with the second wavelength range, such as less than about 1% of the peak spectral power density associated with the second wavelength range.

As another example, the second wavelength range may be a wavelength range having a different order of magnitude than the first wavelength. For example, the first wavelength range may include wavelengths on the order of about 1000nm (e.g., 900nm), and the second wavelength range may include wavelengths on the order of about 10 μm (e.g., in the range of about 13 μm to about 17 μm, such as about 16 μm). In some embodiments, the second wavelength range may be in a range of about 8 μm to about 12 μm, for example about 9 μm, which may correspond to a location where the Si — O bond provides an absorption/emission peak.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may obtain measurements of electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range during times when the one or more heat sources are not emitting radiation. For example, the one or more heat sources may be pulsed on and off (e.g., at a high frequency), and the one or more sensors may obtain measurements during the time that the one or more heat sources are off. By pulsing the one or more heat sources in addition to and/or optionally obtaining measurements in a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range, contamination of measurements made by the one or more sensors from the one or more heat sources may be reduced, allowing accurate measurements to be made by the one or more sensors while still providing effective heating of the workpiece.

In some embodiments, one or more sensors may be sensitive to undesired radiation despite obtaining measurements in a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range emitted by the one or more heat sources. For example, thermal radiation from components outside of the workpiece, such as from other components within the processing chamber, may interfere with measurements obtained by one or more sensors. For example, thermal radiation from the component, particularly a component at about the same temperature as the workpiece, may at least partially fall within the second wavelength range or be used to contaminate measurements obtained by the one or more sensors.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may include a field of view of at least a portion of the workpiece through one or more windows. The one or more windows may be transparent to the second wavelength range. In some embodiments, the one or more windows may be configured to limit wavelengths other than the second range of wavelengths. For example, the one or more windows may be positioned between the workpiece and the one or more sensors to limit interference of electromagnetic radiation other than that which the one or more sensors are configured to measure, or to prevent damage to the one or more sensors, for example, by debris or thermal conditions in the processing chamber. For example, the one or more windows may be configured to at least partially block thermal radiation from components in the process chamber other than the workpiece. In embodiments having more than one sensor, each sensor may include a separate window, or more than one sensor may be positioned to view the workpiece through the same window. In some embodiments, the one or more windows may be implemented in an aperture in a wall of the process chamber.

In some embodiments, the field of view of the one or more sensors may be limited by one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures. For example, the one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures may be configured to reduce interference of electromagnetic radiation other than that for which the one or more sensors are configured to measure, or to prevent damage to the one or more sensors, for example, by debris or thermal conditions in the process chamber. For example, one or more cooled sight tubes and/or cooled apertures may direct the field of view of one or more sensors substantially toward the workpiece to prevent interference from undesired electromagnetic radiation. For example, the cooled tube and/or the cooled orifice may be configured to at least partially block thermal radiation from components in the process chamber other than the workpiece. As another example, a cooled sight tube and/or a cooled orifice may prevent damage to one or more sensors.

At (808), the processing may include determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the electromagnetic radiation within the second range of wavelengths measured by the one or more sensors. For example, the electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range may be indicative of a transmittance of the workpiece, and the temperature of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on the transmittance of the workpiece. As another example, the electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range may be indicative of thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece, and the temperature of the workpiece may be determined based at least in part on the thermal radiation emitted by the workpiece.

Fig. 9 depicts a flowchart of a process (900) for determining a temperature of a workpiece in a thermal processing chamber based at least in part on a measurement of electromagnetic radiation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The process (900) may be implemented using the thermal processing system 100 of fig. 1, the thermal processing system 200 of fig. 2, and/or the thermal processing system 500 of fig. 5. However, as will be discussed in detail below, the process (900) according to example aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented using other thermal processing systems without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of the disclosure provided herein will appreciate that various steps of any of the methods described herein may be omitted, expanded, performed concurrently, rearranged and/or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, various additional steps (not shown) may be performed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

At (902), the process may include emitting, by one or more additional radiation sources, electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range. For example, the one or more additional radiation sources may be one or more additional radiation sources 220. For example, the one or more additional radiation sources may be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within the second wavelength range. The one or more additional radiation sources may be positioned such that the emitted radiation is generally perpendicular (e.g., within about 10 ° of perpendicular) to the surface of the workpiece or at any other suitable angle relative to the surface of the workpiece. In some embodiments, the one or more additional radiation sources may be positioned substantially opposite the one or more sensors. For example, each of the one or more additional radiation sources may be positioned on an opposite side of the process chamber from each of the one or more sensors and oriented linearly with each of the one or more sensors. Any other suitable orientation for the one or more sensors and/or the one or more additional radiation sources may be used in accordance with the present disclosure. The one or more additional radiation sources may include, for example, a laser (e.g., a laser diode), an infrared light source, an Ultraviolet (UV) light source, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a pulsed radiation source, a coherent light source, a narrow band radiation source, or other suitable radiation source, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more additional radiation sources may be located behind the one or more windows.

At (904), electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range emitted by one or more additional radiation sources may pass through the workpiece. For example, the workpiece may be workpiece 110. For example, in some embodiments, the workpiece may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range. For example, the workpiece may have a transmittance of greater than about 0 at the second wavelength range. In this way, electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range may at least partially pass through the workpiece to a side of the process chamber opposite the one or more additional radiation sources.

At (906), the processing may include measuring electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range at the one or more sensors. For example, the one or more sensors may be one or more sensors 210. For example, in some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be configured to obtain measurements of the second wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation after the electromagnetic radiation has passed through the workpiece. In this manner, the transmittance of the workpiece may be determined by comparing the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more additional radiation sources with the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation measured by the one or more sensors.

At (908), the processing may include determining a reference transmission spectrum associated with the workpiece. For example, in some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may indicate the temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the transmittance of the workpiece. In some embodiments, the reference transmission spectrum may be calibrated to provide an accurate correlation between the transmittance and temperature of a given workpiece. For example, one or more parameters, variables, etc. of the model or equation may be adjusted based on the workpiece. As another example, a reference transmission spectrum may be selected from a plurality of candidate reference transmission spectra for the workpiece.

At (910), the processing may include determining a transmittance of the workpiece based at least in part on the electromagnetic radiation in the second range of wavelengths measured by the one or more sensors. For example, the transmittance of the workpiece may vary with the temperature of the workpiece. For example, the transmittance of the workpiece may vary as a function of at least the temperature of the workpiece. Other factors related to the transmissivity of the workpiece may be measured or otherwise known or determined, such as, but not limited to, the shape of the workpiece, the thickness of the workpiece, the composition of the workpiece, and the like. In some embodiments, a reference transmission spectrum may be determined and the transmittance of the workpiece during thermal processing may be measured.

At (912), the processing may include determining a temperature of the workpiece based at least in part on the reference transmission spectrum and the transmittance of the workpiece. For example, the measurement of electromagnetic radiation of the second wavelength range obtained by the one or more sensors may vary with the temperature of the workpiece even though the output from the one or more additional radiation sources is constant. Other properties of the workpiece and/or the thermal processing system (e.g., workpiece thickness, composition, etc.) may be determined to be constant throughout the temperature variation. In this manner, measurements from the one or more sensors may be directly correlated to the temperature of the workpiece as a function of the transmissivity of the workpiece (e.g., as a temperature change between an initial temperature and a current temperature).

Fig. 10 depicts a flowchart of a process (1000) for determining a temperature of a workpiece in a thermal processing chamber based at least in part on a measurement of electromagnetic radiation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The process (1000) may be implemented using the thermal processing system 100 of fig. 1, the thermal processing system 200 of fig. 2, and/or the thermal processing system 500 of fig. 5. However, as will be discussed in detail below, the process (1000) according to example aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented using other thermal processing systems without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Fig. 10 depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of the disclosure provided herein will appreciate that various steps of any of the methods described herein may be omitted, expanded, performed concurrently, rearranged and/or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, various additional steps (not shown) may be performed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

At (1002), the process may include determining an emissivity of the workpiece at the second wavelength range at one or more reference temperatures. For example, the workpiece may be workpiece 110. For example, in some embodiments, the emissivity of the workpiece may be measured by causing electromagnetic radiation from one or more measurement radiation sources to interact with the workpiece at a known intensity and measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources after interacting with the workpiece. For example, the one or more measurement radiation sources may be any suitable radiation source, such as one or more heat sources for heating the workpiece, one or more additional radiation sources, or any other suitable radiation source. In some embodiments, the workpiece may be at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources. In this way, a first portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the one or more measurement radiation sources may pass through the workpiece to a side of the process chamber opposite the one or more measurement radiation sources, and a second portion of the electromagnetic radiation may be reflected from a surface of the workpiece. The first and second portions may be measured and used to determine the emissivity of the workpiece. This may be repeated at one or more reference temperatures to determine the emissivity of the workpiece at the one or more reference temperatures.

At (1004), the processing may include comparing electromagnetic radiation within a second range of wavelengths emitted by the workpiece to emissivities at the one or more reference temperatures to determine a temperature of the workpiece. For example, in some embodiments, the second wavelength range may correspond to a wavelength range in which the workpiece emits a substantial amount of thermal radiation. Based on measurements from one or more sensors, the temperature of the workpiece may be determined. For example, the intensity of thermal radiation measured by one or more sensors may be compared to a plot, graph, look-up table, or the like of temperature versus intensity of thermal radiation at wavelength to determine the temperature of the workpiece.

Based on the measured workpiece temperature, one or more process parameters of the thermal processing system may be controlled. For example, the measured temperature may be used in a feedback loop, and the intensity of one or more heat sources may be controlled to adjust and/or maintain the temperature of the workpiece. For example, the intensity of one or more heat sources may be adjusted to heat the workpiece to a desired processing temperature.

While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.