Dual beam laser spike annealing technology

A new dual-beam laser spike annealing (DB-LSA) technology is developed to expand the application space of non-melt laser annealing. In the standard LSA configuration, a single narrow laser beam is used to heat the wafer surface from substrate temperature to the peak annealing temperature close to silicon melt. In DB-LSA, a second wide laser beam is incorporated to preheat the wafer. The dual beam system offers flexibility in tuning the temperature and stress profiles. It also enables lower substrate temperature that is compatible with the middle of line applications. In this paper, we will discuss the new capabilities of DB-LSA. Implications on Rs-Xj scaling, defect curing and silicide formations will also be discussed.