RAPS-a rapid thermal processor simulation program

Rapid thermal processors using incoherent light illumination have become an important semiconductor processing tool for implantation anneal, oxidation, and alloying. The application in ohmic contact alloying, however, has to be made very cautiously, for the thin metal layer drastically changes the optical characteristics and thus the thermal response of the contact region. A rapid thermal processor simulation (RAPS) program has been developed to study the difference in temperature response during rapid thermal annealing for various substrate materials and the effect of thin metal coating the substrates with films. The results are correlated with experimental observations. The results suggest that users of commercial rapid thermal processors should be cautious about the temperature-sensor setup, the application area, and the interpretation of the measured temperature