Main Maker

AG Associates Heatpulse 4100 Rapid Thermal Processing System

Key Features of Heatpulse 4100 Rapid Thermal Processing System

The AG ASSOCIATES HEATPULSE 4100 rapid thermal processing system contains many capabilities which provide significant advantages over conventional batch processing in the production of  VLSI circuits. Clean-room integrity, precise temperature control and measurement, software flexibility, and the physical structure of the system (designed for the production environment) are among these advantages.

1 Contaminant-Free Processing
The AG Associates HEATPULSE 4100 rapid thermal annealing system is designed with the clean-room environment in mind. The following are the key features which make this HEATPULSE system contaminant-free:
• A stainless-steel laminar flow-processing floor and an ULPA filter are located in the processing area to reduce the number of particles in the environment. The walls of the processing area are also stainless steel.
• Designed to prevent particles from circulating around the wafer-handling area which allows the front-panel door to remain open during processing.
• Easy service-access is available from the rear and side panels.
• Through-the-wall installation maintains clean-room integrity(Optional)
• Belts and pulleys (a large source of particle contamination) do not exist in the Heatpulse 4100 wafer-handling area.
• Test results have shown added particles of <0.01 particles per cm2 per wafer.

2 Heating, Cooling, and Temperature Measurement
The following list contains the key features of AG Associates 4100 heating, cooling, and temperature measurement:
• High-intensity visible radiation heats wafers for short periods of 1 to 600 seconds at precisely-controlled temperatures in the 200°C-to- 1300°C range.
• Tungsten-halogen lamps and cold-heating chamber walls respectively allow fast wafer heating and cooling rates.
• The system delivers time and temperature profiles tailored to suit specific process requirements.
• Pyrometer or thermocouple sensing offers precise closed-loop temperature control.
• Cooling gas flows through the heating chamber and around the isolation tube.
• Extended Range Pyrometer (ERP) subsystem accurately measures wafer temperatures from 400° C to 1200° C.

3 Software
The AG Associates HEATPULSE 4100 system features simple touch-screen operation that is easy to learn. Additional software features are listed below.
• Screen menus allow a process cycle to be easily defined and executed.
• Status reports are continually displayed on the screen as the system operates.
• A self-diagnostic routine is active whenever the system is on and terminates the cycle in progress if an abnormal condition is detected.
• Access codes provide security for the system recipe-programming and diagnostic-functions.
• Recipes and process procedures are highly flexible.
• Screen menus are simple and easy to use.
• Touch-screen menus eliminate the need for a keyboard or special commands.
• Manual mode is available to allow engineers and service personnel to activate individual subassemblies and functions.
• Discrete diagnostic-routines, using a separate Diagnostic mode, are available.
• Thermal-processing cycles may be customized for unique processingrequirements.
• Custom recipes created by Process Engineers may be saved on floppy diskette and executed by Production Line Operators.
• System parameters and robot alignment parameters are saved in EEPROM on the RMS Board.

4 Service Access
The AG Associates Heatpulse4100 Rapid Thermal Process system has been built for fast servicing in the production environment which provides a low mean time to repair (MTTR). The features listed below reflect this purpose:
• An optional touch-screen is available at the rear of the system that is enabled through a key-control switch.
• The system is specifically designed for easy access and maintenance.
• A front-access window closes to prevent clean-room contamination during maintenance for through-the-wall installation.

5 Wafer Handling, Control, and Accuracy
The AG Associates Heatpulse 4100 system features include the following:
• Consistent wafer-to-wafer process cycle repeatability
• The robotic transport of wafers in excess of 80 wafers per hour (in a null cycle without flatfinder)
• As an option, both the send and receive cassette bases swivel to accommodate loading and unloading by a clean-room robot in a fully robotic environment.

6 Safety
The AG Heatpulse 4100 Rapid Thermal Annealing system was designed with safety in mind. Safety features include:
• Software and hardware interlocks to prevent hazardous gascombinations
• Emergency shut-off switches in both the front and rear of the system
• Error messages and alarm signals to convey system status
7 Cost Savings
The AG Associates Heatpulse 4100 offers two features which result in considerable cost savings when compared to conventional batch-processing. Thus, it requires:
• Low-energy use
• Few employees for operation and maintenance

The trademarks of the equipment and parts contained in this website belonged to the Original Equipment Manufacturers