Managing thermal budget in annealing of substrates

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for treating a substrate. The substrate is positioned on a support in a thermal treatment chamber. Electromagnetic radiation is directed toward the substrate to anneal a portion of the substrate. Other electromagnetic radiation is directed toward the substrate to preheat a portion of the substrate. The preheating reduces thermal stresses at the boundary between the preheat region and the anneal region. Any number of anneal and preheat regions are contemplated, with varying shapes and temperature profiles, as needed for specific embodiments. Any convenient source of electromagnetic radiation may be used, such as lasers, heat lamps, white light lamps, or flash lamps.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for thermally treating a substrate, comprising:
 a moveable substrate support;   a first energy source oriented to direct annealing energy toward a first portion of a surface of the substrate support;   a second energy source oriented to direct preheat energy toward a second portion of the surface of the substrate support; and   an optical assembly housing the first and second energy sources.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the first energy source is a laser and the second energy source is a laser. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the first energy source is a laser and the second energy source is a plurality of lamps. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the annealing energy has a power density of at least 1 W/cm 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the preheat energy has a power density of at least 0.1 W/cm 2 . 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the optical assembly further comprises a first optical tuner to shape the annealing energy and a second optical tuner to shape the preheat energy. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a controller coupled to the substrate support. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a detector to sense the temperature of one or more portions of the substrate. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the second energy source comprises a plurality of light sources disposed around the first energy source. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising an actuator to rotate the optical assembly. 
     
     
         23 . A process chamber for annealing a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
 a substrate support disposed in the chamber and defining a processing area;   a first energy source configured to direct a first energy toward a first region of the processing area; and   a second energy source configured to direct a second energy toward a second region of the processing area, wherein the first region and the second region are different and are each smaller than the processing area, and wherein the first energy is different from the second energy.   
     
     
         24 . The chamber of  claim 23 , wherein the first region surrounds the second region. 
     
     
         25 . The chamber of  claim 23 , wherein the first energy source comprises a laser and the second energy source comprises a laser. 
     
     
         26 . The chamber of  claim 23 , wherein the first energy source comprises a laser and the second energy source comprises a lamp. 
     
     
         27 . The chamber of  claim 23 , further comprising an optical assembly for shaping the first energy and the second energy. 
     
     
         28 . The chamber of  claim 23 , wherein the second energy source comprises a plurality of light sources disposed around the first energy source. 
     
     
         29 . The chamber of  claim 23 , wherein the first energy is annealing energy and the second energy is preheat energy. 
     
     
         30 . The chamber of  claim 29 , wherein the first energy source is a laser and the second energy source is a laser, and the second energy surrounds the first energy. 
     
     
         31 . The chamber of  claim 30 , further comprising a first optical tuner coupled to the first energy source and configured to shape the first energy, and a second optical tuner coupled to the second energy source and configured to shape the second energy. 
     
     
         32 . The chamber of  claim 23 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the substrate support and configured to translate the substrate support with respect to the first and second energy sources. 
     
     
         33 . The chamber of  claim 32 , further comprising a controller coupled to the substrate support and to the first and second energy sources. 
     
     
         34 . The chamber of  claim 33 , wherein the first energy source is a laser, the second energy source is a laser, and the second region surrounds the first region.