Furnace Thermal Processing

Thermal treatment under oxidizing ambient (thermal oxidation) is widely used for the growth of silicon dioxide (SiO2) layers on Si substrates through the chemical reaction of Si with an oxidant gas like O2, N2O or water vapour (H2O). The wet oxidation process (H2O) is faster than the dry oxidation process (O2, N2O) leading to SiO2 layers thicker but of lower density than the latter. Typically, wet oxides are in the 0.2 to 1μm range in thickness and serve as masks against dopant implantation or isolation dielectrics (e.g., as field oxides in IC processing), while dry oxide films (3 to 100nm in thickness) are commonly used as gate insulators in CMOS technology.  

Annealing is a thermal process where the substrate is exposed to temperatures in the 300 to 1100oC range for a specific period of time in neutral (typically under N2 flow) or forming gas (N2/H2) ambient. Annealing in neutral ambient is commonly used for post-implantation dopant activation while annealing in forming gas serves as a post-metallization step. 

We offer access to multiple horizontal furnaces for thermal treatments at atmospheric pressure under oxidizing or neutral/forming gas ambient for single or multiple (20 max) 4” wafers down to 1 cm2 samples. 

Tools: (a) 2 systems x 3 horizontal furnace stacks, Tempress Model Omega Junior, (b) 1 system x 2 horizontal furnace stacks, Semican Equipment. All furnaces consist of hot-wall quartz tubes (HSQ-300) 

• Temperature Range:  300 to 1100oC (± 0.1oC)
• Typical Ramp Up: 10oC/min (5oC/min up to 20oC/min)
• Typical Ramp Down: 10oC/min (5oC/min up to 20oC/min)
• Pressure: Atmospheric
• Gases: O2, N2O, H2O, N2/H2 (forming gas)
• Sample Size: From 100 mm (4”) wafer down to 1 cm x 1 cm square samples
• Environment: Clean-room ISO 6 (Class 1000) / ISO 5 (Class 100) at loading station

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