Problem: Thermal budget requirements have become significantly more stringent for
advanced oxidation applications. The thermal oxidation market has been dominated by mini-batch furnaces; however, conventional furnace techniques are increasingly less capable of delivering these advanced process capabilities due to uniformity, repeatability and temperature control limitations. RTP has become important in oxidation applications for its capability to use short process times at high temperatures and a wide range of process gases to provide excellent quality films and superior process control.


Solution: Atmos offers significantly improved oxidation capabilities compared to dry oxidation and in-situ steam generation, according to the company. A state-of-the-art model-based temperature measurement and control system allows precise control across the wafer and repeatable results from wafer-to-wafer, enabling customers to fabricate thin, uniform oxides. Featuring an integrated pyrogenic water-vapor generator, Atmos enables a broad range of concentrations of reactive species at lower thermal budgets,
resulting in higher processing flexibility for shallow-trench isolation (STI) liner processes. The system also features a dedicated edge grip and edge support end-effector for superior backside particle performance and on-the-fly wafer alignment for higher throughput.

Applications: Selective thermal oxidation processes and shallow-trench isolation (STI) liner processes.

Platform: The system's modular, dual-chamber platform is designed for ease of use and maintenance and high reliability and is built on the production-proven Helios RTP platform. Atmos also incorporates several proprietary design features, including dual-side wafer heating, which reduces pattern-related temperature effects enabling the potential for higher yields.

Availability: October 2006 onwards.