Movable radiant heat sources
View Patent ↗A semiconductor processing apparatus including a processing chamber and a plurality of radiant heat sources. The radiant heat sources heat a workpiece within the chamber. At least one of the radiant heat sources is movable during processing in an oscillatory motion along a path less than about 10 mm from a geometric center of the oscillatory motion.
1. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising:
a processing chamber; and
a plurality of radiant heat sources to heat a workpiece within the chamber, wherein at least one of the radiant heat sources is movable during processing in an oscillatory motion along a path less than about 10 mm from a geometric center of the oscillatory motion.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the radiant heat sources is movable during processing in an oscillatory motion along a path less than about 5 mm from the geometric center of the oscillatory motion.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one motor coupled to at least one of the radiant heat sources; and
a controller for directing the movement of the at least one motor.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the radiant heat sources is a reflector.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the radiant heat sources comprises a bulb and a reflector, the reflector disposed on a side of the bulb substantially opposite the workpiece.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the radiant heat sources comprises a plurality of bulbs and a reflector plate, the reflector plate disposed on a side of the plurality of bulbs substantially opposite the workpiece.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiant heat sources are independently movable.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiant heat sources comprise at least one jointly movable array of radiant heat sources.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one jointly movable array spans a susceptor within the chamber such that the array is capable of irradiating the entire surface of the workpiece supported on the susceptor.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the oscillatory motion comprises reciprocation and the geometric center is the halfway point along the path.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the reciprocation comprises linear reciprocation.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the oscillatory motion comprises arcuate reciprocation.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the arcuate reciprocation comprises reciprocation about a circular arcuate path.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the arcuate reciprocation comprises reciprocation about an elliptical arcuate path.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the path is a closed circuit and the geometric center is the center of a shape defined by the path.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the motion comprises rotation along a circular path.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the motion comprises rotation along an elliptical path.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the motion comprises rotation along a polygonal path.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radiant heat sources comprises a plurality of tubular lamps, the lamps including a bulb and a reflector, the reflector disposed on the side of the bulb substantially opposite the workpiece, the tubular portion of each bulb defining a longitudinal axis, and wherein the oscillatory motion comprises reciprocating at least one of the reflectors about the longitudinal axis.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein reciprocating comprises moving the at least one of the reflectors through an angle of less than about 10° along the longitudinal axis.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the angle is less than about 5°.
22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the angle is between about 1° and 5°.
23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the angle is between about 1° and 3°.
24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radiant heat sources comprises a plurality of tubular bulbs and a reflector plate, the reflector plate disposed on the side of the bulbs substantially opposite the workpiece, the tubular portion of one bulb defining a longitudinal axis, and wherein the oscillatory motion comprises reciprocating the reflector plate about the longitudinal axis.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein reciprocating comprises moving the reflector plate through an angle of less than about 10° along the longitudinal axis.
26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the angle is less than about 5°.
27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the angle is between about 1° and 5°.
28. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the angle is between about 1° and 3°.
29. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising:
a processing chamber; and
a plurality of radiant heat sources to illuminate a first area on a workpiece within the chamber, wherein at least one of the radiant heat sources is movable in a motion during processing from a first angular position to a second angular position to illuminate a second area on the workpiece, a ratio of the second area to the first area less than about 10%.
30. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the ratio is less than about 5%.
31. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the motion comprises a pivoting motion.
32. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the motion comprises a swinging motion.