Annealing system and method

1. A system for annealing substrates comprising:

a first boiler having an input coupled to a water source;

a second boiler having an input connected to an output of the first boiler;

a batch processing chamber coupled to the output of the second boiler, wherein the batch processing chamber is configured to anneal a plurality of substrates using steam from the second boiler; and

a high flow valve and a low flow valve arranged in parallel between the output of the first boiler and the input of the second boiler, wherein the high flow valve is configured to allow a flow of steam at least two times higher than the low flow valve.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the low flow valve is a pressure regulator.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a filter disposed between the output of the second boiler and the input of the batch processing chamber.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the water source is configured to provide water having an oxygen concentration of less than 5 ppb.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a purge gas source connected to the first boiler and the second boiler.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first boiler is configured to generate saturated steam to supply to the second boiler.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second boiler is configured to generate superheated steam to supply to the batch processing chamber.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a condenser connected downstream from the output of the second boiler, wherein the condenser is further connected to a port on the batch processing chamber.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a heat exchanger connected to an output of the condenser.

10. A method of annealing substrates in a processing chamber, the method comprising:

loading one or more substrates into an internal volume of the processing chamber;

receiving water in a first boiler;

generating saturated steam from the received water in the first boiler;

supplying the saturated steam generated in the first boiler to a second boiler;

generating superheated steam in the second boiler;

supplying the superheated steam from the second boiler to a processing chamber; and

annealing the substrates in the processing chamber with the superheated steam from the second boiler, wherein a pressure in the processing chamber during the annealing of the substrates is from about 40 barG to about 110 barG.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the water received in the first boiler has an oxygen concentration of less than 5 ppb.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising filtering the steam between an output of the second boiler and an input of the processing chamber.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein a temperature in the processing chamber during the annealing of the substrates is from about 450° C. to about 550° C.

14. A method of annealing substrates in a processing chamber, the method comprising:

loading one or more substrates into an internal volume of the processing chamber;

receiving water in a first boiler;

generating saturated steam from the received water in the first boiler;

supplying the saturated steam generated in the first boiler to a second boiler;

generating superheated steam in the second boiler, wherein a pressure of the saturated steam is greater than a pressure of the superheated steam and a pressure regulator valve is disposed between the first boiler and the second boiler;

supplying the superheated steam from the second boiler to a processing chamber; and

annealing the substrates in the processing chamber with the superheated steam from the second boiler.

15. A method of annealing substrates in a processing chamber, the method comprising:

loading one or more substrates into an internal volume of the processing chamber;

receiving water in a first boiler;

generating saturated steam from the received water in the first boiler;

supplying the saturated steam generated in the first boiler to a second boiler;

generating superheated steam in the second boiler;

supplying the superheated steam from the second boiler to a processing chamber; and

annealing the substrates in the processing chamber with the superheated steam from the second boiler, wherein a pressure of the processing chamber during the annealing of the substrates is substantially equal to a pressure of the saturated steam generated in the first boiler.

16. A method of annealing substrates in a processing chamber, the method comprising:

loading one or more substrates into an internal volume of the processing chamber;

receiving water in a first boiler;

generating saturated steam from the received water in the first boiler;

supplying the saturated steam generated in the first boiler to a second boiler;

generating superheated steam in the second boiler;

supplying the superheated steam from the second boiler to a processing chamber;

annealing the substrates in the processing chamber with the superheated steam from the second boiler; and

venting the steam from the processing chamber through a condenser after the annealing of the substrates.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising purging the first boiler and the second boiler with an inert gas before annealing the substrates in the processing chamber.

18. A method of annealing substrates in a processing chamber, the method comprising:

loading one or more substrates into an internal volume of the processing chamber;

receiving water in a first boiler, wherein the water received in the first boiler has an oxygen concentration of less than 5 ppb;

generating saturated steam from the received water in the first boiler;

supplying the saturated steam generated in the first boiler to a second boiler;

generating superheated steam in the second boiler;

supplying the superheated steam from the second boiler to a processing chamber;

filtering the steam between an output of the second boiler and an input of the processing chamber; and

annealing the substrates in the processing chamber with the superheated steam from the second boiler at a temperature from about 450° C. to about 550° C. and a pressure from about 40 barG to about 110 barG.