Rapid thermal anneal (RTA) is a process used in semiconductor device fabrication which consist of heating a single wafer at a time in order to affect its electrical properties. Unique heat treatments are designed for different effects. Wafers can be heated in order to activate dopants, change film-to-film or film-to-wafer substrate interfaces, densify deposited films, change states of grown films, repair damage from ion implantation, move dopants or drive dopants from one film into another or from a film into the wafer substrate.

Rapid thermal anneals are performed by equipment that heats a single wafer at a time using either lamp based heating, a hot chuck, or a hot plate that a wafer is brought near. Unlike furnace anneals they are short in duration, processing each wafer in several minutes.

Rapid thermal anneal is a subset of processes called Rapid Thermal Process (RTP).

Equipment

• Applied Materials Radiance
• Steag AST Elektronik SHS-2800 and AST 3000 tools
• AG Associates Heatpulse

Semiconductor device fabrication