US 11,812,523 B2
Thermal processing system with transmission switch plate
Michael X. Yang, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Rolf Bremensdorfer, Bibertal (DE)
Assigned to BEIJING E-TOWN SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY, CO., LTD, Beijing (CN); and MATTSON TECHNOLOGY, INC., Fremont, CA (US)
Filed by Mattson Technology, Inc., Fremont, CA (US); and Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing (CN)
Filed on Jun. 11, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/898,495.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/861,116, filed on Jun. 13, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0396798 A1, Dec. 17, 2020
Int. Cl. H05B 3/00 (2006.01); H05B 1/02 (2006.01); G02F 1/163 (2006.01)
CPC H05B 3/0047 (2013.01) [G02F 1/163 (2013.01); H05B 1/0233 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermal processing system, comprising:
a processing chamber;
a workpiece support configured to support a workpiece within the processing chamber;
a heat source configured to emit light towards the workpiece;
a shutter disposed between the workpiece and the heat source, the shutter comprising an electrochromic material configurable in a translucent state and an opaque state, wherein when the electrochromic material is configured in the opaque state, the shutter reduces transmission of light through the shutter, and when the electrochromic material is configured in the translucent state, light at least partially passes through the shutter; and
a controller configured to control the shutter to reduce transmission of light through the shutter during a thermal treatment process;
wherein the thermal treatment process is a spike anneal process, the spike anneal process increasing a temperature of the workpiece by greater than about 500° C. or greater in less than about 2 seconds. the spike anneal process associated with an increase in temperature to a peak temperature and a decrease in temperature from the peak temperature; and
wherein the controller is configured to control an operational state of the shutter during the spike anneal process to reduce a peak width associated with the spike anneal process, the spike anneal process has a 50k temperature peak width of about 0.8 second or less.