Automation of the rapid photonic treatment installation

Abstract

Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) is a short-duration thermal process technology used in microelectronics for dopant activation, rapid annealing, and oxidation. It is characterized by intense, uniform, and precisely controlled heating, minimizing unwanted impurity diffusion. This paper proposes the development of a modern installation for the automation of the rapid thermal processing procedure. It presents the functional block diagram, the principal connection schematic, and the 3D-printed PCB model. The system is designed for the processing of semiconductor materials in both industrial and research applications. The installation consists of six halogen lamps arranged around a quartz reactor and is capable of reaching temperatures up to 1000°C. The system is electronically controlled via a management unit that regulates temperature, treatment duration, and the operation of the power electronics module. Temperature control is achieved through a PID algorithm implemented on a microcontroller, which operates a solid-state relay to modulate the power delivered to the lamps. This solution provides precise and reliable control under dynamic processing conditions and is adaptable to various thermal profiles.