Susceptor Coupling for the Uniformity and Dopant Activation Efficiency in Implanted Si Under Fixed-Frequency Microwave Anneal

Microwave annealing of dopants in Si has been reported to produce highly activated junctions at temperatures far below those needed for comparable results using conventional thermal processes. However, during conventional fixed-frequency microwave heating, standing wave patterns can be established in the microwave processing chamber, resulting in nodes and antinodes over the processing area, resulting in thermal variations over the process wafer. In this letter, the effects of Si or quartz susceptor wafers on dopant activation and sheet resistance uniformity during fixed-frequency microwave anneal are studied. The composition, number, and spacing of susceptor wafers were varied in a systematic fashion in these experiments.