Application field of rapid temperature rise and fall annealing furnace

The rapid temperature rise and fall annealing furnace (RTP) has become a key equipment in multiple high-tech fields due to its extremely fast temperature rise and fall rate, high-precision temperature control, and flexible atmosphere adjustment capability. The following is a detailed analysis of its core application areas:

1. Semiconductor manufacturing: the cornerstone of core processes
Ion implantation annealing
Function: Repair the lattice damage caused by ion implantation on the wafer, activate doping elements (such as boron, phosphorus, arsenic), and form conductive regions.
Advantages: Rapid annealing can accurately control the diffusion depth of doping elements, avoiding excessive impurity diffusion caused by traditional annealing and improving device performance (such as the threshold voltage stability of MOSFETs).
Case: In advanced processes of 28nm and below, RTP is the standard process equipment after ion implantation.
Ohmic contact alloy
Function: By rapidly annealing, low resistance contacts are formed at the interface between metals (such as aluminum and titanium) and semiconductors (such as silicon and gallium arsenide), reducing signal transmission losses.
Advantage: The extremely short heat treatment time (usually a few seconds) can prevent contact failure caused by metal interdiffusion and improve device reliability.
Case: In the manufacturing of power devices such as IGBT, RTP is used to form stable ohmic contacts.
Oxide/nitride growth
Function: Quickly generate insulation layers (such as SiO ₂, Si ∝ N ₄) or passivation layers at high temperatures, protecting the surface of the device from environmental erosion.
Advantages: Accurate temperature control can optimize film thickness and composition, improve device voltage resistance and stability.
Case: In CMOS technology, RTP is used to grow gate oxide layers with a thickness control accuracy of nanometer level.
Formation of Silicides
Function: Form low resistance silicides (such as CoSi ₂) at the interface between metals (such as cobalt, nickel) and silicon NiSi）， Reduce contact resistance.
Advantages: Rapid annealing can suppress the aggregation of silicides and form a uniform nanoscale silicide layer.
Case: In advanced logic chips, RTP is used to form self-aligned silicides (Salicides) to improve transistor speed.

2. Photovoltaic industry: the key to improving battery efficiency
CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) Thin Film Battery
Function: In the selenization process, RTP achieves uniform distribution of selenium through rapid annealing, forming a high-quality CIGS absorption layer.
Advantage: The extremely short heat treatment time can reduce selenium volatilization and improve battery conversion efficiency.
Case: A research institute in Germany uses RTP technology to improve the efficiency of CIGS cells.
Perovskite solar cells
Function: In the annealing process, RTP rapidly removes solvents and promotes grain growth, forming dense perovskite films.
Advantages: Accurate temperature control can suppress grain coarsening, improve film stability and optoelectronic performance.
Case: Oxford PV utilizes RTP technology to improve the efficiency of perovskite/silicon stacked cells.
Crystalline silicon battery
Function: After diffusion process, RTP is used to activate doping elements and repair lattice damage, improving the lifetime of minority carriers.
Advantages: Rapid annealing can reduce thermal budget, avoid battery bending and fragmentation, and improve yield.
Case: LONGi Green Energy adopts RTP technology to improve the efficiency of monocrystalline PERC cells.

3. New material research and development: breaking through performance limits
Nanomaterial synthesis
Function: Control grain size and morphology through rapid annealing, optimize material electrical and optical properties.
case
Graphene: RTP can reduce defect density and improve carrier mobility;
Quantum dots: Rapid annealing can suppress the aggregation of quantum dots, form uniform nanostructures, and improve luminescence efficiency.
2D Materials
Function: RTP is used to repair interlayer interface defects and improve material properties after transfer or stacking processes.
case
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS ₂): RTP can reduce sulfur vacancies and improve the mobility of field-effect transistors;
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN): Rapid annealing can remove surface adsorbates and improve insulation performance.
High temperature superconducting materials
Function: In the oxygen annealing process, RTP optimizes the formation of superconducting phases by precisely controlling the oxygen partial pressure and temperature.
Case: American Superconducting Corporation (AMSC) utilizes RTP technology to increase the critical current density of high-temperature superconducting tapes.

4. MEMS and Sensor Manufacturing: Enhancing Device Reliability
MEMS device release
Function: After sacrificial layer etching, RTP is used to remove residual polymers and release structural layers to avoid adhesion.
Advantages: Rapid annealing can reduce thermal stress and prevent device deformation or fracture.
Case: In accelerometer manufacturing, RTP is used to release cantilever beam structures to enhance device sensitivity.
Sensor functionalization
Function: After the deposition of sensitive materials such as metal oxides and carbon nanotubes, RTP is used to activate the material surface and improve detection performance.
case
Gas sensor: RTP can increase oxygen vacancies on the surface of metal oxides, improving sensitivity to NO ₂ and NH ∝;
Pressure sensor: Rapid annealing can optimize the grain structure of piezoresistive materials (such as polycrystalline silicon) and improve linearity.

5. Compound semiconductors and power devices: meeting high-performance requirements
Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) Devices
Function: In the process of ohmic contact formation or passivation layer growth, RTP is used to optimize interface quality, reduce contact resistance and leakage current.
Case: Infineon uses RTP technology to reduce the on resistance of SiC MOSFETs.
Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Indium Phosphide (InP) Devices
Function: After metallization process, RTP is used to form low resistance contacts and improve high-frequency performance.
Case: In the manufacturing of terahertz devices, RTP can optimize the metal/semiconductor interface and improve signal transmission efficiency.

6. Other fields: Expanding application boundaries
magnetic materials
Function: In annealing process, RTP optimizes magnetic domain structure and enhances magnetic performance by controlling magnetic field and temperature.
Case: In the manufacturing of amorphous alloy magnetic cores, RTP can reduce coercivity and improve transformer efficiency.
biomaterials
Function: In heat treatment processes, RTP is used to inactivate biological samples or repair the surface of biosensors, enhancing stability.
Case: In the manufacturing of glucose sensors, RTP can remove enzyme layer residues and extend their service life.