Parameter estimation for evaluating ability of a rapid thermal processing system to maintain uniform temperature

An important issue in the design of a rapid thermal processing (RTP) system is the ability of the system to maintain a uniform temperature in a semiconductor wafer. This ability is a characteristics of the radiative heat transfer properties of the system which often cannot be predicted accurately without testing the system. This paper presents a method of experimentally determining if an RTP system can maintain a uniform temperature. The method, which uses a recently-developed method of parameter estimation, has been demonstrated experimentally with an RTP system under investigation at NJIT.