DOPANT DIFFUSION WITH SHORT HIGH TEMPERATURE ANNEAL PULSES

A method and apparatus for diffusing a dopant within a semiconductor device is described. The method includes performing a dynamic surface anneal in which a substrate is placed inside of a process volume with a mixture of an inert gas and a small amount of oxygen gas. The surface of the substrate is then exposed to one or more rapid laser pulses. The rapid laser bursts diffuse dopant from a doped layer into the substrate. The doped layer is formed during a previous process operation. The temperature and number of laser pulses control the amount of diffusion of the dopant into the substrate. Other dynamic surface anneal operations may be optionally performed before or after the oxygenated dynamic surface anneal operation.