Mathematical modeling of a single-wafer rapid thermal reactor

Transient two-dimensional models have been used to simulate rapid thermal processing (RTP) in a cylindrical single-wafer reactor. The modeling has been analyzed at various levels of simplification to identify the dominant factors governing heat transfer and fluid flow inside the reactor. In each case, the thermal patterns on the wafer surface, both in the dynamic and steady states, are of special interest since temperature profiles are predominantly responsible for the thickness variation in the as-deposited or thermally grown RTP films. The thermal distribution is a function of process variables such as the ambient gas and operating pressure. Additionally, the thermal profiles predicted by the model are in good qualitative agreement with those found experimentally.