The MRS proceedings series on rapid thermal processing (RTP) has become the predominant international forum for research in this exciting and fast-growing field. In particular, thisvolume in the series presents work in traditional RTP processes such as dielectric growth, annealing and silicides, as well as developments in novel modelling and integrated processes. Papers on equipment issues illustrate that problems such as temperature uniformity and measurement, traditionally viewed as limitations for RTP technology, are well on the way to being resolved. Manufacturing aspects of RTP and the successful integration of RTP into production semiconductor fabs are also addressed. Topics include: RTP equipment - modelling and new concepts; temperature measurement and control in RTP equipment; MOSFET gate stack engineering; MOSFET channel and source/drain engineering; silicides; and new applications of rapid thermal processing.

Rapid thermal and integrated processing is an emerging single-wafer technology in ULSI semiconductor manufacturing, electrical engineering, applied physics and materials science. Here, the physics and engineering of this technology are discussed at the graduate level. Three interrelated areas are covered. First, the thermophysics of photon-induced annealing of semiconductor and related materials, including fundamental pyrometry and emissivity issues, the modelling of reactor designs and processes, and their relation to temperature uniformity. Second, process integration, treating the advances in basic equipment design, scale-up, integrated cluster-tool equipment, including wafer cleaning and integrated processing. Third, the deposition and processing of thin epitaxial, dielectric and metal films, covering selective deposition and epitaxy, integrated processing of layer stacks, and new areas of potential application, such as the processing of III-V semiconductor structures and thin- film head processing for high-density magnetic data storage.