Wafer Temperature Measurement Without Lamp Interference: Advanced Energy Launches Centra Smart Hub
Accurate Wafer Temperature Measurement in Lamp-Heated Processes
Accurate wafer temperature measurement in lamp-heated semiconductor processes has long been constrained by a fundamental problem: the intense infrared output of process lamps saturates standard short- and near-IR pyrometers, making reliable readings difficult or impossible during active heating.
Advanced Energy addresses this with the Centra Smart Hub, a centralized measurement architecture that pairs a rack-mounted hub with Remote Smart Sensors operating at 3.3 µm or 5.2 µm. At these wavelengths, the lamp’s IR signal has minimal influence on the pyrometer reading, enabling accurate temperature data during lamp-heated processes including rapid thermal annealing and epitaxial growth on both silicon and silicon carbide wafers.
Hub-and-Spoke Architecture for Semiconductor Chambers
The Centra Smart Hub uses a hub-and-spoke configuration: the hub installs in an instrument rack and connects to up to eight Remote Smart Sensors mounted directly on the process chamber. Each sensor takes multiple measurement points across the wafer surface, providing the spatial resolution needed for thermal uniformity monitoring.
Communication between hub and sensors uses embedded EtherCAT and Ethernet, enabling integration into existing equipment architectures without requiring system redesign. The Remote Smart Sensors are rated for ambient operating temperatures up to 60°C, covering the thermal conditions typical of chamber-side installation.
Measurement Performance
The Centra Smart Hub supports wafer temperature measurement up to 1,700°C, with Advanced Energy claiming up to 40% improvement in accuracy compared to other standard solutions. The combination of longer measurement wavelengths and the centralized hub architecture contributes to improved wafer-to-wafer repeatability and thermal uniformity across the process chamber.
Target Processes and Applications
The system is designed for lamp-heated thermal processes in semiconductor manufacturing, specifically:
- Rapid thermal annealing of silicon and silicon carbide
- Epitaxial growth processes
- High-temperature wafer processing requiring non-contact measurement
The architecture is compatible with current semiconductor equipment designs, supporting faster adoption without chamber modification.
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