[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of an apparatus 1 for the thermal treatment of substrates.

[0024] The apparatus 1 has a zone-controlled heating plate 2 that is comprised of a quadratic base plate 3 having an essentially right-angled cross-section. The base plate 3 has a first planar upper side 5 and a segmented underside 6 . By means of four respective notches or grooves 7 that extend perpendicular to the side edges of the heating plate, the underside 6 is divided into a total of 25 square segments 8 . The depth of the grooves 7 corresponds approximately to half of the thickness of the base plate 3 . Disposed upon the square segments 8 of the heating plate 2 are respective square heating elements 10 , which are connected with the segments 8 of the base plate 3 in a suitable manner, such as by being adhesively joined thereto, and which form corresponding heating zones with the segments. Due to the arrangements of the heating elements 10 upon the segments 8 , which are respectively separated by the grooves 7 , the segments are thermally separated from one another so that they do not mutually influence one another, i.e. that no significant thermal cross talk occurs between the heating elements. However, via the base plate 3 the heating elements 10 are adequately thermally coupled with one another, so that on the upper side 5 of the base plate 3 a homogeneous temperature distribution is achieved without a thermal definition of the individual heating elements in the thermal pattern of the upper side 5 . Associated with each heating element 10 is a non-illustrated temperature sensor in the form of a thermocouple element, which measures the actual temperature of the heating elements 10 . In place of the thermocouple elements, it is also possible to use other, e.g. optical, temperature sensors.

[0025] Although the heating plate 2 was described as a one-piece base plate 3 having grooves 7 formed therein for the segmentation of the upper side 6 of the base plate 3 , it should be noted that the base plate 3 could be formed entirely planar, and the heating elements 10 could be connected with the base plate 3 directly or via spacer elements. In the same manner, the invention is not limited to the shape and number of the segments 8 and of the heating elements 10 .

[0026] The planar upper side 5 of the base plate 3 of the heating plate 1 is disposed adjacent to a substrate 12 that is to be treated, e.g. with a spacing between 0.1 and 0.5 mm. The substrate is held over the heating plate 1 , for example on four non-illustrated holding means. A temperature-measuring device 17 in the form of an infrared camera is disposed above the heating plate 1 and the substrate 12 . The infrared camera 17 is directed onto an upper side 18 of the substrate 12 that faces away from the heating plate 1 . The infrared camera 17 contains a non-illustrated scanning device having a moveable mirror via which the entire upper surface 18 of the substrate 12 is sequentially scanned. By means of the scanning device, a localized pattern of the temperature distribution of the upper side 18 of the substrate 12 is produced, whereby the entire surface is scanned, for example, once every second.

[0027] The infrared camera 17 is connected via a data line 20 with a computing unit in the form of a PC 22 . Within the PC, the measured values obtained from the IR camera are processed and a spatial temperature distribution upon the upper surface 18 of the substrate is determined and is processed, as will be described in greater detail subsequently.

[0028] In FIG. 1 one can further see a process control mechanism 24 , as well as a PID regulator 26 that is connected with the individual heating elements 10 and the non-illustrated temperature sensors, and forms a control loop with them. The PID regulator regulates the heating capacity of the individual heating elements 10 with the aid of a desired-value profile that is prescribed by the process control mechanism, i.e. a series of desired temperature values, especially time intervals, that vary with time, and the actual temperature values measured by the temperature sensors.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view upon the heating plate 1 with a substrate 12 , such as, for example, a photomask, disposed thereon. The heating zones formed by the heating elements 10 and the segments 8 are schematically indicated and are numbered 1 to 25 . Indicated upon the substrate 12 are surface points 1 to 13 which, as will be described in greater detail subsequently, are used as coordination points.

[0030] As can be recognized in the schematic plan view of FIG. 2 , the substrate covers the central nine of the entire 25 heating zones of the heating plate 2 . Therefore, during a thermal treatment of the substrate mainly these nine zones are involved, although the remaining zones also have an influence upon the thermal treatment.

[0031] The table of FIG. 2 b shows an association of the individual heating zones to the surface points on the substrate. The association and weighting provided in FIG. 2 is not exact and should merely indicate the principle of a weighting. For example, the heating capacity derived from the heating zone 1 and reaching the substrate 12 influences exclusively the temperature of the substrate 12 in the region of the surface point 1 . Thus, the heating zone is associated 100% to the surface point 1 . In contrast hereto, the heating capacity derived from the heating zone 2 , and reaching the substrate 12 , influences not only the temperature of the substrate in the region of the surface point 1 , but also of the surface point 2 . In this connection, the heat being given off by the heating zone 2 influences the surface point 1 three times more greatly than the surface point 2 . Thus, the heating zone 2 is associated with the surface points 1 and 2 in a ratio of 75:25. The table 2 b show the weighted for all 25 zones of the heating plate 1 .

[0032] FIG. 3 shows four instantaneous plottings of the chronological change of a local desired-value distribution for the individual zones of a zone-controlled heating plate having 5×5 heating zones during the course of a thermal treatment of a substrate, and are grouped about a central graph. The central graph shows the chronological development of the average value of measured temperature values on the substrate surface, whereby the perpendicular lines mark the points in time at which the desired values for the individual heating zones are varied. In the central graph, the vertical axes show the temperature t in ° C., while the horizontal axis illustrates the time T in minutes and seconds. With the four instantaneous plottings of the local desired-value determinations, the desired temperature of the respective heating zones in ° C. is indicated on the vertical axis. The two other axes represent the 5×5 basic pattern of the heating zones. The upper left graph shows the desired-value distribution of the individual zones of the heating plate 1 at the beginning of the thermal treatment, i.e. in a time interval from 0 seconds to approximately 1 minute. The graph disposed next to it at the right shows the desired-value distribution of the zone-controlled heating plate at the point in time of approximately 2 minutes 5 seconds, which is maintained in the third time interval of approximately 2 minutes to 3 minutes. The lower left graph shows the desired-value distribution at the point in time of approximately 5 minutes for the sixth time interval, and the graph disposed next to it to the right shows the desired-value distribution in a final time interval, which begins at approximately 11 minutes.

[0033] As can be recognized by the upper left graph, at the beginning of the thermal treatment the central zone is heating more strongly than are the other zones, since in this region initially a relatively large mass must be heated. From the graph disposed next to it at the right one can recognize that the central zone is heated less strongly, which is attributed to the greater thermal radiation in the edge region of the substrate. In a similar manner, one can also recognize from the lower graphs that the edge zones of the heating plate are heated at least partially more strongly than is the central zone.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a typical profile for a thermal treatment of a mask, according to which an end temperature of 110° C. is to be achieved on the surface of the sample. In this connection, FIG. 4 a shows a table for a desired-value distribution for the zones of the heating plate, whereby in the left hand column the lengths of the individual time intervals for the respective temperature step are indicated. FIG. 4 b shows a three-dimensional graphic representation of the desired-value profile, whereby the vertical axis presents the temperature t in ° C., the essentially horizontally extending axis indicates the heating zones 1 to 25 , and the axis that extends toward the rear shows the time intervals R1 to R9. From this three-dimensional illustration, one can clearly recognize the different control of the respective heating zones 1 to 25 , whereby at the beginning of the treatment the central heating zones are heated the most strongly.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows an iteration cycle that during an automated optimization of a desired-value profile is used for the individual heating zones of the heating plate 1 . In the block 30 , a treatment cycle begins according to which a specified desired-value is prescribed for each of the 25 zones of the heating plate 1 . The desired-value profiles that are used next can have any desired form, e.g. they can all be the same, or they can represent normalized starting profiles, as will be explained subsequently. The desired-value profiles are designed for the thermal treatment of a specific substrate, as well as being designed for achieving a prescribed end temperature value.

[0036] During the thermal treatment, by means of the infrared camera 17 the temperature on the surface 18 of the substrate 12 facing away from the heating elements 10 is measured and is conveyed on to the computing unit 22 . In the computing unit 22 , the average value of all measured values from one surface region associated with the surface point is respectively associated with the previously mentioned surface points on the surface of the substrate. This association simplifies the subsequent calculation of new desired-value profiles.

[0037] In the block 34 , at each point in time of the thermal treatment, the temperature difference between the surface points on the substrate surface is determined and is compared with a predetermined threshold value. If the temperature difference at each point in time of the thermal treatment is below the threshold value, the process control proceeds to the block 36 , which indicates that an optimized desired-value is present and no further adaptation is necessary.

[0038] However, if the temperature difference at least sometimes exceeds the threshold value, the process control proceeds to the block 38 , in which the desired-value profiles are recalculated for the individual heating elements. The algorithm that is used in this connection includes a precise and rated coordination of the surface points on the substrate to the zones of the heating surface. The newly calculated desired-value is transmitted to the start block 30 and is specified in place of the previous start profile. With this newly calculated desired-value profile, a renewed thermal treatment process is now carried out, while in the block 32 the temperature distribution on the substrate surface is measured. This iteration cycle is repeated until the temperature difference between the surface points on the substrate surface at each point in time falls below the prescribed threshold value. At this point in time, an optimized desired-value profile is established, which need no longer be interfered with. This optimized desired-value profile is used for subsequent thermal treatment processes with substrates having the same parameters and which are to be heated to the same end temperature value.

[0039] During the recalculation of the desired-value profiles, it is possible to vary not only the temperature determinations during prescribed time intervals. Rather, the length of individual time intervals can also be adapted.

[0040] The coordination of the surface regions of the sample to the surface points, or the coordination of the surface points to the zones of the heating surface, can similarly be varied.

[0041] Pursuant to the preferred embodiment of the invention, during the recalculation of the desired-value profiles the temperature inhomogeneities that occur at a specific point in time are taken into account in an anticipatory manner in order to achieve a uniform and early adaptation of the profile. If, for example, at a point in time T=50 seconds a temperature inhomogeneity occurs at a specific surface point, with the newly calculated profile this inhomogeneity is already taken into account at an earlier point in time, e.g. T=30 seconds, in that the desired-value profile of at least one heating element is changed such that already at this point in time a locally stronger or lesser heating is effected. Thus, the temperature inhomogeneities can be provided for without temperature jumps of the heating elements and greater jumps during the desired-value determination between the individual intervals.

[0042] The above-mentioned optimization must be carried out for each different substrate as well as for each end temperature value. To save time during the determination of the ideal desired-value profile for thermal treatments having different end temperatures, initially a normalized profile is calculated. During this calculation the assumption is made that the thermal characteristic of the substrate type is essentially the same at different temperatures. Therefore, the normalized profile is formed from an optimized profile in that it is divided by the end temperature value of the optimized profile in order to obtain a normalized profile. For each further desired end temperature, the normalized profile is now multiplied with the new end value. The thus calculated desired-value profiles are then used as a start profile during the iteration cycle of FIG. 5 . In so doing the number of iteration cycles prior to achieving an optimized process profile can be considerably reduced.

[0043] Profiles optimized in such a way can be made available to a customer in order to be then used, for example, in combination with the method known from DE-A-199 07 497, which to this extent is made the subject matter of the present application in order to avoid repetition. Alternatively, the optimization cycle can also be effected by customers, so that the process control is automatically self-optimized over time.

[0044] The invention was previously described with the aid of a preferred embodiment of the invention without, however, being limited to the specific embodiment. For example, the heating plate could also have some other shape, such as, for example, a round shape, with round heating elements or heating elements formed of circular segments. Instead of an infrared camera, another, localized temperature measuring device could also be used.