Pieces, 50 mm (2 in), 75 mm (3 in), 100 mm (4 in), 125 mm (5 in), 150 mm (6 in) · 1980s–2000s
The Heatpulse 610 is a lamp-heated, atmospheric RTP found in many research cleanrooms for implant anneal, contact alloying and silicides. We inspect, refurbish and upgrade used systems.
Price on request
AG Associates built the Heatpulse 610 as a single-wafer rapid thermal processor with tungsten-halogen lamps above and below a quartz isolation tube. It became one of the most common RTP tools in university and III-V research cleanrooms, and derivative systems are still built today. A used Heatpulse 610 suits labs that need short, controlled anneals: implant activation, ohmic contact alloying, silicide formation, oxide densification and reflow.
It is an atmospheric tool with a simple gas system and a small footprint, which makes it easy to install and maintain. The trade-off is that it cannot run under vacuum and its temperature measurement needs attention. For the rest of our thermal range, see thermal processing equipment.
Most Heatpulse systems control temperature with a pyrometer that reads the underside of the wafer. That works well at high temperature on bare silicon but drifts with emissivity changes from films, dopants and backside coatings. Thermocouple control, either with a thermocouple wafer or a configuration built for it, is better for low-temperature contact alloys. We record which sensing your system uses, calibrate it against a reference and note emissivity limits in the report. If your samples vary widely in backside films or doping, plan on a periodic check with a thermocouple wafer rather than trusting one calibration.
Common wear points are lamps, gold-plated reflectors that tarnish with heat, quartz tubes, lamp sockets, pyrometer calibration and ageing control electronics.
We replace failed lamps, clean or replace quartzware and reflector surfaces, rebuild power control where needed and calibrate the temperature loop. Certified systems run a test anneal on implanted or coated wafers with sheet resistance or other agreed results in the report.
The most common upgrade is a new controller and software, which brings recipe storage, logging and better closed-loop control to an older unit. Our post on keeping legacy tools running explains how we decide between repairing original electronics and replacing them, and the repair and troubleshooting service covers systems you already own.
Decide your temperature range first, then check that the sensing matches it. Ask how many lamps have been replaced recently and whether the reflectors are original. Confirm that the tray suits your wafer sizes and materials, and plan a calibration after installation, since moving the tool can shift pyrometer alignment.
Typical values for the platform. Each tool’s inspection report lists its actual configuration.
Rebuild used tools to their original specification, with a written scope and a test report.
Learn moreRetrofit older tools with new controls, light sources, pumps, wafer sizes or endpoint detection.
Learn moreKeep older process tools running with planned maintenance, repair, calibration and parts.
Learn moreMoving a process tool from one cleanroom to another, and getting it running at the new site.
Learn moreNeed a spare part for the Heatpulse 610? Send us the part number and we will check what we can supply.
No. It is an atmospheric system with gas purge, typically nitrogen, argon, oxygen or forming gas. For vacuum annealing you need a different RTP or a furnace.
Pyrometers lose accuracy at low temperatures, so for contact alloying below roughly 400 °C a thermocouple configuration works better. We check which sensing your system has and calibrate it.
Yes. Derivative tools such as the Allwin21 AccuThermo AW 610 follow the same design, and lamps, quartzware and electronics are available from the aftermarket. Original controller boards are the weakest point.
The Heatpulse 610 is widely used for III-V contact alloying and implant anneal, usually with a graphite susceptor or proximity cap. We supply suitable trays if your system lacks them.
200 mm (8 in) · 1990s–2020s
200 mm (8 in) · 1990s–2020s
Temperature, stress, hydrogen content and etch resistance separate PECVD and LPCVD nitride. How to choose the process, and the tool, for your device.
When a dry pump conversion pays off on an etcher, CVD tool or evaporator, how to size the replacement and what changes in facilities and interlocks.
Substrates, tool availability, automation and facilities all change between 150 and 200 mm. How to pick a wafer size for a pilot line built on used tools.
Tell us the process, wafer size and facilities. We reply with availability, an inspection report and a refurbishment scope.