The flash lamp furnace allows processing materials without submitting them to long temperature ramping time, shortening dramatically thermal processes. The infrared lamp furnaces can reach temperature up to 1450°C and for duration up to 1 hour at 1200°C. Some high temperature systems can run process at 2000°C for 1 hour. The temperature ramp rate may reach up to 100°C/s, with faster system allowing to heat the sample from both side.

The process may be performed in controlled gaseous atmosphere and with a pressure ranging between atmospheric pressure down to 10^-6 Torr.

The main applications of the process are for:

• Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA)
• Implant annealing
• Contact annealing (III-V and SiC)
• Rapid Thermal Oxidation (RTO)
• Rapid Thermal Nitridation (RTN)
• Annealing of piezoelectric and pyroelectric materials
• Getter activation
• Rapid Thermal Evaporation (RTE)
• Selenization (CIGS solar cells)
• Sol-gel densification and crystallization
• Etc.