1. A rapid thermal process for presetting and controlling a lamp heating system used to heat a semiconductor wafer, the process comprising: a) initializing input data to a computer main program, the input data including indicia relating to the lamp heating system and properties of the semiconductor wafer; b) calculating an expected temperature for a plurality of three-dimensional wafer volume elements versus time, responsive to the input data indicia; c) individually controlling a power level to multiple lamp banks, the power level being controlled, directly or indirectly, by the computer main program responsive to the expected temperature calculated for the volume elements to provide a predetermined temperature ramp rate and steady state level for minimal wafer temperature nonuniformity; d) monitoring the wafer temperature with a temperature sensor; e) providing a temperature feedback from the temperature sensor to, selectively, one of a heat controller and the computer main program, thereby providing for quick and accurate controlling of the wafer temperature.