A system for regulating heating temperature of a material is provided. The material may be a photoresist, a top or bottom anti-reflective coating, a low K dielectric material, SOG or other spin-on material, for example. The system includes a plurality of lamps and optical fibers, each optical fiber directing radiation to and heating a respective portions of a bakeplate on which the material is to be placed. In one embodiment, the temperature at various locations on the material placed on the bakeplate is determined and the heating rates are controlled in response to those measurements. In another aspect of the invention, the temperature at various portions of the bakeplate is determined and controlled. In this latter aspect, uniform heating of the material is a consequence of uniform bakeplate temperature.