Patent · US Expired

Thermal processing chamber for heating and cooling wafer-like objects

US6423947B1 · kind B1 · utility

13Cited by
10References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 29, 2001
Grant dateJul 23, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 29, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/67109
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A processing chamber and methods for employing this processing chamber to thermally treat wafer-like objects. The chamber comprises a double walled shell, a pedestal style heater, internal passages for the transport of cooling gases and removal of exhaust gases, independently variable gas introduction patterns, and a movable door for sealing the chamber. The chamber is designed to permit in situ cooling of wafer-like objects and to provide means for precise optimization of this cooling. The methods provide for the processing of the wafer-like object in an environment where the temperature, rate of change of the temperature, composition of gases and the relative timings of changes to these variables may be controlled to achieve the desired material properties in the wafer-like object or in films contained on this wafer-like object.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.