Rapid heating and cooling of workpiece chucks
US6461801B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 26, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 8, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 26, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/68714
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A workpiece support or chuck that rapidly heats and cools a semiconductor workpiece is disclosed. A heat source and a cooling source, maintained at different temperatures, alternately communicate with the chuck. In one embodiment, the heat source and cooling source alternately provide relatively “hot” and “cold” heat transfer fluids to fluid channels within the workpiece chuck. Accordingly, a semiconductor workpiece in contact with the chuck rapidly heats to the temperature of the hot fluid, or rapidly cools to the temperature of the cold fluid, depending upon which fluid flowing through the chuck. In another embodiment, the heat source comprises a movable resistive heating block at a first temperature that is placed in contact with the chuck during heating, and is removed from the chuck while colder heat transfer fluid circulates within the chuck. Optionally, inert fluid can be provided to purge heat transfer fluid from the chuck channels between heating and cooling steps.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.