Heat shield for thermal processing
US7176405B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 22, 2005 |
| Grant date | Feb 13, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 22, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB23K26/703
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A heat shield (10) that facilitates thermally processing a substrate (22) with a radiation beam (150) is disclosed. The heat shield is in the form of a cooled plate adapted to allow the radiation beam to communicate with the substrate upper surface (20) over a radiation beam path (BP), either through an aperture or a transparent region. The heat shield has an operating position that forms a relatively small gap (170) between the lower surface (54) of the heat shield and the upper surface of the wafer. The gap is sized such that the formation of convection cells (200) is suppressed during substrate surface irradiation. If convection cells do form, they are kept out of the radiation beam path. This prevents the radiation beam from wandering from the desired radiation beam path, which in turn allows for uniform heating of the substrate during thermal processing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.