Heat transfer system for improved semiconductor processing uniformity

A heat transfer system adapted to support a substrate for semiconductor processing of an upper surface thereof comprising:

• a pin base overlying and in thermal contact with a heat transfer member, said pin base having an upper wall, a lower wall and a side wall extending between the upper and lower walls and defining a cavity therebetween, wherein said upper wall comprises an array of bores;
• an array of substrate support pins each of which is slideably positioned in a respective one of the bores, each substrate support pin in thermal contact with the pin base and comprising a contact tip at its upper distal end;
• and
• a pressurized gas source in fluid communication with said cavity and adapted to supply pressurized gas to said cavity in an amount sufficient to move each support pin in an upward direction, wherein the heat transfer member comprises flow channels in fluid communication with a thermal fluid source adapted to provide a thermal fluid to the flow channels.