# US 2014/0197153 A1 · Air impingement heater > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197153 A1 - Document ID: US20140197153A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/741,941 - Filed: 2013-01-15 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15 - Assignees: Nordson Corporation - Applicants: Nordson Corporation - Inventors: Stanley C. Aguilar; David N. Padgett - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197153A1 ## CPC - H05B 1/00: Details of electric heating devices - B23K 1/012: Soldering with the use of hot gas - B23K 3/0478: {comprising means for controlling or selecting the temperature or power} - H05K 3/3494: Heating processes for reflow soldering - H05K 2203/081: Blowing of gas, e.g. for cooling or for providing heat during solder reflowing - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract Apparatus and methods for heating of one or more substrates with a plurality of independently controllable heating zones. Pressurized air is provided to each of a plurality of independently controlled heater blocks each including a heating element. The pressurized air is heated in the heater blocks and discharged towards one or more regions of the one or more substrates. The amount of power provided to the heating element in one of the heating blocks may be adjusted relative to the amount of power provided to the heating element in another of the heating blocks. The temperature of one heating zone may thereby be adjusted relative to other heating zones so that the temperature of different heating zones for the one or more substrates may be independently controlled. Heated air may be recovered from the heating zones and recycled. The pressurized air may be preheated by passing through a lift plate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for processing one or more substrates, the apparatus comprising: a heater including a plurality of heater blocks; and a controller coupled with the heater, the controller configured to independently adjust an amount of heat supplied from each heater block of the heater to the one or more substrates. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein adjacent pairs of the heater blocks are separated by a gap to provide a non-contacting relationship for thermal isolation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each heater block includes at least one heating element coupled with the controller, and the controller is configured to independently regulate power supplied to the at least one heating element of each heater block for adjusting the amount of heat supplied from each heater block to the one or more substrates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each heater block includes a temperature sensor coupled with the controller, the temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heater block and to communicate a signal indicative of the temperature to the controller, and the controller is configured to use the signal for independently regulating the power supplied to the at least one heating element of each heater block. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each heater block is configured to receive pressurized air for heating by the at least one heating element and to exhaust the pressurized air to heat the one or more substrates. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one heating element is thermally coupled with the heater block, and the heater block is configured to receive heat from the at least one heating element and to transfer the heat to the pressurized air. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the heater block includes a plurality of openings from which the pressurized air is exhausted to heat the one or more substrates. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each heater block includes a plenum that receives the pressurized air and an impingement plate, the openings penetrating through the impingement plate and into the plenum so that the pressurized air is exhausted from the plenum through the impingement plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least one of the heater blocks includes a compliant member projecting outwardly from the heater block and that peripherally extends about the openings. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the compliant member is configured to have a contacting relationship with the one or more substrates and includes an aperture that allows the pressurized air to escape from a space between the heater block and the one or more substrates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each heater block includes an inlet for receiving the pressurized air and a plurality of air passages that couple the air inlet to the openings so that the pressurized air is heated by heat transferred from the heater block during travel through the air passages from the inlet to the openings. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the openings are distributed across the heater block for heating two or more substrates. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising: a support assembly configured to support the heater blocks, the support assembly including a plate and a housing joined with the plate to define an air plenum; and a first circuit board located in the air plenum, the first circuit board configured to couple the at least one heating element of each heater block with the controller. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising: a lift assembly including a lift plate coupling the support assembly to the lift assembly, the lift plate including an air inlet that receives the pressurized air and a passage that couples the pressurized air from the air inlet to the air plenum so that the pressurized air absorbs heat from the lift plate as the pressurized air flows through the passage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising: a second circuit board coupled to the lift plate, the second circuit board including the controller, the controller being configured to independently regulate power supplied to the at least one heating element of each heater block by providing control signals to the at least one heating element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first circuit board includes a connector extending through the housing, and the controller is external to the support assembly and coupled with the connector for communicating with the first circuit board to provide control signals to the at least one heating element of each heater block. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first circuit board includes a plurality of electrical connectors that are externally accessible through the plate, and the at least one heating element of each heater block is coupled with one of the electrical connectors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each heater block is thermally coupled to the at least one heating element and includes an inlet for receiving pressurized air, and the plate includes a plurality of openings for coupling the air plenum of the support assembly with the inlet of each heater block. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the support assembly further includes a heater coupled to the housing to pre-heat the pressurized air in the air plenum. ### Claim 20 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the heater is further configured to recover at least a portion of the pressurized air exhausted from the body. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the heater block includes a first plurality of openings from which the pressurized air is exhausted to heat the one or more substrates, and a second plurality of openings through which the exhausted air is recovered. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21 wherein each heater block includes a first plenum that receives the pressurized air, a second plenum that recovers the exhausted air, and an impingement plate, each opening penetrating through the impingement plate and into a respective one of the first and second plenums the so that the pressurized air is exhausted from the positive pressure plenum through the impingement plate, and exhausted air is drawn into the negative pressure plenum through the impingement plate. ### Claim 23 A method of processing one or more substrates, the method comprising: independently adjusting an amount of heat supplied from each of a plurality of heater blocks to the one or more substrates. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the heater blocks comprise first and second heater blocks, and independently adjusting the amount of heat supplied from each of the heater blocks comprises: receiving pressurized air in the first and second heater blocks; heating the first heater block to a first set temperature; impinging the one or more substrates over the first heater block with the pressurized air heated by the first heater block; heating the second heater block to a second set temperature; and impinging the one or more substrates over the second heater block with the pressurized air heated by the second heater block. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein the first and second set temperatures are different. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 further comprising: monitoring a first actual temperature of the first heater block; controlling an amount of heat supplied to the first heater block based upon changes in the first actual temperature; monitoring a second actual temperature of the second heater block; and controlling an amount of heat supplied to the second heater block based upon changes in the second actual temperature. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 wherein a heating element is used to heat the pressurized air of the first heater block, and controlling the amount of heat supplied to the first heater block based upon changes in the first actual temperature comprises: regulating power supplied to the heating element to compensate for changes in the first actual temperature and thereby maintain the first actual temperature at the first set temperature. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein impinging the one or more substrates over the first heater block with the pressurized air heated by the first heater block comprises: directing the pressurized air through a plurality of openings toward the one or more substrates. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 further comprising: contacting the one or more substrates with a compliant member surrounding the openings that constricts a lateral flow of the pressurized air. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein a pressure of the pressurized air supplied to the first heater block and a pressure of the pressurized air supplied to the second heater block are not independently adjustable. ### Claim 31 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein the pressurized air is heated by the first heater block by passing the air through a plurality of passages in the first heater block. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein adjusting power supplied to the at least one heating element of the first heater block further comprises: heating a body of the first heater block with the at least one heating element; transferring heat from the body to pressurized air inside the body; and exhausting the pressurized air from the body to heat the one or more substrates over the first heater block. ### Claim 33 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 further comprising: recovering at least a portion of the heated pressurized air impinged on the one or more substrates. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33 wherein recovering at least a portion of the heated pressurized air impinged on the one or more substrates comprises: drawing the at least a portion of the heated pressurized air impinged on the one or more substrates through a plurality of openings in at least one of the first and second heater blocks; and adding the at least a portion of the heated pressurized air impinged on the one or more substrates to the pressurized air. ### Claim 35 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 further comprising: passing the pressurized air through a passage in a lift plate, the pressurized air being received in the first heater block after passing through the lift plate so that the pressurized air absorbs heat from the lift plate before being received by the first heater block. ### Claim 36 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the heater blocks comprise first and second heater blocks each having at least one heating element, and independently adjusting the amount of heat supplied from each of the heater blocks comprises: adjusting power supplied to the at least one heating element of the first heater block; and adjusting power supplied to the at least one heating element of the second heater block independent of the power adjustment supplied to the at one least heating element of the first heater block. ### Claim 37 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 further comprising: dispensing a fluid material on the one or more substrates.