# US 2017/0290103 A1 · Tool for annealing of magnetic stacks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0290103 A1 - Document ID: US20170290103A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/625,549 - Filed: 2017-06-16 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-19 - Assignees: III Holdings 1, LLC - Applicants: III Holdings 1, LLC - Inventors: Krishnakumar Mani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170290103A1 ## CPC - H05B 6/10: Induction heating apparatus, other than furnaces, for specific applications - H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection} - H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers} - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a tool for annealing a magnetic stack. The tool includes a housing defining a heating chamber; a holding mechanism to hold at least one wafer in a single line within the heating chamber, a heating mechanism to heat the at least one wafer; and a magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field whole field lines pass through the single line of wafers during a magnetic annealing process; wherein the holding mechanism comprises a wafer support of holding the single line of wafers between the heating mechanism and the magnetic field generator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tool for annealing a magnetic stack, the tool comprising: a housing defining a heating chamber; a holding mechanism configured to hold at least one wafer in a single line within the heating chamber; a heating mechanism configured to heat the at least one wafer; and a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field whose magnetic field lines pass though the single line of wafers during a magnetic annealing process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tool of claim 1, wherein the heating mechanism comprises a grid of resistive conductors disposed along first and second directions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The tool of claim 2, wherein the grid is configured to supply heat directly to the at least one wafer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The tool of claim 3, wherein the grid is configured to heat a heating block which in turn transfers the heat to the at least one wafer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The tool of claim 3, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises a plurality of elongate conductors configured to be energized to generate the magnetic field. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The tool of claim 2, wherein the grid and the magnetic field generator are disposed to sandwich the at least one wafer between them. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tool of claim 1, wherein the tool is a retrofitted thermal processor for a semiconductor wafer processor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The tool of claim 7, wherein the retrofitted thermal processor is a rapid thermal processor. ### Claim 9 A method for annealing a magnetic stack, the method comprising: modifying a thermal processor for semiconductor wafer processing by retrofitting a magnetic field generator thereto; and performing thermal and magnetic annealing processes on the magnetic stack with the modified thermal processor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises a plurality of elongate current-carrying conductors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the magnetic field generator and a thermal heater of the thermal processor sandwich the magnetic stack. ### Claim 12 A tool for annealing a magnetic stack, the tool comprising: a housing defining a heating chamber; a holding mechanism configured to hold a plurality of wafers in a single line within the heating chamber; a heating mechanism including a grid of resistive conductors configured to heat the plurality of wafers; and a magnetic field generator including a plurality of elongated conductors configured to generate, during a magnetic annealing process, a magnetic field whose magnetic field lines pass though the plurality of wafers; wherein the heating mechanism and the magnetic field generator are configured to sandwich the plurality of wafers between them. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The tool of claim 12, wherein: the heating mechanism comprises a grid of resistive conductors disposed along first and second directions; and the grid is configured to heat the plurality of wafers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The tool of claim 13, wherein the grid is configured to heat one or more heating blocks which in turn transfer heat to the plurality of wafers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The tool of claims 12, wherein the heating chamber comprises a plurality of opaque quartz insulating walls. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The tool of claims 15, wherein the plurality of opaque quartz insulating walls comprise a glazed surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The tool of claim 12, further comprising: a plurality of pins mounted to a pin support plate, wherein the plurality of pins are configured to receive and support a wafer including the magnetic stack; and a lift configured to lower the pin support plate and the plurality of pins to place the wafer in close proximity to the heating mechanism. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The tool of claim 12, further comprising: a heated block having a greater thermal mass than a wafer including the magnetic stack; a plurality of pins extending through the heated block and mounted to a pin support plate, wherein the plurality of pins are configured to receive and support the wafer; and a lift configured to lower the pin support plate and the plurality of pins to place the wafer in close proximity to the heated block. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The tool of claim 12, further comprising an outer housing that defines an insulating chamber between walls of the heating chamber and the outer housing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The tool of claim 12, wherein the heating chamber comprises a gas inlet and a gas outlet via which pressure within the heating chamber is configured to be controlled.