Method and apparatus for the transmission heat to or from plate like object
AssigneeBalzers Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsHans Hirscher, Rudolf Wagner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An installation for the transmission of heat energy between a carrier and a small plate receives a gas between the small plate and the carrier in order to improve the transmission of heat. The same gas serves to press the small plate against the carrier by means of a removable cover. When, for example, in a vacuum process, plate-like objects, such as semiconductors are to be processed, they are frequently heated up to elevated temperatures. Here it is suitable to provide the heat energy in a controlled homogeneous way. In other cases the small plates have to be cooled down in a controlled and steady way. The invention provides an apparatus for both processes.
Claims15
An apparatus for transmitting heat to or from a plate-like object comprising:
- carrier means having a surface for receiving the object with a gap between the object and the surface, said carrier means being adapted to be at a different initial temperature from that of the object for one of heating and cooling the object;
- a gas source providing pressurized gas;
- first gas passage means connected to the gas source for one of supplying gas to and removing gas from the gap between the object and the surface of said carrier means;
- a cover mounted for movement relative to said carrier means for covering and uncovering the object on said carrier means;
- positioning means engageable by said cover for positioning said cover with respect to said carrier means to define a space between the object and said cover;
- drive means connected to said cover for moving said cover to engage said positioning means for covering and uncovering the object;
- second gas passage means connected to said gas source for supplying gas to the space between the object and said cover when said cover is engaged with said positioning means;
- and
- pressure adjustment means operatively connected to said gas source and to said first and second gas passage means for establishing a pressure differential between gas in the space and gas in the gap, gas pressure in the space being greater than gas pressure in the gap for pressing the object onto the surface of the carrier means.
A method of transmitting heat to or from a plate-like object comprising:
- placing the object on the surface of a carrier;
- covering the object with a cover;
- mechanically pressing the cover against a base plate which is connected to the carrier for closing a space between the object and the cover;
- introducing a gas into the space between the object and the cover;
- moving gas through a gap between the carrier and the object;
- adjusting the pressure of the gas in the space and in the gap so that the pressure of gas in the space exceeds the pressure of gas in the gap so as to press the object onto the surface of the carrier;
- controlling the temperature of the carrier for a selected change in temperature of the object;
- maintaining the object in position on the carrier for a selected period of time to permit a change in temperature of the object;
- and
- removing the cover from base plate to equalize pressure between the interior of the cover and the exterior thereof for exposing the object for further processing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.