Double-sided radiation-assisted processing apparatus

A double-sided UV/ozone processing apparatus for processing first and second planar substrates, each planar substrate having an area, comprising:

• a chamber;
• a planar radiation source provided in said chamber for emitting ultraviolet radiation, said planar radiation source having first and second sides and an area greater than the area of any one of said first and second planar substrates;
• and
• support means for supporting the substrates on said first and second sides of said planar radiation source at fixed positions with respect to said planar radiation source so that each said substrate is uniformly irradiated with radiation of intensity I.sub.0 emitted by said planar radiation means and so that processing is performed using a radiation intensity of approximately 2I.sub.0 without the use of reflectors.

A double-sided UV/ozone processing apparatus for processing substrates, each substrate having an area, comprising:

• a planar radiation source for emitting UV radiation, said planar radiation source having first and second sides and an area greater than the area of any one of said substrates;
• first and second chambers provided on respective ones of said first and second sides of said planar radiation source;
• and
• first and second support means, provided in respective ones of said first and second chambers, for supporting substrates to be processed on said first and second sides of said planar radiation source at fixed positions with respect to said planar radiation source, so that each substrate is uniformly irradiated with UV radiation of intensity I.sub.0.

A reflectorless apparatus for performing radiation-assisted processing of substrates, each substrate having an area, comprising:

• a chamber;
• planar radiation means, positioned in said chamber and vertically oriented, for emitting radiation having an intensity, said planar radiation means having first and second sides and an area greater than the area of any one of said substrates;
• first and second means, provided in said chamber on respective ones of said first and second sides of said planar radiation means, for supporting said substrates so that said substrates are vertically oriented in said chamber and substantially parallel with said planar radiation means, so that each substrate receives incident radiation of intensity I.sub.0 in order that processing be conducted with a radiation intensity of approximately 2I.sub.0, and so that said substrates are supported at fixed positions with respect to said planar radiation means;
• and
• gas supply means for providing a uniform vertical flow of a gas in said chamber.

An apparatus for performing radiation-assisted processing of substrates, comprising:

• a chamber;
• planar radiation means, positioned in said chamber and vertically oriented, for emitting radiation, said planar radiation means having first and second sides;
• first and second means, provided in said chamber on respective ones of said first and second sides of said planar radiation means, for supporting said substrates so that said substrates are vertically oriented in said chamber and substantially parallel with said planar radiation means, so that each substrate receives incident radiation of intensity I.sub.0 and so that said substrates are supported at fixed positions with respect to said planar radiation means;
• gas supply means for providing a uniform vertical flow of a gas in said chamber;
• and
• reflector means provided in the plane of said planar radiation means for reflecting, towards the substrates, radiation emitted from said planar radiation means at an angle from the plane of said planar radiation source less than a selected angle, so that each substrate receives incident radiation of intensity I.sub.0 +I.sub.R, where I.sub.R is the intensity provided at the substrate by said reflection means, and so that processing is conducted using a radiation intensity of approximately 2 (I.sub.0 +I.sub.R).