Multizone bake/chill thermal cycling module

A thermal cycling module for thermally processing a material substrate, the module comprising:

• a) a resistive heating element for thermally contacting a substrate region;
• b) a power modulator in electrical contact with the resistive heating element for modulating a flow of electric current through the resistive heating element;
• c) a heat exchanger in thermal contact with the resistive heating element, the heat exchanger having a passage for permitting fluid flow therethrough;
• d) a fluid supply connected to the passage, wherein the fluid supply comprises a plurality of fluids having differing temperatures and a fluid valve for controlling relative amounts of flow of the fluids through the heat exchanger;
• and
• e) a controller connected to the power modulator and the fluid valve for cycling a substrate temperature at the substrate region between a first process temperature and a second process temperature.

A method for processing a substrate through a thermal cycle, the method comprising the following steps:

• a) transferring heat between the substrate and a thermoelectric device;
• b) exchanging heat between the substrate and a fluid heat exchanger;
• c) changing relative flows of a plurality of fluids through the fluid heat exchanger, wherein the fluids have differing temperatures;
• d) calculating a control signal based on a desired process parameter;
• and
• e) changing a flow of electric current through the thermoelectric device in accordance with the control signal.