Method and apparatus for supporting a semiconductor wafer during processing

An apparatus for contactless treatment of a semiconductor wafer comprising:

• an upper plate and a lower plate for accommodating a wafer between them, said plates extending completely over opposite surfaces of the wafer and beyond the periphery of the wafer and having a plurality of passages to supply gas for positioning and supporting said wafer between said plates without contact by the plates or other mechanical support, said gas supply passages being distributed across said plates.

An apparatus for semiconductor processing of a substrate, comprising:

• a fist plate and a second plate configured to extend completely across and spaced less than about 1 mm from opposite planar surfaces of the substrate with the substrate sandwiched between the first and second places, each of said first and second plates having a thickness perpendicular to the substrate of greater than about 10 mm;
• said first and second plates being provided with first and second heaters, respectively, capable of heating each of said first and second plates to at least about 200° C. to thereby heat the substrate therebetween, and
• each of said first and second plates including a plurality of distributed gas passages facing the substrate sandwiched therebetween, wherein gas from said gas passages create a first supporting gas cushion between said first plate and the substrate and a second supporting gas cushion between said second plate and the substrate during processing.