Thermal processing chamber for heating and cooling wafer-like objects

An apparatus for thermally processing wafer-like objects comprising:

• a thermal processing chamber having a walled structure comprising a bottom and at least one side wall within which an internal chamber is defined and a transfer opening through the side wall so that a wafer-like object can be inserted within the internal chamber or removed from the thermal processing chamber and which is closeable to also define the internal chamber;
• a platen operatively positioned within the thermal processing chamber and including a heat generation device and having a support surface for supporting a wafer-like object in heat transfer contact;
• a gas inlet permitting gas flow into the internal chamber;
• and
• a gas outlet open within the internal chamber through which gas can be exhausted from the internal chamber, the gas outlet having a location that is spaced from a location of the gas inlet with respect to the platen so that gas will flow at least partially about the platen when gas is exhausted from the internal chamber,
• wherein the platen is operatively supported by the bottom of the thermal processing chamber by way of a pedestal base to conduct heat from the platen to the bottom, and the bottom includes a cooling channel extending over at least a portion of the bottom and connectable with a source of cooling fluid for controlling the temperature of the portion of the bottom.

An apparatus for thermally processing wafer-like objects comprising:

• a thermal processing chamber having a walled structure comprising a bottom, at least one side wall and a lid within which an internal chamber is defined and a transfer opening through the side wall so that a wafer-like object can be inserted within the internal chamber or removed from the thermal processing chamber and which is closeable to also define the internal chamber;
• a platen operatively positioned within the thermal processing chamber and including a heat generation device and having a support surface for supporting a wafer-like object in heat transfer contact;
• a gas inlet permitting gas flow into the internal chamber;
• and
• a gas outlet open within the internal chamber through which gas can be exhausted from the internal chamber, the gas outlet having a location that is spaced from a location of the gas inlet with respect to the platen so that gas will flow at least partially about the platen when gas is exhausted from the internal chamber,
• wherein the lid of the thermal processing chamber includes a portion thereof having inner and outer spaced wall portions that provide a plurality of fluidly isolated supply chambers that are each formed by the inner and outer spaced wall portions, and a gas inlet is open from each of the supply chambers into the internal chamber of the thermal processing chamber.

An apparatus for thermally processing wafer-like objects comprising:

• a thermal processing chamber having a walled structure comprising a bottom and at least one side wall within which an internal chamber is defined and a transfer opening through the side wall so that a wafer-like object can be inserted within the internal chamber or removed from the thermal processing chamber and which is closeable to also define the internal chamber;
• a platen operatively positioned within the thermal processing chamber and including a heat generation device and having a support surface for supporting a wafer-like object in heat transfer contact;
• a gas inlet permitting gas flow into the internal chamber;
• and
• a gas outlet open within the internal chamber through which gas can be exhausted from the internal chamber, the gas outlet having a location that is spaced from a location of the gas inlet with respect to the platen so that gas will flow at least partially about the platen when gas is exhausted from the internal chamber,
• wherein the bottom of the thermal processing chamber further includes an exhaust channel extending along at least a portion of the bottom for directing gas flow within the exhaust channel along the chamber bottom, the exhaust channel being open to the internal chamber by the gas outlet.