Substrate thermal management system
AssigneeSilicon Valley Group, Inc.
InventorDikran S. Babikian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention is a substrate thermal management system for efficient, rapid, controllable and uniform thermal management over a wide temperature range. The thermal management system integrates a thermal source, thermal sink and a thermal diffuser. According to the invention, a thermal diffuser is positioned stationary relative to the wafer surface and coupled to a thermal source and a thermal sink, which are also stationary relative to the wafer surface. The thermal source includes a plurality of zones adapted to provide differing amounts of heat and a controllable temperature field over a surface proximal to the thermal diffuser. The thermal sink comprises a heat-carrying media with a controllable temperature.
Claims56
A wafer thermal management device, comprising:
- a thermal diffuser positioned stationary relative to a wafer surface, the thermal diffuser having a diffuser thermal mass, Md, and a temperature field Td over a heating surface which heats the wafer surface;
- a thermal source positioned stationary relative to the wafer surface, having a source thermal mass, Ms, less than or equal to about 0.1 (Md) and a temperature field over a surface proximal to the thermal diffuser, Ts, different from Td;
- a thermal sink positioned stationary relative to the wafer surface comprising a heat-carrying media with a controllable temperature, Tsk, the thermal sink thermally coupled to the thermal source and thermal diffuser by heat transfer across solid materials or across liquid and solid materials;
- and
- at least one controllable power supply connected to the thermal source.
A wafer thermal management device, comprising:
- a thermal reservoir having a reservoir thermal mass, Mr, positioned stationary relative to a wafer surface, the thermal reservoir internally containing media having heat-carrying capacities;
- a thermal diffuser positioned stationary relative to the thermal reservoir and a wafer surface, the thermal diff-user having a diffuser thermal mass, Md, less than Mr and a temperature field Td over a heating surface which heats the wafer surface;
- a thermal source interposed between the thermal diffuser and thermal reservoir, the thermal source having a source thermal mass, Ms, less than or equal equal to about 0.1 (Md) and a temperature field over a surface proximal to the thermal diffuser, Ts, different from Td;
- a thermal sink comprising a heat-carrying media with a controllable temperature, Tsk, the thermal sink substantially contained by the thermal reservoir and thermally coupled to the thermal source, thermal reservoir and thermal diffuser by heat transfer across solid materials or across liquid and solid materials;
- and
- at least one controllable power supply connected to the thermal source.
A wafer thermal management device, comprising:
- a thermal diffuser positioned stationary relative to a wafer surface, the thermal diffuser having a diffuser thermal mass, Md, and a temperature field Td over a heating surface which heats the wafer surface;
- a thermal source comprising a plurality of zones, the thermal source positioned stationary relative to the wafer surface and having a source thermal mass, Ms, less than or equal to Md and a controllable temperature field over a surface proximal to the thermal diffuser, Ts, different from Td;
- wherein the zones are adapted to provide differing amounts of heat;
- and
- a thermal sink positioned stationary relative to a wafer undergoing processing consisting of a heat-carrying media with a controllable temperature, Tsk, the thermal sink thermally coupled to the thermal source and thermal diffuser by heat transfer across solid materials or across liquid and solid materials;
- and
- at least one controllable power supply connected to the thermal source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.