Apparatus for the backside gas cooling of a wafer in a batch ion implantation system

In a batch ion implanter with a rotatable process disk having at least one workpiece mount adapted to support a cylindrical workpiece having a peripheral edge in a plane and to supply a cooling gas to a back side thereof, a seal apparatus for sealing a front side of the wafer from the cooling gas, comprising:

• a ring-shaped support member mounted on the workpiece mount;
• and
• a first seal member mounted on the support member having a first portion flexible with respect to the support member and adapted to engage a portion of the backside of the workpiece proximate the peripheral edge to seal the front side of the workpiece from the cooling gas;
• wherein the first portion of the first seal member is cantilevered radially outwardly with respect to the center of the ring-shaped support member so as to pivot about a circumferential axis in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece.

In a batch ion implanter with a rotatable process disk having at least one workpiece mount adapted to support a cylindrical workpiece having a peripheral edge in a plane and to supply a cooling gas to a back side thereof, a seal apparatus for sealing a front side of the wafer from the cooling gas, comprising:

• a ring-shaped support member mounted on the workpiece mount;
• a first seal member mounted on the support member having a first seal portion flexible with respect to the support member and adapted to engage a portion of the backside of the workpiece proximate the peripheral edge to seal the front side of the workpiece from the cooling gas;
• and
• a second seal member mounted on the support member and having a radially outwardly extending rib adapted to engage a sidewall of the workpiece mount to provide a seal between the support member and the workpiece mount sidewall.

A batch ion implanter process disk pedestal for supporting a cylindrical workpiece having a peripheral edge on a rotatable process disk, comprising:

• at least one workpiece mount adapted to support the workpiece in a plane;
• a gas feed port adapted to supply a cooling gas to a back side of the workpiece;
• a ring-shaped support member mounted on the at least one workpiece mount;
• a first seal member mounted on the support member having a first portion flexible with respect to the support member and adapted to engage a portion of the backside of the workpiece proximate the peripheral edge to seal the front side of the workpiece from the cooling gas;
• and
• a second seal member mounted on the support member and having a radially outwardly extending rib adapted to engage a sidewall of the workpiece mount to provide a seal between the support member and the workpiece mount sidewall.

A batch ion implanter process disk pedestal for supporting a cylindrical workpiece having a peripheral edge on a rotatable process disk, comprising:

• at least one workpiece mount adapted to support the workpiece in a plane;
• a gas feed port adapted to supply a cooling gas to a back side of the workpiece;
• a ring-shaped support member mounted on the at least one workpiece mount;
• and
• a first seal member mounted on the support member having a first portion flexible with respect to the support member and adapted to engage a portion of the backside of the workpiece proximate the peripheral edge to seal the front side of the workpiece from the cooling gas;
• wherein the first portion of the first seal member is flexible in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece, and wherein the first portion of the first seal member is cantilevered radially outwardly with respect to the center of the ring-shaped support member so as to pivot about a circumferential axis in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece.

A method of securing a workpiece to a process disk, comprising:

• mounting a ring seal to the process disk using at least one fastener;
• supporting the workpiece on the ring seal;
• and
• providing a seal between the workpiece and the process disk using the ring seal;
• wherein the ring seal comprises a first seal member and a second seal member and wherein providing a seal between the workpiece and the process disk using the ring seal comprises providing sealing engagement of the first seal member with the workpiece and providing sealing engagement of the second seal member with the process disk.