Heating member for combination heating and chilling apparatus, and methods
AssigneeFSI International, Inc.
InventorsNatarajan Ramanan, James B. Sims
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described are heating members and related methods, the heating members being usefully for processing substrates such as microelectronic devices, the heating members optionally and preferably comprising a thermal conductive layer prepared to a superior flatness and having thermal transfer properties that facilitate rapid, agile, and uniform heat transfer, with ceramic material being preferred for its construction, and the heating member optionally and preferably including a multi-layer heating element.
Claims20
A low thermal mass heating member comprising a thermally conductive aluminum nitride layer and a heating element, the thermally conductive layer having a supporting surface with a flatness of less than 0.01 inch and an opposing surface in thermal contact with a heating element, the heating element comprising multiple heating element segments.
A low thermal mass heating member comprising a heating element in thermal contact with a thermally conductive layer, wherein the thermally conductive layer comprises aluminum nitride, and wherein the heating element comprises multiple heating element segments.
An apparatus suitable for controlling the temperature of a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a low thermal mass, thermally conductive heating member comprising a rigid thermally conductive layer having a workpiece supporting surface adapted for supporting the workpiece in thermal contact with the heating member such that heat energy from the heating member can be transferred to the workpiece, wherein the thermally conductive layer comprises aluminum nitride;
- and
- (b) a high thermal mass chilling member;
- wherein the apparatus supports the heating member and the chilling member in at least a first configuration in which the chilling member is in thermal contact with the heating member.
A combination bake/chill apparatus comprising a low thermal mass heating member comprising an aluminum nitride thermally conductive layer comprising a surface having a flatness of less than 0.01 inch.
A combination prime/chill apparatus comprising a low thermal mass heating member comprising an aluminum nitride thermally conductive layer comprising a surface having a flatness of less than 0.005 inch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.