Wafer holder with stiffening rib
AssigneeASM America, Inc.
InventorsTony J. Keeton, Matthew G. Goodman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wafer holder comprises a circular, disc-shaped main portion and a rib extending generally downward from a lower surface of the main portion. The rib encircles the vertical center axis of the wafer holder. The upper surface of the main portion has a wafer-receiving pocket defined by an inner pocket surface surrounded by an outer shoulder. The rib is closed to completely surround a vertical center axis of the main portion. The rib helps to prevent the main portion from inducing symmetric concavity during the manufacture of the wafer holder. In other words, the rib helps to maintain the flatness of the upper surface of the outer shoulder while the main portion is made symmetrically concave.
Claims24
A wafer holder comprising:
- a main portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, a ratio of surface area of the upper surface to surface area of the lower surface being greater than about 2.0;
- and
- a rib formed integrally with and on the main portion, the rib protruding generally downward from the lower surface of the main portion, the rib being closed to completely encircle a vertical center axis of the main portion.
A cold wall reactor for processing semiconductor wafers, comprising:
- a reaction chamber;
- an upper array of radiant heat elements above the reaction chamber;
- a lower array of radiant heat elements below the reaction chamber;
- and
- a wafer holder inside the reaction chamber, comprising:
- a main portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, a ratio of surface area of the upper surface to surface area of the lower surface being greater than about 2.0:1;
- and
- a rib formed integrally with and protruding generally vertically from the main portion, the rib being closed to completely surround a vertical center axis of the main portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.