# US 7,610,756 B2 · Cooling/heating apparatus and mounting apparatus

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- Number: US 7,610,756 B2
- Document ID: US7610756B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/682,118
- Filed: 2007-03-05
- Published: 2007-09-06
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2006-03-06
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Masataka Hatta
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610756B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction}
- H10P 72/7604: {the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support}
- G01R 31/2874: {related to temperature}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

A cooling/heating apparatus for circulating the cooled or heated transfer medium to a load to thereby cool or heat the load includes a heat transfer medium circulation path and a Stirling heat engine. The Stirling heat engine includes a first and a second cylinder chamber; a first and a second piston for expanding or compressing an operation gas in the first and the second cylinder chamber; and a driving mechanism for driving the first and the second piston. When the driving mechanism is driven in a forward direction, the operation gas is expanded in the first cylinder chamber and its temperature decreases, thus cooling the heat transfer medium, whereas, when the driving mechanism is driven in a backward direction, the operation gas is compressed in the first cylinder chamber and its temperature increases, thus heating the heat transfer medium.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cooling/heating apparatus, comprising:
a heat transfer medium circulation path for circulating a heat transfer medium therethrough;
a heat transfer medium tank for storing the heat transfer medium;
a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the heat transfer medium in the tank;
a temperature controller for operating based on the detected temperature of the temperature sensor;
an inverter for operating at a variable frequency based on a signal from the temperature controller; and
a Stirling heat engine for cooling or heating the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer medium circulation path based on a signal from the inverter, the cooled or heated transfer medium being circulated to a load to thereby cool or heat the load,
wherein the Stirling heat engine includes a first cylinder chamber; a second cylinder chamber communicating with the first cylinder chamber; a first and a second piston for expanding or compressing an operation gas in the first and the second cylinder chamber while moving in reciprocating motions with a specific phase difference in the first and the second cylinder chamber, respectively; and a driving mechanism for driving the first and the second piston, and
wherein, when the driving mechanism is driven in a forward direction, the operation gas is expanded in the first cylinder chamber and its temperature decreases, thus cooling the heat transfer medium, whereas, when the driving mechanism is driven in a backward direction, the operation gas is compressed in the first cylinder chamber and its temperature increases, thus heating the heat transfer medium.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cooling/heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inverter controls a driving of the driving mechanism.

### Claim 3

A mounting apparatus, comprising:
a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object; and
a cooling/heating apparatus for cooing or heating the target object by circulating a heat transfer medium through the mounting table,
wherein the cooling/heating apparatus comprises:
a heat transfer medium circulation path for circulating the heat transfer medium;
a heat transfer medium tank for storing the heat transfer medium;
a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the heat transfer medium in the tank;
a temperature controller for operating based on the detected temperature of the temperature sensor;
an inverter for operating at a variable frequency based on a signal from the temperature controller;
and a Stirling heat engine for cooling or heating the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer medium circulation path based on a signal from the inverter, and
wherein the Stirling heat engine has a first cylinder chamber; a second cylinder chamber communicating with the first cylinder chamber; a first and a second piston for expanding or compressing an operation gas in the first and the second cylinder chamber while moving in reciprocating motions with a specific phase difference in the first and the second cylinder chamber, respectively; and a driving mechanism for driving the first and the second piston, and
wherein, when the driving mechanism is driven in a forward direction, the operation gas is expanded in the first cylinder chamber and its temperature decreases, thus cooling the heat transfer medium, whereas, when the driving mechanism is driven in a backward direction, the operation gas is compressed in the first cylinder chamber and its temperature increases, thus heating the heat transfer medium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The mounting apparatus of claim 3, the inverter controls a driving of the driving mechanism.