Apparatus for liquid treatment of wafer shaped articles and heating system for use in such apparatus
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsAnte Plazonic, Vijay Kumar Badam, Michael Brugger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for treating a disc-shaped article comprises a spin chuck and at least three individually controllable infrared heating elements. The infrared heating elements are mounted in a stationary manner with respect to rotation of said spin chuck. At least the transparent plate positioned between the infrared heating elements and the underside of a wafer is mounted for rotation with the spin chuck. Alternatively, the transparent plate is part of a housing that encloses the infrared heating elements and that rotates with the spin chuck as the heating elements are stationary relative thereto.
Claims20
Apparatus for treating a wafer-shaped article, comprising:
- a spin chuck for holding a wafer-shaped article in a predetermined orientation wherein a lower surface of the wafer-shaped article is spaced a predetermined distance from an upper surface of the spin chuck;
- at least one infrared heater mounted above said upper surface of said spin chuck and underlying a wafer-shaped article when mounted on the spin chuck, said at least one infrared heater being stationary in relation to rotation of said spin chuck;
- and
- a plate that is transparent to infrared radiation emitted by said at least one infrared heater, said plate being mounted for rotation with said spin chuck and being positioned between said at least one infrared heater and a wafer-shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck.
An infrared heating assembly for use in an apparatus for treating a wafer-shaped article, said infrared heating assembly comprising:
- a housing comprising an upper plate that is transparent to infrared radiation emitted by said infrared heating assembly, and a lower shell having a reflective interior surface;
- a plurality of infrared heating elements mounted on a common frame positioned within said housing, said common frame comprising a connector portion projecting downwardly through a central opening in said lower shell;
- and
- a rotary bearing positioned outside of said connector portion and inside of said central opening, thereby to permit rotation of said housing relative to said common frame and said plurality of infrared heating elements;
- wherein said housing is rotatable relative to said common frame and said plurality of infrared heating elements about an axis that is perpendicular to said upper plate.
An infrared heating assembly for use in an apparatus for treating a wafer-shaped article, said infrared heating assembly comprising:
- a housing comprising an upper plate that is transparent to infrared radiation emitted by said infrared heating assembly, and a lower shell having a reflective interior surface, said housing comprising a circular series of peripheral openings to permit passage of gripping pins when said infrared heating assembly is mounted to a spin chuck;
- a plurality of infrared heating elements mounted on a common frame positioned within said housing, said common frame comprising a connector portion projecting downwardly through a central opening in said lower shell;
- and
- a rotary bearing positioned outside of said connector portion and inside of said central opening, thereby to permit rotation of said housing relative to said common frame and said plurality of infrared heating elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.