Thermal management systems and methods for wafer processing systems

A workpiece holder that positions a workpiece for processing, the workpiece holder comprising:

• a substantially cylindrical puck that is characterized by a cylindrical axis, a puck radius about the cylindrical axis, and a puck thickness, wherein:
• the puck radius is at least four times the puck thickness,
• at least a top surface of the cylindrical puck is substantially planar, and
• the cylindrical puck defines one or more radial thermal breaks,
• each thermal break being characterized as a radial recess that intersects at least one of the top surface and a bottom surface of the cylindrical puck, wherein the radial recess is characterized by:
• a thermal break depth that extends from the top surface or the bottom surface of the puck through at least half of the puck thickness,
• and a thermal break radius that is disposed symmetrically about the cylindrical axis, and is at least one-half of the puck radius;
• a first heating device disposed adjacent to the bottom surface of the puck and radially inward from the one or more thermal breaks relative to the cylindrical axis, the first heating device being in thermal contact with the bottom surface of the puck within the thermal break radius;
• and
• a second heating device disposed adjacent to the bottom surface of the puck and radially outward from the one or more thermal breaks relative to the cylindrical axis, the second heating device being in thermal contact with the bottom surface of the puck outside the thermal break radius;
• wherein:
• at least one of the first and second heating devices comprises a heater element trace that is disposed within a plurality of electrically insulating layers,
• the heater element trace comprises a resistive material, and
• at least one of the electrically insulating layers comprises polyimide.

A workpiece holder that positions a workpiece for processing, the workpiece holder comprising:

• a substantially cylindrical puck that is characterized by a cylindrical axis, a puck radius about the cylindrical axis, and a puck thickness, wherein:
• the puck radius is at least four times the puck thickness,
• at least a top surface of the cylindrical puck is substantially planar, and
• the cylindrical puck defines one or more radial thermal breaks,
• each thermal break being characterized as a radial recess that intersects at least one of the top surface and a bottom surface of the cylindrical puck, wherein the radial recess is characterized by:
• a thermal break depth that extends from the top surface or the bottom surface of the puck through at least half of the puck thickness,
• and a thermal break radius that is disposed symmetrically about the cylindrical axis, and is at least one-half of the puck radius;
• a first heating device disposed adjacent to the bottom surface of the puck and radially inward from the one or more thermal breaks relative to the cylindrical axis, the first heating device being in thermal contact with the bottom surface of the puck within the thermal break radius;
• a second heating device disposed adjacent to the bottom surface of the puck and radially outward from the one or more thermal breaks relative to the cylindrical axis, the second heating device being in thermal contact with the bottom surface of the puck outside the thermal break radius;
• and
• a thermal sink that extends substantially across the bottom surface of the cylindrical puck, the first and second heating devices being disposed between the thermal sink and the bottom surface of the cylindrical puck.

A workpiece holder that positions a workpiece for processing, the workpiece holder comprising:

• a substantially cylindrical puck that is characterized by a cylindrical axis and a substantially planar top surface, wherein the cylindrical puck defines two radial thermal breaks,
• a first one of the thermal breaks being characterized as a radial recess that intersects a bottom surface of the cylindrical puck at a first radius, and extends from the bottom surface through at least one-half of a thickness of the puck;
• a second one of the thermal breaks being characterized as a radial recess that intersects the top surface at a second radius that is greater than the first radius, and extends from the top surface through at least one-half of the thickness of the puck;
• a thermal sink that extends substantially beneath the bottom surface of the puck, the thermal sink comprising a metal plate that flows a heat exchange fluid through channels defined therein, to maintain a reference temperature for the puck;
• a first heating device disposed between the thermal sink and the puck, the first heating device being in thermal communication with the bottom surface of the puck and with the thermal sink, within the first radius;
• and
• a second heating device disposed between the thermal sink and the puck, the second heating device being in thermal communication with the bottom surface of the puck and with the thermal sink, outside the second radius.