Non-Contact Thermal Platforms

• US 20080145190A1
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coreflow Scientific Solutions, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Coreflow Scientific Solutions, Ltd.
• Inventors: Harnik, Arie, Richman, Hilel, Yassour, Yuval
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/147
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/00 Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67098 Apparatus for thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68714 the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support

Abstract

A thermal treatment system comprising at least one apparatus for thermally treating an object, the apparatus comprising: one platform or two substantially opposite platforms, where at least one of the platforms has at least one thermal means for heating or cooling of the object; and at least one of the platforms has fluid-mechanical means for supporting the object without contact. The platform has an active surface comprising at least one of a plurality of basic cells, each basic cell having at least one of a plurality of pressure outlets and at least one of a plurality of fluid-evacuation channels. At least one of the pressure outlets of each basic cell is fluidically connected through a flow restrictor to a high-pressure fluid supply, the pressure outlets providing pressurized fluid for maintaining a fluid-cushion between the object and the active-surface of the platform. The f low restrictor characteristically exhibits fluidic return spring behavior. Each of the evacuation channels has an inlet and outlet, for locally balancing mass flow for the basic cells.

Claims

1. A thermal treatment system comprising at least one apparatus for thermally treating an object, the apparatus comprising:

at least one of a pair of substantially opposite platforms, where at least one of the platforms having at least one thermal means for heating or cooling of the object; and

at least one of the platforms has fluid-mechanical means for supporting the object without contact, the platform having an active surface comprising at least one of a plurality of basic cells, each basic cell having at least one of a plurality of pressure outlets and at least one of a plurality of fluid-evacuation channels, at least one of the pressure outlets of each basic cell being fluidically connected through a flow restrictor to a high-pressure fluid supply, the pressure outlets providing pressurized fluid for maintaining a fluid-cushion between the object and the active-surface of the platform, the flow restrictor characteristically exhibiting fluidic return spring behavior;

each of said at least one of a plurality of fluid-evacuation channels having an inlet and outlet, for locally balancing mass flow for said at least one of a plurality of basic cells.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises two platforms for supporting and thermally treating the object in between.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the two platforms are horizontally oriented, substantially one above the other.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the said platforms includes both thermal means and an active-surface for supporting without contact the object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one thermal means is integrated in said at least one platform.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one thermal means comprises a heat exchanger.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one thermal means comprises an electric heater integrated in said at least one platform.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one thermal means comprises a radiation heater.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one thermal means comprises an active cooling unit integrated in said at least one platform.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of a pair of substantially opposite platforms is circular.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of a pair of substantially opposite platforms is rectangular.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the active surface is flat for supporting a flat object.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the active surface is curved for conformally supporting a non-flat object.

17. The system of claim 1, further provided with a control unit for controlling supply parameters of the fluid-cushion for determining a gap between the object and the active surface of said at least one of two platforms.

18. The system of claim 1, further provided with a control unit for controlling the thermal means.

19. The system of claim 1, further provided with a control unit for mechanically controlling the distance between the platforms.

20. The system of claim 1, further provided with a control unit for controlling the thermal means, for mechanically controlling the distance between the platforms and for controlling supply parameters of the fluid-cushion.

21. The system of claim 1, further provided with at least one sensor for sensing a controllable parameter.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressurized fluid is air provided by an air-supply device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressurized fluid is a gas provided by a gas-supply device.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressurized fluid is a liquid provided by a liquid-supply device

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation channels are fluidically connected to a sub-atmospheric pressure reservoir.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation channels are connected to a sub-atmospheric source to establish a vacuum pre-load aircushion for supporting without contact the object.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation channels are each equipped with a flow restrictor.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one platform is divided into two or more individually controlled zones where parameters of the fluid-cushion or parameters relating directly to the thermal treatment are controllable locally.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the individually controlled zones is located at an edge of said at least one platform.

31. The system of claim 1, further provided with Injecting means of pre-heated fluid at the edge.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein dynamic insulation is provided on at least one edge of said at least one platform.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the dynamic insulation comprises Injecting or suction means.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one platform is provided with a peripherally insulating-ring.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein heating means is provide inside the ring

36. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one platform is provided with a rotating mechanism.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one platform is provided with a linear drive unit.

38. The system of claim 1, comprising at least two adjacent apparatuses for serial thermal treatment process of the object.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein an active surface is provided between the apparatuses for transferring the object from one apparatus to the other.

40. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of apparatuses in a stacked arrangement for multiple thermal treatment of a plurality of objects.

41. The system of claim 40, further provided with a non-contact feeder.

42. The system of claim 1, further provided with a displacement device for physically changing the distance between active surfaces of opposing platforms.

43. The system of claim 1, further provided with landing pins loading or unloading of the object.

44. The system of claim 1, wherein the area of said at least one platform is roughly the same area as of the object.

45. The system of claim 1, wherein the area said at least one platform is substantially larger than the area of the object.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein the area said at least one platform is substantially smaller than the area of the object.

47. The system of claim 46, further provided with a displacement device for displacing said at least one platform relative to the object.

48. The system of claim 1, further provided with a removable insulating plate for insertion and removal between opposite platforms.

49. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises two platforms for supporting and thermally treating the object in between, and wherein the thermal means of the platforms are controllable so as to facilitate a temperature difference between the active surfaces of the platforms.

10. The system of cl aim 1, further provided with an external heater for heating the fluid.

11. The system of cl aim 1, further provided with an external cooler for cooling the fluid.

12. The system of cl aim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises two platforms for supporting and thermally treating the object in between and wherein one platform is provided with a heater and the other platform is provided with a cooler.

50. A method for thermally treating an object, the method comprising:

providing at least one apparatus for thermally treating an object, the apparatus comprising;

at least one of a pair of substantially opposite platforms, where at least one of the platforms having at least one thermal means for heating or cooling of the object; and

at least one of the platforms has fluid-mechanical means for supporting the object without contact, the platform having an active surface comprising at least one of a plurality of basic cells, each basic cell having at least one of a plurality of pressure outlets and at least one of a plurality of fluid-evacuation channels at least one of the pressure outlets of each basic cell being fluidically connected through a flow restrictor to a high-pressure fluid supply, the pressure outlets providing pressurized fluid for maintaining a fluid-cushion between the object and the active-surface of the platform, the flow restrictor characteristically exhibiting fluidic return spring behavior;

each of said at least one of a plurality of fluid-evacuation channels having an inlet and outlet, for locally balancing mass flow for said at least one of a plurality of basic cells;

placing the object adjacent to an active surface and administering it a thermal treatment.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the apparatus comprises two substantially opposite platforms, and wherein the object is supported or treated by one platform kept at a first temperature during a predetermined period of time and then transferred by non-contact mechanical or aero-mechanical means to be supported or treated by the other platform, kept at a second temperature.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the opposite platforms are positioned substantially one above the other.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein the fluid cushion maintains a gap between the active surface and the object that is less than 0.5 mm.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein the fluid cushion maintains a gap between the active surface and the object that is less than 0.1 mm.

55. The method of claim 50, wherein the fluid cushion maintains a gap between the active surface and the object that is less than 0.02 mm.

56. The method of claim 50, wherein the fluid cushion maintains a gap between the active surface and the object that is controllable by controlling pressure of the fluid supply and pressure in the evacuation channels.