Vacuum processing system having improved substrate heating and cooling
First Claim
1. An evacuable chamber of a vacuum processing system capable of simultaneously heating and cooling different substrates and including a first vacuum sealable passage on a first side of said chamber and a second vacuum sealable passage on a second side of said chamber for passing said substrates through said passages, comprising:
- a first section in said chamber having first sidewalls including heating means incorporated therein capable of increasing a temperature of any of one or more first substrates disposed in said first section;
a second section in said chamber having second sidewalls including cooling means incorporated therein capable of decreasing a temperature of any of one or more second substrates disposed in said second section, wherein said first section lacks cooling means corresponding to those provided in said second section and said second section lacks heating means corresponding to those provided in said first section;
a plurality of shelves in said first section to support respective ones of said first substrates thereon;
a plurality of shelves in said second section to support respective ones of said second substrates thereon; and
means including a wall between said first and second sections for thermally isolating said first section from said second section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed a vacuum processing system having improved substrate heating and cooling facilities. An evacuable chamber of the system includes a first section in which a temperature of a substrate to be processed may be increased and a second section in which the temperature of a processed substrate may be decreased. A barrier may be provided to thermally isolate the first and second sections from each other.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An evacuable chamber of a vacuum processing system capable of simultaneously heating and cooling different substrates and including a first vacuum sealable passage on a first side of said chamber and a second vacuum sealable passage on a second side of said chamber for passing said substrates through said passages, comprising:
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a first section in said chamber having first sidewalls including heating means incorporated therein capable of increasing a temperature of any of one or more first substrates disposed in said first section;
a second section in said chamber having second sidewalls including cooling means incorporated therein capable of decreasing a temperature of any of one or more second substrates disposed in said second section, wherein said first section lacks cooling means corresponding to those provided in said second section and said second section lacks heating means corresponding to those provided in said first section;
a plurality of shelves in said first section to support respective ones of said first substrates thereon;
a plurality of shelves in said second section to support respective ones of said second substrates thereon; and
means including a wall between said first and second sections for thermally isolating said first section from said second section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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3. An evacuable chamber of a vacuum processing system capable of simultaneously heating and cooling different substrates and including a first vacuum sealable passage on a first side of said chamber and a second vacuum sealable passage on a second side of said chamber for passing said substrates through said passages, comprising:
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a first section in said chamber having first sidewalls with resistive heaters incorporated therein capable of increasing a temperature of any of one or more first substrates disposed in said first section, wherein said first sidewalls include no liquid cooling channels;
a second section in said chamber having seconds sidewalls with liquid cooling channels incorporated therein capable of decreasing a temperature of any of one or more second substrates disposed in said second section, wherein said second sidewalls include no resistive heaters;
a plurality of shelves in said first section to support respective ones of said first substrates thereon;
a plurality of shelves in said second section to support respective ones of said second substrates thereon; and
a barrier, including a wall disposed between said first and second sections, to thermally isolate said first and second sections from each other. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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12. A cassette adapted to be positioned in an evacuable load lock chamber capable of simultaneously heating and cooling different substrates and including a first vacuum sealable passage on a first side of said chamber and a second vacuum sealable passage on a second side of said chamber for passing said substrates through said passages to and from said cassette, said cassette comprising;
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a first section capable of heating a substrate supported therein;
a second section capable of cooling a substrate supported therein;
a barrier located between said first and said second sections to thermally isolate said first and second sections from each other;
heaters incorporated into interior sidewalls of the cassette in said first section to increase the temperature of the interior sidewalls of said first section;
cooling passageway configured to include a coolant and incorporated into interior sidewalls of the cassette in said second section to decrease the temperature of the interior sidewalls of said second section;
a first plurality of thermally conductive first shelves contacting said sidewalls of said first section so that heat is conducted to said first shelves; and
a second plurality of thermally conductive second shelves contacting said sidewalls of said second section so that heat is conducted from said second shelves;
wherein said interior sidewalls of said cassette in said first section include no cooling passageways as provided in said second section and said interior sidewalls of said cassette in said second section include no heaters as provided in said first section. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification