Muffle-type Enclosure Patents (Class 219/390)
  • Patent number: 7667162
    Abstract: During fabrication, a rotating semiconductor substrate is radiated in accordance with a thermal recipe. Temperature measurements of the semiconductor substrate are obtained along with the position of the semiconductor substrate at the time of each temperature measurement. It is then determined for the position of the semiconductor substrate whether at least one particular temperature measurement of the temperature measurements should be filtered. If so, at least one filtered temperature measurement is obtained. The radiation of the semiconductor substrate is subsequently controlled based on the temperature measurements, the at least one filtered temperature measurement, and the thermal recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang R. Aderhold, Balasubramanian Ramachandran, Leonid M. Tertitski, Patrick F. Stone
  • Patent number: 7652227
    Abstract: A thin plate thermally coupled to a cooling tube is positioned between a heating plate and a substrate and is adapted to serve as a heating plate or a cooling plate for the substrate. The thin plate and heating plate may be positioned in a load lock for the expeditious heating and cooling of large-area substrates. The cooling tube may include a first conduit, a second conduit disposed inside the first conduit having substantially no contact with the first conduit and containing a working fluid, and an isolation region disposed between the first conduit and the second conduit. The working fluid may be thermally decoupled from the thin plate by evacuating the isolation region and thermally coupled to the thin plate by filling the isolation region with a heat-conducting gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Makoto Inagawa
  • Patent number: 7643736
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a treatment chamber in which a working substrate is disposed; a plurality of lamps provided above the treatment chamber; and a reflector provided behind the lamps relative to a direction towards the working substrate, spatially controlling an in-plane distribution of reflection rate of light beams from the lamps, and irradiating the working substrate with light from the lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Takaharu Itani
  • Publication number: 20090302024
    Abstract: The present invention is a heat processing method comprising: a placement step in which an object to be processed is placed on a stage disposed in a processing vessel whose inside atmosphere is capable of being discharged; and a heat processing step that is performed after the placement step, in which a temperature of the object to be processed is elevated to a predetermined set temperature and is maintained thereat by a heating unit that is activated by a power supply, and in which a predetermined gas is caused to flow into the processing vessel so as to perform a predetermined heat process to the object to be processed; wherein, immediately before the heat processing step, there is performed at least once a brief large-power supply step, in which a power larger than that to be supplied to the heating unit for maintaining the temperature of the object to be processed in the heat processing step is briefly supplied to the heating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventor: Yasushi Aiba
  • Patent number: 7629557
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus enables a rapid temperature rise of an object to be processed while giving an excellent economical efficiency. A heating unit heats an object to be heated by irradiating a light onto the object. A plurality of lamps are provided in a lamp house. The lamps include at least one first lamp and a plurality of second lamps each having an irradiation area smaller than that of the first lamp. The lamp house has a first lamp accommodation part at a center thereof and a second lamp accommodation part surrounding the first lamp accommodation part so that the first lamp accommodation part accommodates the first lamp and the second lamp accommodation part accommodates the second lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electronic Limited
    Inventor: Masahiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7616872
    Abstract: Temperature measurement and heat-treating methods and systems. One method includes identifying a temperature of a first surface of a workpiece, and controlling energy of an irradiance flash incident on the first surface of the workpiece, in response to the temperature of the first surface. Identifying may include identifying the temperature of the first surface during an initial portion of the irradiance flash, and controlling may include controlling the power of a remaining portion of the irradiance flash. The first surface of the workpiece may include a device side of a semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Mattson Technology Canada, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Camm, Shawna Kervin, Marcel Edmond Lefrancois, Greg Stuart
  • Patent number: 7608802
    Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly of light energy sources for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The light energy sources can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be either active sources of light energy or passive sources which reflect, refract or absorb light energy. For instance, in one embodiment, the tuning devices can comprise a lamp spaced from a focusing lens designed to focus determined amounts of light energy onto a particular location of a wafer being heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Arnon Gat, Bob Bogart
  • Patent number: 7605349
    Abstract: A cooking appliance for cooking a foodstuff over a period of time including a shell having a heating cavity and a heating element to heat the heating cavity. A container is removably positionable within the heating cavity and includes a food cavity for receiving the foodstuff. A temperature probe is removably insertable into the foodstuff and a controller is mounted to the shell. The controller controls operation of the cooking appliance in a probe mode wherein the temperature probe is inserted into the foodstuff and transmits foodstuff temperatures to the controller for controlling the heating of the foodstuff, a program mode wherein the controller actuates the heating element to heat the container at a temperature for a selected amount of time and subsequently at a lower temperature and a manual mode wherein the controller actuates the heating element to heat the container at a selected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Gaynor, Yvonne Olson, Adam Steinman
  • Publication number: 20090250450
    Abstract: A device for making a muffle, with which dental restoration parts can be produced with the aid of an embedding compound, at least one press blank and a pressing device, the device having a muffle base, a tubular sleeve surrounding the muffle base and at least one muffle insert which is arranged on the muffle base and can be separated from it. At least two cylindrical press-channel forming elements (16, 18, 20) extend parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another from a flat-formed portion of the muffle insert (12), which can be burned out at least with respect to the forming elements, which elements are formed in a closed manner, and in particular with thin walls, at least on one free end face opposite from the flat-formed portion (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Inventor: Diethard Bertsch
  • Patent number: 7598150
    Abstract: Methods for compensating for a thermal profile in a substrate heating process are provided herein. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate includes determining an initial thermal profile of a substrate resulting from a process; imposing a compensatory thermal profile on the substrate based on the initial thermal profile; and performing the process to create a desired thermal profile on the substrate. In other embodiments of the invention, the initial substrate thermal profile is compensated for by adjusting a local mass heated per unit area, a local heat capacity per unit area, or an absorptivity or reflectivity of a component proximate the substrate prior to performing the process. In another embodiment, the heat provided by an edge ring to the substrate may be controlled either prior to or during the substrate heating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Bruce E. Adams
  • Patent number: 7598477
    Abstract: A vacuum furnace adapted to cool a load. The vacuum furnace has one or more means for cooling a fluid and a muffle substantially containing the load. The fluid flows in a substantially unidirectional flow substantially within the muffle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Inventor: Guy Smith
  • Patent number: 7575431
    Abstract: A vertical heat processing apparatus for performing a heat process on a plurality of target substrates all together includes a vertical process container configured to accommodate the target substrates and having a transfer port at a bottom; a holder configured to support the target substrates at intervals in a vertical direction inside the process container; and a heater disposed around the process container, and configured to supply heat rays through a sidewall of the process container, so as to heat an interior of the process container. A thermal buffer member is disposed between the heater and a lower end side of the process container to surround the lower end side, and is configured to decrease transmissibility of the lower end side for heat rays between the heater and target substrates inside the process container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Atsushi Endo, Yoshiyuki Fujita, Shinji Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20090188906
    Abstract: A high-temperature tube furnace for pyrolysis includes a twin-hole ceramic tube including a pyrolysis capillary concentrically arranged within a sintering heat tube which is concentrically arranged within a thermally insulated tube housing. At least one heating tube holding element that is electrically insulative and high-temperature resistant is provided and includes at least three pins disposed radially about the sintering heating tube. Each pin is mounted to the tube housing via a clamp in such a way that the pins are adjustable in the radial direction so that the sintering heating tube is removably disposed between the tips of the pins. The sintering heating tube is connected to a voltage source for applying a heating current to thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: Stiftung Alfred-Wegener-Institut fuer Polar-und Meeresforschung
    Inventors: Michael Bock, Erich Dunker
  • Publication number: 20090159585
    Abstract: A cooking appliance which is mounted in an elevated manner, comprising at least one muffle which defines a cooking chamber and which comprises a muffle opening on the base side thereof, a base door, which can be displaced, for closing the muffle opening and which comprises at least one heating field on the upper side thereof, having at least one operational state for the open state of the base door and at least one operational state for the closed state of base door. Only one operational state, which is relevant for the opening state of the base door, can be activated, and only one operational state for the open state when the base door is open and only one operational state for the closed state when the base door is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: BSH Bosch Und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Bally, Kerstin Feldmann, Wolfgang Fuchs, Martin Keller, Edmund Kuttalek, Maximilian Neuhauser, Klemens Roch, Wolfgang Schnell, Guenter Zschau
  • Publication number: 20090159584
    Abstract: A cooking appliance which is mounted in an elevated manner, which comprises at least one muffle which defines a cooking chamber and which comprises a muffle opening which is on the base thereof, a base door which can be displaced and which is used to close the muffle opening, comprising at least one heating field on the upper side thereof and at least one operational state for the open state, wherein the heating field is at least partially connected. The cooking appliance which is mounted in an elevated manner comprises a displacing locking device, which prevents the open base door from being displaced when in the activated operational mode for the open state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Bally, Kerstin Feldmann, Wolfgang Fuchs, Martin Keller, Edmund Kuttalek, Maximilian Neuhauser, Klemens Roch, Wolfgang Schnell, Günter Zschau
  • Patent number: 7537448
    Abstract: The present invention is a thermal processing method including: a step of conducting a predetermined thermal process in a low temperature zone to a plurality of objects to be processed held in a tier-like manner by a heating unit, in a processing container that is made of metal and has the heating unit therein, and a step of introducing a cooling gas into respective areas in the processing container divided in a height direction of the objects to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takanori Saito, Kazuhide Serizawa, Takashi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 7534978
    Abstract: A process chamber of an installation for the thermal treatment of printed circuit boards is described. The process chamber may include a fan wheel supported on a shaft parallel to the printed circuit boards, the fan wheel being disposed between two walls of the process chamber. The fan wheel is open at its two end faces and the two end faces are at such a distance from the walls of the process chamber that gas flows in unimpeded in two substreams between the end faces of the fan wheel and the walls and flows out from the cylindrical surface of the fan wheel over the length thereof and in the extent of the process chamber in the form of a ribbon-shaped gas stream, the gas stream being directed essentially in the cross section through a channel onto the printed circuit boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: SEHO Systemtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf Ludwig Diehm, Rudolf Ullrich
  • Patent number: 7534977
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a reaction tube, an exhaust unit for reducing the pressure in the reaction tube, a unit for introducing gas for heating or cooling a subject substrate disposed in the reaction tube, a light source for heating the subject substrate disposed in the reaction tube, and a unit for switching on/off the light source in a pulse form. Furthermore, the subject substrate is heated by a light source, using a first unit for heating the subject substrate by switching on/off the light source in a pulse form with a cycle of one second or shorter, and a second unit for heating the subject substrate by switching on/off the light source in a pulse form with a cycle of one second or longer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7531769
    Abstract: A vacuum furnace adapted to cool a load. The vacuum furnace has one or more means for cooling a fluid and a muffle substantially comprised of carbon fiber composite and substantially containing the load. The fluid flows in a substantially unidirectional flow substantially within the muffle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Inventor: Guy Smith
  • Patent number: 7528347
    Abstract: A heat treating device (50) has a cooling sleeve that covers a treating vessel (56) and a heater (100). The cooling sleeve has a cylindrical base member (110) and a cooling pipe (112) spirally wound on the outer peripheral surface hereof. The cooling pipe (112) is brazed to the base member (110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takanori Saito, Kenichi Yamaga
  • Patent number: 7528348
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an object temperature of an object, and including at least one heating apparatus having at least one heating element for heating an object via electromagnetic radiation. Also included is at least one first radiation detector that detects radiation coming from the object within a first field of vision, and, for determining correction parameters, a measuring device that detects the electromagnetic radiation that reaches the first field of vision from the at least one heating element up to a proportionality factor or a known intensity-dependent function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Markus Hauf
  • Patent number: 7528349
    Abstract: A temperature stabilization system, method, composition of matter and substrate processing system are disclosed. A heat absorbing material is disposed in thermal contact with a substrate. The heat absorbing material is characterized by a solid-liquid phase transition temperature that is in a desired temperature range for material processing the substrate. When the substrate is subjected to material processing that results in heat transfer into or out of the substrate the solid-liquid phase transition of the heat absorbing material stabilizes the temperature of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yehiel Gotkis, Arik Donde, Vincenzo Lordi
  • Patent number: 7525068
    Abstract: A heating system of a batch type reaction chamber for semiconductor device and a method thereof are disclosed. Each heat unit of heating groups has different height and caloric value at right angles according to the divided areas, thereby it can control an uniform temperature incline of the entire process space of the reaction chamber. Also, the reflecting plates are formed by each heating unit, so that the change of the heating unit can be simple. Furthermore, the divided reflecting blocks are adjacently connected to another reflecting block through the radiant wave shielding slit between them, so that the leakage of the radiant wave can be prevented and the reflecting blocks can be separately attached and deattached to each other. Also, the turning member is formed at the lower portion of the reflecting blocks, so that it can be easily attached and deattached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Terasemicon Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Taek Yong Jang, Byoung Il Lee, Young Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 7521654
    Abstract: A heater panel of a radiant heater includes a heating spiral provided on a panel element and mechanically connected to the panel element with a portion of a spiral turn. With the object of providing a heater panel with a stable arrangement of the heating spiral on the panel element by which a high power density is achievable, each spiral turn is detachably connected to the panel element by three spaced-apart contact spots. Two of said contact spots are located on the outer circumference of the spiral turn in such a distance to each other that the radii originating at them define an angle of less than 180°, and the third contact spot is located on the inner circumference of the spiral turn within the portion of the spiral turn facing the panel element and confined by the two outer contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Von Ardenne Anlagentechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Juergen Heinrich, Hubertus Von Der Waydbrink
  • Patent number: 7514650
    Abstract: A furnace of controlled heating and treatment of material using infrared radiation. The furnace is capable of continuous infrared treating of material with consistent radiation being applied to the material, ease of access to the furnace for maintenance cleaning and repair, excellent control of radiant cooling of the material to be treated, and ease of maintenance of a volatile component condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Despatch Industries Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Hans L. Melgaard, Matt Weierke
  • Patent number: 7509035
    Abstract: A thermal processing chamber includes a substrate support rotating about a center axis and a lamphead of plural lamps in an array having a predetermined difference in radiance pattern between them. The radiance pattern includes a variation in diffuseness or collimation. In one embodiment, the center lines of all of the lamps are disposed away from the center axis. The array can be an hexagonal array, in which the center axis is located at a predetermined position between neighboring lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Corina E. Tanasa, Sundar Ramamurthy, Claudia Lai, Ravi Jallepally, Ramachandran Balasubramanian, Aaron M. Hunter, Agus Tjandra, Norman Tam
  • Patent number: 7503762
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus having heat treatment apparatuses for treating a processing target substrate at a predetermined temperature includes: a temperature adjustment mechanism provided in each of the heat treatment apparatuses forming a plurality of heat treatment apparatus blocks for adjusting a temperature of the processing target substrate; a moving mechanism for moving the temperature adjustment mechanism; an exhaust mechanism for exhausting a gas from the heat treatment apparatus; supply ports for supplying a temperature adjustment liquid to temperature adjustment apparatuses; recovery ports for collecting the liquid supplied to the temperature adjustment apparatuses; and a control mechanism for recognizing temperature information of the liquid recovered from recovery ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: SNF Solution Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kim Dong-Hun
  • Patent number: 7501607
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for suppressing thermally induced motion of a workpiece. An apparatus includes a workpiece heating system configured to thermally induce motion of a workpiece, and further includes a damping member spaced apart from the workpiece and configured to apply a damping force to dampen the motion of the workpiece. The damping member may be spaced apart from a rest position of the workpiece by a distance sufficiently small that gas pressure between the damping member and the workpiece opposes the motion of the workpiece. The distance is preferably adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Mattson Technology Canada, Inc.
    Inventors: David Malcolm Camm, Mladen Bumbulovic, Joseph Cibere, J. Kiefer Elliott, Steve McCoy, Greg Stuart
  • Publication number: 20090060480
    Abstract: A method of operating a bake plate disposed in a semiconductor processing chamber having a face plate opposing the bake plate includes providing a temperature control signal to the bake plate and measuring a face plate temperature associated with the face plate. The method also includes determining a difference between the face plate temperature and a predetermined temperature and modifying the temperature control signal provided to the bake plate in response to the determined difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: SOKUDO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Harald Herchen
  • Patent number: 7491913
    Abstract: Bake apparatus for use in baking a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, includes a chamber, a hot plate installed within the chamber, and first and second buffer plates for uniformly dispersing hot gas. The hot plate is configured to support the semiconductor wafer. The gas is injected into the chamber through an air passageway and is exhausted through an air exhaust opening. The first buffer plate is disposed within an upper part of the chamber so as to uniformly disperse the gas within the chamber. The second buffer plate is disposed above the first buffer plate. The first and second buffer plates each have a number of discharge holes by which the gas is uniformly discharged from the chamber to the exhaust opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Myoung-Kuy Lee
  • Patent number: 7489858
    Abstract: A heater is disclosed. The comprises a housing; a reflector; and a pair of opposite connectors supported by the reflector and configured to support opposite ends of a heating element. The reflector is movable between a plurality of positions relative to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: The Vollrath Company, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Zank, Michael J. Martin, Michael A. Ward
  • Patent number: 7488918
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a printed light guide plate includes a working platform (23), and a heater (24) coupled to the working platform. A transparent slab (21) is disposed on the working platform. The purpose of coupling the heater to the working platform is to maintain the transparent slab a constant temperature in the range from about 40° C. to about 45° C., such that as few water molecules as possible are absorbed into the transparent slab. The quality of the manufactured printed light guide plate is thus improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang-Chih Sung
  • Patent number: 7482555
    Abstract: A substrate transportation device includes a housing for transporting substrates. The housing is formed of an upper surface, a lower surface, and opposing sidewalls. The housing has a rear opening through which the substrates enter the housing and a front opening through which the substrates exit the housing. A plurality of hollow supporting members are disposed within the housing and affixed to the opposing sidewalls which are formed by a plurality of columns. The hollow supporting members have a plurality of apertures in an upper surface for supplying a medium to a lower surface of the plurality of substrates. A medium supply member transfers the medium toward the hollow supporting member. The medium transferred by the medium supply member is delivered through the apertures in the upper surface of the plurality of hollow supporting members to float the substrates on a cushion of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shiang-Chiang Liu, Tsung-Lin Lu, Ying-Chi Chen
  • Patent number: 7479619
    Abstract: The present invention is a thermal processing unit including: a heating-furnace body whose upper end has an opening; a heating unit provided on an inside wall of the heating-furnace body; a reaction container consisting of a single tube contained in the heating-furnace body; a gas-discharging-pipe connecting portion formed at an upper portion of the reaction container; and a first temperature controlling unit provided around the gas-discharging-pipe connecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takanori Saito, Toshiyuki Makiya, Hisaei Osanai, Tsuyoshi Takizawa, Tomohisa Shimazu, Kazuhide Hasebe, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Yukimasa Saito, Kenichi Yamaga
  • Publication number: 20090014428
    Abstract: A heating apparatus comprises heating elements arranged of a sheet form and having notches or through holes provided therein, a side wall member made of an electrically conductive material and arranged to surround and define the heating space, and holding members disposed at the heating space side of the side wall member for holding at one end the heating elements. Also, extending members are provided, each member comprising an extending-through portion arranged to project from the heating space side of the side wall member and extend through the notch or through hole between both ends in the heating element and projected portions arranged to project at both, front and back, sides of the heating element from the extending-through portion in a direction, which is orthogonal to the extending direction of the extending-through portion, thus to inhibit the displacement of the heating elements along the extending direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicants: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., Teitokusha Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Hayashida, Masaaki Ueno, Masakazu Shimada, Kimio Kitamura, Kenji Tanaka, Jyunichi Nishihara
  • Patent number: 7466907
    Abstract: A device for use in a thermal annealing process for a wafer (T) of material chosen among the semiconductor materials for the purpose of detaching a layer from the wafer at an weakened zone. During annealing, the device applies (1) a basic thermal budget to the wafer, with the basic thermal budget being slightly inferior to the budget necessary to detach the layer, this budget being distributed in an even manner over the weakened zone; and (2) an additional thermal budget is also applied to the wafer locally in a set region of the weakened zone so as to initiate the detachment of the layer in this region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: S.O.I.Tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies
    Inventors: Walter Schwarzenbach, Jean-Marc Waechter
  • Patent number: 7453051
    Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be, for instance, are lamps or lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Janis Timans
  • Patent number: 7442900
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide an apparatus for providing a uniform thermal profile to a plurality of large area substrates during thermal processing. In one embodiment, an apparatus for thermal processing large area substrates includes a chamber having a plurality of processing zones disposed therein that are coupled to a lift mechanism. The lift mechanism is adapted to vertically position the plurality of processing zones within the chamber. Each processing zone further includes an upper heated plate, a lower heated plate adapted to support a first substrate thereon and an unheated plate adapted to support a second substrate thereon, wherein the unheated plate is disposed between the upper and lower heated plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Inagawa, Akihiro Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 7432475
    Abstract: A vertical heat processing apparatus includes a process chamber (5) defining a process field (A1) configured to accommodate a plurality of target substrates (W) supported at intervals in a vertical direction. The apparatus further includes a heating furnace (8) surrounding the process chamber (5) and including an electric heater (15), and an electric blower (16) configured to send a cooling gas into the heating furnace (8). A control section (22) executes, in order to converge the process field (A1) to a target temperature, performing power feeding to the heater (15) to heat up the process field (A1) to a predetermined temperature immediately below the target temperature, and at a time point when the process field (A1) reaches the predetermined temperature, decreasing the power feeding to the heater (15), and supplying the cooling gas from the blower (16) to forcibly cool the process field (A1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Nakajima, Takanori Saito, Tsuyoshi Takizawa, Manabu Honma
  • Patent number: 7431585
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing substrates is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing and a plurality of stacked cell structures in the housing. An actuator is adapted to move the plurality of stacked cell structures inside of the housing while substrates in the stacked cell structures are being heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zhao, David Quach, Timothy Weidman, Rick J. Roberts, Farhad Moghadam, Dan Maydan
  • Publication number: 20080237211
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dental firing furnace having a firing space and at least one carrier for dental material, in particular a muffle, which can be loaded into the firing space, and, in particular, a pressing device for pressing a ceramic blank inserted in the muffle, at least one physical variable of the firing space and/or of the carrier and/or of the muffle and/or of the ceramic blank being detected. A processing program of the dental furnace (10) that can be set is based on the detected physical variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventor: Rudolf Jussel
  • Patent number: 7429718
    Abstract: A substrate support assembly and method for controlling the temperature of a substrate within a process chamber are provided. A substrate support assembly includes an thermally conductive body comprising a stainless steel material, a substrate support surface on the surface of the thermally conductive body and adapted to support a large area substrate thereon, one or more heating elements embedded within the thermally conductive body, a cooling plate positioned below the thermally conductive body, a base support structure comprising a stainless steel material, positioned below the cooling plate and adapted to structurally support the thermally conductive body, and one or more cooling channels adapted to be supported by the base support structure and positioned between the cooling plate and the base support structure. A process chamber comprising the substrate support assembly of the invention is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Inagawa, Akihiro Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 7429717
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for heating a semiconductor processing chamber. One embodiment of the present invention provides a furnace for heating a semiconductor processing chamber. The furnace comprises a heater surrounding side walls of the semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the heater comprises a plurality of heating elements connected in at least two independently controlled zones, and a shell surrounding the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Yudovsky
  • Publication number: 20080230534
    Abstract: A method and system for positioning a wafer on a bake plate in a processing module that includes lowering a bake plate cover assembly over the wafer during a baking process, raising the bake plate cover assembly after the baking process, removing the wafer, determining whether the bake plate cover assembly requires cleaning, then either processing another wafer if the cover assembly does not need cleaning or establishing a cleaning process for the bake plate cover assembly if the cover does need cleaning. Automated sensing of the state of the cover assembly may be employed, and cleaning process may be automatically performed in response to the cleaning need determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Mark G. Winkler, Thomas E. Winter
  • Patent number: 7416405
    Abstract: A vertical type of thermal processing apparatus of the present invention includes a thermal processing furnace having a furnace opening at a lower portion thereof. A boat holding objects to be processed in a tier-like manner in a vertical direction is adapted to be contained in the thermal processing furnace through the furnace opening. A lid supporting the boat is capable of closing the furnace opening. A transferring chamber is connected to the furnace opening. An elevating mechanism provided in the transferring chamber is configured to move up and down the lid in order to load and unload the boat into and out from the thermal processing furnace. A connecting port provided at a wall of the transferring chamber is capable of being connected to an opening of a conveying container for containing the objects to be processed. A first containing portion provided in the transferring chamber is capable of temporarily containing unprocessed objects to be processed for a next thermal process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Satoshi Asari, Katsuhiko Mihara
  • Patent number: 7414224
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of thermally treating a wafer or other substrate, such as rapid thermal processing (RTP) apparatus and methods are disclosed. An array of radiant lamps directs radiation to the back side of a wafer to heat the wafer. In one or more embodiments, the front side of the wafer on which the patterned integrated circuits are being formed faces a radiant reflector. In one or more embodiments, the wafer is thermally monitored for temperature and reflectivity from the side of the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Aderhold, Sundar Ramamurthy, Aaron Hunter
  • Patent number: 7415312
    Abstract: A process module tuning method characterizes a process module by gathering data using a process condition measuring device to measure process outputs while inputs are excited. The data is used to identify a dynamic process model. The dynamic process model is then be used to determine process input settings that will produce desired outputs. For multi-zone process modules, the interactions between zones may be modeled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Inventors: James R. Barnett, Jr., Mark K. Ekblad, Jeffrey M. Parker
  • Publication number: 20080190910
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus wherein a nozzle is accurately provided on an adaptor to prevent the nozzle from interfering with other part items and a possibility of breakage due to heat expansion of the nozzle can be reduced. The heat treatment apparatus (10) is provided with a reaction tube (42) for treating a substrate (54), a quartz adaptor (44) for supporting the reaction tube (42), a nozzle (66) connected to the adaptor (44) for supplying a treatment gas into the reaction tube (42), and a heater (46) provided outside the reaction tube (42) for heating inside the reaction tube (42). The nozzle (66) is connected to an upper plane of the adaptor (44) in the reaction lube (42) at least a part which is of the nozzle (66) and is connected with the adaptor (44) is made of quartz and other nozzle parts are made of silicon carbide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Shimada, Akira Morohashi, Kojiro Yokozawa, Keishin Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20080185371
    Abstract: A heat exchange apparatus including a heat exchanging portion capable of conforming to the outer surface of a heat exchange target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Inventor: Daniel Irvin
  • Patent number: 7387762
    Abstract: A sintering apparatus for silver clay wherein a silver clay composition can be readily and easily sintered by exposing a silver clay composition obtained by molding to a flame of a solid alcohol fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
    Inventors: Juichi Hirasawa, Yasuo Ido