Abstract: Thermal chucks for processing semiconductor substrates include a cooling passage that provides a laminar flow. The thermal chuck can be fabricated by forming the cooling passage into a selected one of a planar support surface portion and an underside portion; sandwiching a cladding material between the planar support surface portion and the underside portion to form a thermal chuck assembly; and heating the thermal chuck assembly to a temperature and under conditions to fuse the cladding material to the planar support surface portion and the underside portion, wherein the cooling passage is sealed therein. The cooling passage can be milled or cast and has radially curved section connected to adjacent linear sections to form a serpentine-like shape.