Including Heat Energy Reflecting Or Directing Means Patents (Class 219/405)
  • Patent number: 5045671
    Abstract: In an oven having a plurality of heat sources for cooking by heating an object of cooking inside an oven chamber, the capacities of said heat sources are arranged to be capable of independent control. The operating time of the heat sources is arranged to be set by a timer, wherein heat sources not operated or operated at a reduced capacity are operated substantially at their full capacities for a predetermined period of time after a cooking time set by the timer has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Rinnai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kanaya, Makoto Morishima
  • Patent number: 5044943
    Abstract: An apparatus is described for processing semiconductor wafers for the construction of integrated circuit structures thereon wherein a semiconductor wafer is supported on the upper surface of a uniformly heated susceptor. The apparatus comprises a chamber, a circular susceptor in the chamber for supporting a semiconductor wafer thereon, heating means in the chamber beneath the susceptor, and support means for peripherally supporting the susceptor in the chamber comprising 3-6 spokes which are each connected at one end to a central hub which is coaxial with the axis of the circular susceptor, but spaced therefrom to permit even thermal distribution across the susceptor, and opposite ends of the spokes peripherally supporting the susceptor adjacent the end edges thereof, to permit uniform heating of the susceptor by the heating means and uniform thermal distribution of the heat through the susceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Russell Bowman, Roger N. Anderson
  • Patent number: 5038395
    Abstract: A reflector surface furnace includes an open ended ellipsoidal or near ellipsoidal reflector segment having two focal areas, there being a source of radiation in the one focal area, the material to be processed being placed into the other focal area, the furnace is completed as inventive improvement by two end segments of parabolic or near parabolic configurations each having an axis of symmetry that coincides with an axis of symmetry of the central ellipsoid and interfaces with the ellipsoid in these focal areas, the two parabolical end segments have focal points which namely coincide with the focal points of the ellipsoidal segment, but for control purposes there may be separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Dornier GmbH
    Inventor: Harald Lenski
  • Patent number: 5036179
    Abstract: An oven using one or more quartz tungsten light bulbs or quartz arc bulbs capable of producing 1.5 kW of radiant energy of which a significant portion is light energy in the 0.4 to 0.7 .mu.m wavelength range impinges high intensity visible light wave radiation directly onto a food item. Light sources can be positioned above and below the food item and the inner walls of the oven are preferably highly reflective to reflect light energy onto the food. The intensity of the visible light source is automatically controllable and can be varied throughout the cooking cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Quadlux, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene R. Westerberg, Robert I. Beaver, II
  • Patent number: 5034199
    Abstract: The improved zone-melt recrystallization apparatus is comprised of a port system for providing a thermal barrier between the recrystallization chamber and the loader assembly. A bellows system is used to lift a plurality of pins that support a silicon wafer being recrystallized. Flexure supports are designed to constrain the motion of the pins within the desired direction of motion of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Zavracky, Kevin J. O'Connos
  • Patent number: 5000083
    Abstract: A salamander-type overhead broiler/cooler has a base on a support adapted to hold a foodstuff to be heated, a heating unit vertically displaceable on the support energizable to radiate heat downward at the support, and a horizontal light curtain at a predetermined spacing fixed relative to and below the heating unit so that the light curtain can be broken by a foodstuff on the base when the unit is lowered. A motor is connected between the unit and the support for vertically displacing the unit and the light curtain on the support and a controller connected between the light curtain and the motor means arrests downward displacement of the unit when the light curtain is broken by a foodstuff on the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: MKN Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Hermann Pickave
  • Patent number: 4981815
    Abstract: A method for rapidly thermal processing a semiconductor wafer (1) by irradiation with electromagnetic radiation which provides that the majority portion of the energy required for heating the semiconductor wafer (1) is transmitted with at least single-sided irradiation of the semiconductor wafter (1) with electromagnetic radiation from a main irradiation arrangement (62) and the intensities (I.sub.M, I.sub.R) of the radiation directed onto the central region (6) and of the radiation directed onto the edge regions (5) are identical. The temperatures in the central region (6) and in the edge regions (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1) are maintained identical during the entire tempering process in order to increase the yield, and an additional electromagnetic radiation is directed onto the edge region (5) of the semiconductor wafer for compensating for the radiation of heat occurring faster at the edge region (5) of the semiconductor wafer (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ronald Kakoschke
  • Patent number: 4979464
    Abstract: An apparatus for the treatment of wafers in the manufacture of semiconductor elements in the form of a process buffer through which a plurality of wafers travel at the same time to various treatment stations and which cooperates with a transport apparatus for the wafers. The apparatus has a shaft magazine, in which the treatment stations, each for one wafer, are disposed spaced apart from and above one another. The shaft magazine is provided with a loading and unloading opening, and the treatment stations are movable individually into the vicinity of the loading and unloading opening. The apparatus occupies less surface area in the process line for the manufacture of semiconductor elements, enables treatment of the wafers independent of external factors, and can be used for various types of treatment of the wafers in the manufacture of semiconductor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Convac GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Kunze-Concewitz, Hans Muller-Uri
  • Patent number: 4980538
    Abstract: A heating and temperature-control device for biological sample containers includes an assembly of lamps emitting infrared radiation within a wavelength of 1-5.5 micrometers and heating said containers by irradiation, and a sensor for infrared radiation of wavelength 7-14 micrometers which picks up the emission from the containers which derives from their heating. The signal obtained from said sensor is used to control the lamp emission in such a manner as to obtain the required container temperature and then keep it constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Instrumentation Laboratory S. p. A.
    Inventors: Claudio Calzi, Paolo Bonfiglo
  • Patent number: 4975561
    Abstract: A heating system for use in chemical vapor deposition equipment of the type wherein a reactant gas is directed in horizontal flow for depositing materials on a substrate which is supported in a reaction chamber on a susceptor which is rotatably driven for rotating the substrate about an axis which extends normally from its center. The heating system works in conjunction with a special heat sensing arrangement and includes an upper heating element assembly, a lower heating element assembly and a heat concentrator mechanism whic interact to provide rapid temperature build-up at the beginning of a processing cycle, rapid temperature attenuation at the end of a processing cycle and a controlled flat temperature profile during the processing cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Epsilon Technology Inc.
    Inventors: McDonald Robinson, Albert E. Ozias
  • Patent number: 4956538
    Abstract: A first and second pyrometer (26-28) are optically coupled by a light pipe (24) to a wafer (30) in an apparatus (10). The light pipe (24) passes through a shroud (16) of a heating lamp module (14). A computer (74) is interconnected to the pyrometers (26-28) and a lamp module power supply (80). A laser (48) emits a laser beam (50) through a power meter (86) onto an infrared mirror (56) over the light pipe (24). The mirror (56) directs the beam onto wafer (30) which reflects a portion of the beam back to the infrared mirror (56). The beam is then guided to an infrared photo-detector (58) which provides, in combination with the incident laser beam power meter (86), reflectance of the wafer surface for the laser beam which is related to wafer emissivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments, Incorporated
    Inventor: Mehrdad M. Moslehi
  • Patent number: 4945212
    Abstract: A commercial-type toaster for toasting food articles such as sliced bread passed through a chamber on a moving grill. The chamber is heated by upper and lower thermal radiation elements above and below the grill. Arcuate reflectors adjacent to the elements redirect a portion of the radiant energy back to the elements for increasing the element temperature. Slots in the reflector associated with the lower element permit bread crumbs to fall through to a crumb tray below the grill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1990
    Assignee: Savory Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Gogan, Joseph Gialanella
  • Patent number: 4908495
    Abstract: A heating lamp assembly for use with semiconductor reactors has a reflector assembly constructed of tubes joined together by heat conductive spacers to provide for water cooling of the reflector assembly, has mounting pins for providing variable spacing of heating lamps, and water manifolds on each side of the reflector assembly for directing water through the cooling tubes. One or more blocking gates are mounted on the lamp mounting pins to direct cooling air flow across the heating lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Kaoru Ishii, Thomas F. Wilkinson, Stephen J. Dwyer, Rick Cooper
  • Patent number: 4894517
    Abstract: Shrinking apparatus for heating and shrinking articles such as disused molded articles of thermoplastic expanded resin by a plurality of far-infrared heaters, thereby to reduce the articles in bulk. In the shrinking apparatus, the distances between article conveying device and the far-infrared heaters opposite thereto are gradually reduced in a direction from the furnace inlet to the furnace outlet such that the far infrared rays are efficiently irradiated onto the articles of which entire height is gradually lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignees: Sekisui Kaseihin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Hoton Ceramics Kabushiki Kaisha, Nichido Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Oguri
  • Patent number: 4859832
    Abstract: An apparatus for annealing a substrate includes a plurality of annular light sources concentric about a predetermined axis, a holder for placing the substrate such that the substrate receives radiation from the plurality of annular light sources and is substantially perpendicular to the predetermined axis, and a measuring device having a measuring optical system with an optical axis substantially aligned with the predetermined axis. The measuring device is adapted to receive radiation through the measuring optical system from the substrate placed on the holder and to detect a temperature distribution of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Uehara, Hajime Ichikawa, Masahiko Yomoto, Shigeru Kato
  • Patent number: 4857704
    Abstract: An apparatus for the thermal treatment of a thin part (1) includes a thermal light source including linear lamps (17) of very high unitary power such as "tungsten-halogen" lamps, and a housing (2) containing the part to be treated. The apparatus includes inside the housing (2) a chamber (4) delimited by the sidewall and the bottom (3a) of the housing as well as by a silica window, making it possible to create about the part to be treated particular conditions for thermal treatment. Within the treatment chamber there is arranged a compensation means (22a) for the thermal losses of the part to be treated. The thermal light source is configured like a light box (16a) by superimposing several modules (43) having a polygonal cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: Bertin & Cie
    Inventors: Marcel A. J. Jannot, Jean-Pierre Patureau
  • Patent number: 4839502
    Abstract: An oven that cooks foodstuffs containing water at temperatures up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit with longwave radiation generated by masking a cooking volume from radiant heating elements by blackened rigid inserts, which absorb shortwave and longwave radiation from the heating elements and uniformly reradiate the energy into the cooking volume as longwave radiation; non-condensing steam is injected into the oven until the vapor pressure of the water in the foodstuff attains a pressure at which water will migrate to the surface of the foodstuff to be evaporated; air is then passed through the oven to remove water from the foodstuff, while cooking with longwave radiation continues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Inventors: David L. Swanson, Gilbert Trick
  • Patent number: 4820906
    Abstract: An long arc gas-discharge lamp for rapidly heating a semiconductor wafer. The spectral output of the lamp is specifically matched to the absorption characteristics of the particular semiconductor wafer being heating by choosing an appropriate gas or mixture of gases. The electrodes of the long arc lamp are separated by a distance greater than the largest dimension of the semiconductor wafer to insure that the entire wafer is illuminated at one time. In addition, the lamp has a high power density to raise the temperature of the semiconductor wafer to the required process temperature. Large diameter metal electrodes are used to conduct more heat from the ends of the lamp. The electrodes contain a low work function metal such as thorium oxide to increase the electron emission. The enclosing glass capillary has thin walls between the electrodes for improved heat dissipation. The glass capillary is cooled to carry the heat away from the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Peak Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy J. Stultz
  • Patent number: 4796562
    Abstract: In a chemical vapor deposition apparatus for coating semiconductor wafers, the wafer is held face down in the reaction chamber. A radiant heat source above the wafer and outside the reaction chamber. The wafer is held on a ring chuck by means of a retractable clamp heats the wafer from its backside to a temperature in excess of 1000.degree. C. rapidly. The radiant heat source includes cylindrical lamps placed in a radial pattern to improve heating uniformity. In the selective tungsten process the temperature of the wafer is raised from ambient to about 600.degree. C. while flowing process gases. At the upper temperature range the heating source can be rapidly cycled on and off to improve the uniformity of coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Varian Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel L. Brors, Larry R. Lane, Mark W. Goldsborough, Jason M. Samsel, Max van Mastrigt, Robert Foster
  • Patent number: 4789771
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for heating a substrate and associated rotatable susceptor in an epitaxial deposition reactor with an axially symmetric gas flow carrying deposition material include at least one chamber having a plurality of heat lamps. The chamber is generally symmetric with respect to an axis of the substrate. The chamber walls are coated to reflect light from the heat lamps. The outermost heat lamps can be energized to produce a higher temperature than the centrally located lamps to compensate for regions of the reactor which provide access to the substrate and, therefore, promote thermal losses. The spacing of the heat lamps may be varied to compensate for thermal non-uniformity of the heating cavity. The substrate may be rotated, on the rotatable susceptor, to average the thermal environment to which the substrate is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Assignee: Epsilon Limited Partnership
    Inventors: McDonald Robinson, Ronald D. Behee, Wiebe B. deBoer, Wayne L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4781170
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes an elongated heat source, which may be a gas burner tube. The elongated heat source is mounted for movement in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the heat source, and a driving arrangement is provided for reciprocating the heat source in the horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: The Tappan Company
    Inventor: Richard L. Perl
  • Patent number: 4771154
    Abstract: An oven includes two tungsten-halogen lamp units strategically positioned, so that infra-red radiation generated by the units is emitted into the oven cavity to brown or grill food placed in the cavity. The cavity also includes, in one embodiment, an infra-red-reflective support for reflecting infra-red radiation emitted from the lamp units onto the underside of the food. In another embodiment, the support includes a heat transfer medium for absorbing infra-red radiation from the lamp units to produce heat and convey the heat to the underside of the food for browning. The oven may include a source of microwave energy and the support may have a microwave absorbent coating, which produces heat for browning the underside of the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Thorn EMI Appliances Limited
    Inventors: Geoffrey I. Bell, Michael H. C. Buttery
  • Patent number: 4756091
    Abstract: A hybrid oven for drying a coating on a continuous web is disclosed, including a chamber, a plenum for collecting and delivering heated air at high velocity adjacent said chamber, a plurality of air impingement nozzles interconnecting said plenum and said chamber and directing heating air from the plenum to the web being dried, and one or more controllable infra-red heaters disposed between said air nozzles including at least one infra-red element, a sensor for providing a control signal relative to temperature and controller means for controlling power to the infra-red element. The sensor senses that the infra-red element is operating at less than a predetermined temperature and is providing less than a required infra-red output, whereby the controller provides a higher voltage until the predetermined infra-red output is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1988
    Inventor: Herbert Van Denend
  • Patent number: 4755654
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer heating chamber has an optical element between a light source and a wafer for redistributing the light from the light source. The optical element is constructed in such a manner as to produce the desired illumination (and thus heating) pattern on the semiconductor wafer from the light source. Preferably, the light source is a long-arc lamp mounted above a base plate of a heating chamber. A primary reflector is mounted above the long-arc lamp and is shaped to produce a substantially uniform light distribution on the base plate. A quartz window is mounted between the arc lamp and the base plate. The quartz window acts as a lens to redistribute the light from the lamp and the reflector on a wafer. The window can be constructed as a diffraction grating with a series of lines formed by etching into the window or depositing material on the window to produce a diffraction pattern which gives the desired illumination pattern on the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Inventors: John L. Crowley, Thomas J. DeBolski, Ahmad Kermani, Stephan E. Lassig
  • Patent number: 4734562
    Abstract: An electric toaster oven for use both as a toaster and as an oven, including a heater or heaters for heating an article placed in a baking chamber, a baked condition detector which detects the baked condition of the article through the detection of the heat radiated from the article, a plate forming part of the wall of the baking chamber and having a heat guide opening for transferring the heat radiated from the article therethrough to the baked condition detector, a tubular guide for guiding the heat to the baked condition detector, and a control circuit which controls supplying current to the heater or heaters on the basis of a detection signal provided by the baked condition detector. The baked condition detector includes a pair of thermosensitive elements disposed in different thermal conditions, respectively, and provides a signal corresponding to the difference between the respective temperature-dependent output signals of the thermosensitive elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Toshiba Heating Appliances Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Amano, Yoichi Sekigawa, Nobuyuki Kojima, Shigeki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 4731251
    Abstract: A method of and a device for cooking foodstuff in which an infrared transparent receptacle having a central rise on which the food is positioned has a peripheral trough in which water can be provided. The food is cooked by a combination of direct infrared irradiation and repeated evaporation/condensation cycles which ensure optimum penetration of heat contributed by latent heat of condensation, directly to the interior of the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Inventor: Dragomir Jovanovic
  • Patent number: 4728777
    Abstract: A grilling arrangement comprises a compartment including two tungsten-halogen lamps mounted adjacent the top of the compartment behind a screen of infra-red-transmissive material. The lamps are emissive of infra-red radiation, which grills food supported on a shelf in the compartment. Each lamp has a reflector, which is preferably parabolic in cross-section, to reflect infra-red radiation from the lamps onto the grilling surface. A control arrangement is also provided to impart oscillatory movement to the reflectors and lamps, so that infra-red radiation from the lamps is swept across the grilling surface, thereby achieving a substantially uniform distribution of intensity of infra-red radiation over the surface over a given length of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignee: Thorn EMI Appliances Limited
    Inventors: Michael N. Tsisios, Robert D. Smith
  • Patent number: 4725716
    Abstract: In infrared soldering of components onto circuit boards, where components such as leaded components are first soldered on one surface of a circuit board and then additional components are soldered on the other surface, it is a problem that the solder joints of the first arrangement of components may melt during the second soldering step. Also, heat is reflected from the apparatus and can raise the temperature of components above a defined maximum. In the invention, a heat sink is provided for absorbing heat from the infrared heat source when no circuit board is present, and for absorbing heat from components already soldered, during the second soldering step. Usually the infrared heat source is above the path of the circuit boards and the heat sink is below the path of, and not in contact with, the circuit boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited
    Inventors: Stanley D. Entwistle, Timothy Sobolak, George W. R. Goodyear, Raymond K. Kelly, Gabriel Marcantonio
  • Patent number: 4698486
    Abstract: In accordance with the method, an integrating kaleidoscope and lamps combine to cause heating of a semiconductor wafer to achieve desired effects such as annealing, etc. In one form of the method, the heating of the wafer is such as to achieve rapid annealing by isothermal heating alone. In another form of the method the heating is such as to effect isothermal heating immediately followed by thermal flux heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: Tamarack Scientific Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald E. Sheets
  • Patent number: 4695705
    Abstract: Apparatus for and a method of precisely positioning an object to be subjected to localized heating at precise temperatures at the second focal point of an elliptical reflector which has an infra-red source at its first focal point. The apparatus includes a platform to support the workpiece for vertical movement relative to the reflector and infra-red source, and a movable probe which has a free end positionable in the axis of the reflector and in the plane of its second focal point to guide movement of the platform and workpiece to the second focal point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1987
    Assignee: The J. M. Ney Company
    Inventor: Frank M. Kulig
  • Patent number: 4694143
    Abstract: A zone melting apparatus, in accordance with the present invention for monocrystallizing a semiconductor layer in a layered substance, includes: an upper elongated heater for zone melting of the semiconductor layer, the upper heater being disposed above and parallel to the semiconductor layer; a plurality of lower elongated heaters for heating the whole layered substance, the lower heaters being disposed in a plane below and parallel to the layered substance and the axis of each of the lower heaters being substantially perpendicular to the axis of the upper heater; a plurality of power suppliers for supplying electric power to the lower heaters; one or more temperature sensors for estimating the temperature of the layered substance; and a controller for controlling the power suppliers in response to the output of the temperature sensor(s), the controller making control so that the temperature of the central portion of the layered substance is slightly lower than that of the outer portions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Nishimura, Kazuyuki Sugahara, Shigeru Kusunoki, Yasuo Inoue
  • Patent number: 4680447
    Abstract: A vapor deposition system is provided which uses electromagnetic radiation for heating of a semiconductor wafer. The source of the electromagnetic radiation is typically a lamp having a color temperature corresponding to a wavelength in the range of 0.3 to 0.9 micrometers, and generally for a particular semiconductor to an energy greater than the energy required to cause transitions from the valence band to the conduction band of the semiconductor material used to construct the wafer and more preferably to a color temperature corresponding to an energy substantially at or above the energy required for direct (vertical) transitions from the valence band to the conduction band, thereby providing very high absorption of the incident radiation and very efficient direct heating of the wafer. No substrate is required for conducting heat to the wafer. The radiation is directed by a reflector through a window forming one side of the deposition chamber and impinges directly on the surface of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Assignee: Genus, Inc.
    Inventor: Imad Mahawili
  • Patent number: 4680451
    Abstract: Radiation heating of a semiconductor wafer employs first and second pluralities of spaced and skewed lamps. Lamps in each plurality are grouped beginning with the innermost lamps and extending to the outermost lamps. Each group of lamps in one plurality of lamps are interconnected with a group of lamps in the other plurality of lamps whereby the interconnected groups of lamps are simultaneously and equally energized. Lamp voltage is modulated in accordance with a preestablished table for each size of wafer and temperature cycle. Alternatively, temperature sensors can be employed to provide feedback to a computer controlled modulator. The lamps in the different groups can be selected to have different steady state power intensities for a given voltage to thereby establish a desired temperature gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Assignee: A. G. Associates
    Inventors: Anita S. Gat, Eugene R. Westerberg
  • Patent number: 4675506
    Abstract: A low cost non-thermostatic device which maintains food at a constant equilibrium temperature between about 150.degree. F. to 180.degree. F. (65.degree. C. to 82.degree. C.) for extended periods of time, i.e. in excess of four hours, without detrimental burning or deterioration of the food. Food is maintained at a palatable heated temperature above that required to either kill bacteria or prevent bacterial growth. The device is a substantially closed receptacle, with minimal sufficient venting of accumulated moisture, having insulated walls preferably with interior reflective surfaces and an incandescent light bulb as a heat source. Constant temperature is maintained by minimizing venting and relating bulb wattage to interior receptacle volume, and the rate of heat loss through the receptacle walls. Such heat loss is related to the degree of interior wall reflectivity and/or the extent of the interior wall insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Inventors: Max Nusbaum, Alter Paneth
  • Patent number: 4654509
    Abstract: In an epitaxial deposition reactor with an axially symmetric gas flow carrying the deposition materials, apparatus and method for heating the substrate and associated susceptor uniformly is described. The apparatus includes at least one chamber having a plurality of heat lamps passing therethrough, the chamber being generally disposed symmetrically with respect to an axis of the substrate. The walls of the chamber are appropriately coated to reflect the light from the heat lamps and the outermost lamps can be energized to produce a higher temperature than the centrally located lamps to compensate for regions of the reactor that provide access to the substrate and therefore promote thermal losses. The spacing of the lamps can be varied also to compensate for thermal non-uniformity of the heating cavity. In a first embodiment, a lower chamber can be a chamber similar to the first chamber with the exception that the lamps are rotated 90.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: Epsilon Limited Partnership
    Inventors: McDonald Robinson, Ronald D. Behee, Wiebe B. deBoer, Wayne L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4649261
    Abstract: An integrating light pipe, very preferably a kaleidoscope, encloses a source of radiant thermal energy, the light pipe and energy source being so arranged as to achieve efficient and substantially uniform heating of a workpiece in a target plane. The pipe has closed ends so as to heat the workpiece from both sides uniformly and efficiently. The apparatus employs CW lamps, pulsed lamps, and a combination of the two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Assignee: Tamarack Scientific Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald E. Sheets
  • Patent number: 4632908
    Abstract: A heating system for heating a rapidly rotating article, including strobe means capable of emitting radiant energy and positioned to radiate energy onto the article, a light source positioned to illuminate a temperature-sensing means on the article, light detector means to measure changes in the light reflected by the temperature-sensing means and control means to energize the strobe means in response to reflected light from the detector means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1986
    Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
    Inventor: Steven G. Schultz
  • Patent number: 4629865
    Abstract: An electric oven including a broiler having a concentrator or reflector for providing more effective and efficient broiling. The broiling element is recessed into a downward facing trough of the aluminized steel concentrator. The broiling element has a plurality of parallel segments interconnected by curved end segments, and the shape of the trough is conforming. In operation, energy that would otherwise radiate to the cavity ceiling and side walls impinges the trough. A portion of the impinging energy is reflected downwards towards the food and another portion is absorbed by the concentrator causing it to heat and thereby become a source of thermal energy for the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: George Freedman, Robert F. Bowen, Kenneth W. Dudley
  • Patent number: 4590653
    Abstract: A turbine rotor disassembly, handling and reassembly apparatus employs a feedback-controlled electric heating oven to rapidly heat a turbine wheel while the rotor shaft is in the horizontal position. An adapter interfaces the wheel to a handling spool whose outboard end is adjusted to slide on the rotor shaft and to provide a fulcrum for supporting the wheel. A handling trolley includes a soft hydraulic system for supporting the weight of the wheel to avoid damaging the precision machined surfaces of the shrink-fit area while the wheel is being withdrawn. The handling apparatus also provides means for upending, or rotating, the removed wheel through 90 degrees to place its axis vertical for facilitating handling. A sensor system senses a radial motion of the wheel to detect clearance and to establish an appropriate fluid pressure to just balance the weight of the wheel and attached parts. The handling system includes means for rotating the wheel slightly during reassembly to align keyways or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adrian R. Ades, George S. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 4581520
    Abstract: A heat treatment machine for heat-treating semiconductor wafers, each wafer having two faces. A first lamp is arranged to heat a first spot of first diameter on one face of the wafer and a second lamp is arranged to heat a second spot of second diameter on the other face of the wafer, both by reflection of emitted light off a focusing reflector. The lamps are moved in tandem such that the first spot travels along an Archimedes spiral relative to the center of the stationary wafer. The centers of the spots coincide, and the second diameter is greater than the first diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1986
    Inventors: Duy-Phach Vu, Michel Haond
  • Patent number: 4580035
    Abstract: An apparatus for heating food-warmer plates includes a housing into which a plurality of the food-warmer plates may be slid through slots in a wall of the housing. An electrical heating element is disposed under each food-warmer plate inserted into the housing. The heating elements may be switched on and off individually. In this way it is possible to heat only that number of food-warmer plates which is actually needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Assignee: Lukon, Fabrik fur elektrothermische Apparate und elektrische Stabheizkorper
    Inventor: Paul Luscher
  • Patent number: 4575616
    Abstract: A domestic oven has upper and lower infra-red radiation sources. The upper radiation source includes at least one or two radiation elements emitting radiation in the range of 1.0-1.4 micro meters. The lower radiation source is a meandering tube element emitting long wave radiation in the range of 3-6 micro meters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1986
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
    Inventor: Lars R. G. Bergendal
  • Patent number: 4567649
    Abstract: A turbine rotor disassembly, handling and reassembly apparatus employs a feedback-controlled electric heating oven to rapidly heat a turbine wheel while the rotor shaft is in the horizontal position. An adapter interfaces the wheel to a handling spool whose outboard end is adjusted to slide on the rotor shaft and to provide a fulcrum for supporting the wheel. A handling trolley includes a soft hydraulic system for supporting the weight of the wheel to avoid damaging the precision machined surfaces of the shrink-fit area while the wheel is being withdrawn. The handling apparatus also provides means for upending, or rotating, the removed wheel through 90 degrees to place its axis vertical for facilitating handling. A sensor system senses a radial motion of the wheel to detect clearance and to establish an appropriate fluid pressure to just balance the weight of the wheel and attached parts. The handling system includes means for rotating the wheel slightly during reassembly to align keyways or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adrian R. Ades, George S. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 4567352
    Abstract: A flashlight-radiant apparatus is constructed of a housing defining an object-handling space and an irradiation space located adjacent to the object-handling space, a plurality of flash discharge lamps provided side by side in an upper part of the irradiation space, a gas-discharging member provided in the upper part of the irradiation space for controlling the atmosphere of the housing, and an object-supporting table movable reciprocally between the object-handling space and the irradiation space in the housing and equipped with built-in subsidiary heating. An object, for example, a silicon wafer is preheated on the object-supporting table while the object-supporting table is located in the object-handling space. The flashlight-radiant apparatus has a simple structure, enjoys a high level of handling safety, assures long service life for its flash discharge lamps, and is suitable particularly for annealing semiconductor wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiki Mimura, Tetsuji Arai, Satoru Fukuda
  • Patent number: 4564744
    Abstract: A resonator with an integrated infrared thermostat, having a sealed casing enclosing reflectors including concave spherical domes covered with an interior coating of reflecting metal, placed on either side of a piezoelectric crystal, an infrared heating means device positioned on either side of the crystal in front of the spherical domes, and a temperature sensor including a thermocouple of two thin metal layers superimposed seriatim on one side of the active part of the crystal and constituting additionally and simultaneously one of the excitation electrodes for the crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1986
    Assignee: Etat Francais represented by Delegation Generale
    Inventor: Jean P. Valentin
  • Patent number: 4563573
    Abstract: The toy electric oven has a chamber. In the lower portion of the chamber there is a chandelier bulb surrounded by a parabolic reflector that reflects heat upwardly. A rack in the upper portion of the chamber has a lower plate with an opening therein so that heat can impinge upon the underside of a utensil. The rack also has an upper plate provided with an opening immediately beneath a window in the top of the housing so that whatever is being heated can be viewed. A slide switch is employed to supply power to the chandelier lamp. The operating button of the slide switch is actuated between its open and closed positions by means of a switch plate having an arcuate slot therein possessing a sufficient amount of eccentricity so that the operating button of the switch is moved from its open position to its closed position when said switch plate is rotated in one direction by a manually-operated knob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Assignee: CPG Products Corp.
    Inventors: Mark E. Hartelius, Randall J. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 4558203
    Abstract: Heating apparatus for prepackaged foodstuffs, like nut meats in transparent packages, in which the package is dropped into a support for presenting the sides of the package to infrared radiant heat which is delivered along with cooling air to prevent damaging the film material of the package. The apparatus includes controls for limiting the time of package exposure to the heat and mechanism to lock the package support against dumping the package until it has been heated, and to unlock the support when the heated package is ready to be dispensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1985
    Inventor: Karl A. Bauridl
  • Patent number: 4550245
    Abstract: A light-radiant heating furnace including a box-shaped container, having a transparent wall portion, adapted to receive an object to be treated, for example, a large-sized semiconductor wafer, a reflector arranged in the proximity of outer surfaces of the transparent wall portion of the container, a space formed between the reflector and the outer surface of the transparent wall portion of the container, tubular lamps provided in the space and an air duct equipped with a cooling fan and arranged in communication with the spacing only. The lamps and their adjacent reflector and container wall can be efficiently cooled by causing cooling air to pass through the air duct and space, thereby avoiding overheating of the lamps and thus prolonging the service lives of the lamps. The reflector may be provided with water conduits through which cooling water flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuji Arai, Hiroshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 4543472
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a plane light source unit comprising a plurality of lamps disposed closely with each other in proximity to a mirror with the longitudinal axes of the lamps extending parallelly in a plane. Each of the lamps comprises an elongated sealed tubular body and a filament formed of alternating non-luminous portions and luminous portions and provided within the tubular body along the longitudinal axis of the tubular body. A radiant heating furnace comprising the above plane light source unit and a cooling system therefor is also disclosed. The plane light source unit and a radiant heating furnace incorporating the same light source unit can irradiate light onto a region of a large area with a uniform irradiation energy density. They are suitable for heat treatment of semiconductor wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1985
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuji Arai, Tatsushi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 4540876
    Abstract: A furnace according to the present invention includes a rectangular chamber for receiving a semiconductor wafer or other body to be heated. The chamber has six plane reflecting walls. A bank of mutually parallel, equally spaced elongated heat radiation lamps extend between two opposite sidewalls inside the chamber. The distance between the outermost lamps and two opposite sidewalls extending at the sides of the lamps is less than one and one half times, and preferably equal to one half times, the spacing between adjacent lamps. The lamps are so arranged with respect to the walls that the configuration of lamps and their images formed by reflection approximate an array of infinite size which, at least in the plane of the lamps, is approximately continuous. A semiconductor body can be heated very rapidly and uniformly in this furnace, and as such, it is particularly suitable for rapidly annealing ion-implanted semiconductor wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1985
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Gordon K. McGinty