With Chamber Patents (Class 392/416)
  • Publication number: 20130287376
    Abstract: A heater block according to the present invention comprises a light-emitting lamp; a concave reflecting member that is placed opposite the lamp and has a concave reflecting surface at one surface faced with the lamp; a lens module that is inserted into the concave reflecting member and has at least one lens; and a flat reflecting member that is placed opposite the lens module. According to embodiments of the present invention, light emitted from the lamp is reflected by the concave reflecting member. Then, light and heat are collected from the reflected light by the flat reflecting member and the lens module and are irradiated on a substrate. That is, light having energy greater than a conventional manner is irradiated on the substrate to enhance the instant heating temperature and temperature increasing rate of substrate and to increase a heat-focusing area. Therefore, it has an advantage that the productivity of semiconductor or display device manufacture that requires a rapid thermal process is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: AP SYSTEMS INC.
  • Publication number: 20130287377
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for heating a substrate in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for heating a substrate in a process chamber includes a lamp group comprising one or more sets of lamps to provide radiant energy to heat a substrate when disposed in the process chamber, wherein each set of lamps comprises a plurality of lamps wired in series, and wherein each set of lamps is wired in parallel with respect to other sets of the one or more sets of lamps; an alternating current (AC) power source to produce an AC input waveform; and a lamp driver to power the lamp group, the lamp driver including a rectifier coupled to the AC power source to convert the AC input waveform to DC voltage; and a direct current to direct current (DC/DC) converter to reduce voltage of the DC power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: OLEG SEREBRYANOV, JOSEPH M. RANISH, ALEXANDER GOLDIN
  • Patent number: 8571396
    Abstract: High reflectance element IR lamp module and method of firing multi-zone IR furnaces for solar cell processing comprising lamps disposed backed by a flat or configured plate of ultra-high reflectance ceramic material. Optionally, the high reflectance plate can be configured with ripples or grooves to isolate each lamp from adjacent lamps in the process zone. Furnace cooling air is exhausted and recycled upstream for energy conservation. Lamp spacing can be varied and power to each lamp individually controlled to provide infinite control of temperature profile in each heating zone. The high reflectance element may be constructed of dense ceramic fiber board, and then coated with high reflectance ceramic composition, and baked or fired to form the finished element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: TP Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Ragay, Richard W. Parks, Luis Alejandro Rey Garcia
  • Patent number: 8569647
    Abstract: Provided is a heat treatment apparatus in which a heat treatment apparatus in which the thermal efficiency is high, the maintenance expense is low, the throughput is high, the surface roughness of a sample can be reduced, and the discharge uniformity is excellent, although the heat treatment is performed at 1200 ° C. or more. A heat treatment apparatus includes: parallel planar electrodes; a radio-frequency power supply generating plasma by applying radio-frequency power between the parallel planar electrodes; a temperature measuring section measuring the temperature of a heated sample; and a control unit controlling an output of the radio-frequency power supply, wherein at least one of the parallel planar electrodes has a space where the heated sample is installed, therein, and heats the sample in the electrode by the plasma generated between the parallel planar electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Masatoshi Miyake, Ken'etsu Yokogawa
  • Patent number: 8563900
    Abstract: An oven body includes a grilling chamber provided with several far infrared ray heaters and a smoking chamber that emits smoke from the charcoal heated by electric heaters, wherein the meat to be roasted is rotated in the grilling chamber by a rotating means, rotating alternately through a far infrared ray heating area where far infrared ray concentrates and through a smoking area where smoke concentrates, in which process the roasting operation by the far infrared ray and the smoking operation with particular scent of a charcoal are carried out simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Inventor: Dae-Hee Han
  • Patent number: 8552346
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the temperature of multi-zone heater in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method is provided to control a multi-zone heater disposed in a substrate support, wherein the multi-zone heater has a first zone and a second zone. In some embodiments, the method may include measuring a current drawn by the first zone at a first time; measuring a voltage drawn by the first zone at the first time; calculating the resistance of the first zone based upon the measured current and voltage drawn by the first zone at the first time; determining a temperature of the first zone based upon a predetermined relationship between the resistance and the temperature of the first zone; and adjusting the temperature of the first zone in response to the temperature determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hari Kishore Ambal, Uwe Paul Haller, Jianhua Zhou
  • Publication number: 20130259457
    Abstract: Three support members made of silicon carbide are provided fixedly on an inner periphery of the support ring. The support members are inclined at an angle in the range of 15 to 30 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane. With an outer peripheral edge of a semiconductor wafer supported by the three support members, a heating treatment is performed by irradiating the semiconductor wafer with halogen light from halogen lamps. Silicon carbide absorbs the halogen light better than quartz. The support members support the outer peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer in point contacting relationship, so that the contact between a holder and the semiconductor wafer is minimized. This minimizes the disorder of the temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer due to the support members to achieve the uniform heating of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi YOKOUCHI, Hideo NISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20130260546
    Abstract: After the completion of the transport of a semiconductor wafer into a chamber, the flow rate of nitrogen gas supplied into the chamber is decreased. In this state, a preheating treatment and flash irradiation are performed. The flow rate of nitrogen gas supplied into the chamber is increased when the temperature of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is decreased to become equal to the temperature of the back surface thereof after reaching its maximum temperature by the irradiation of the substrate with a flash of light. Thereafter, the supply flow rate of nitrogen gas is maintained at a constant value until the semiconductor wafer is transported out of the chamber. This achieves the reduction in particles deposited on the semiconductor wafer while suppressing adverse effects resulting from the nonuniform in-plane temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro YAMADA, Kenichi YOKOUCHI
  • Patent number: 8541717
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device for remotely detonating explosives. According to the present disclosure, the device includes: a heat source in the form of an electric generator for generating a thermal infrared signal, capable of producing two heating zones and mounted in a casing; and a mobile supporting structure bearing the casing at the front and connected to a vehicle at the rear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: MBDA France
    Inventor: Dominique Hembise
  • Patent number: 8538249
    Abstract: A broiler assembly for a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance having an oven cavity and the broiler assembly is disposed within the oven cavity. The broiler assembly includes a reflector having first and second sides, side retainers coupled to a respective one of the first and second sides, and at least one carbon emitter heating element mounted to the side retainers. The at least one carbon emitter heating element includes a carbon filament disposed within a lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Timothy Scott Shaffer, Blake Philip Bomar
  • Publication number: 20130223824
    Abstract: Embodiments of heating lamps and heating lamp arrays are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a heating lamp may include a heating lamp envelope having a filament disposed within the heating lamp envelope; a base coupled to the heating lamp envelope to support the heating lamp envelope; and one or more recesses formed in the base to provide an improved grip for a user. In some embodiments, a heating lamp array for use in a semiconductor process chamber may include a plurality of heating lamps, each heating lamp comprising a heating lamp envelope having a filament disposed within the envelope and a base coupled to the heating lamp envelope to support the envelope, the base having one or more recesses formed in the base to provide an improved grip for a user, wherein a distance between adjacent heating lamp bases is about 0.02 inches to about 0.08 inches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Applied Materials, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8521013
    Abstract: A technology to control temperature of a large substrate to be heated. A temperature sensing device is disposed lateral to a region where a radiation heater faces a substrate to be heated inside a heating chamber. A heating device has the heating chamber, the radiation heater, a power-supply device, a substrate-holding device, a control device, and the temperature sensing device. A control program is built into the control device, according to which the power-supply device controls the power applied to the radiation heater to generate heat such that the temperature of the temperature measurement substrate detected by a thermocouple of the temperature sensing device becomes a set temperature. Furthermore, a circulation passage is disposed in close contact with the temperature-sensing device, and with a coolant flowing through the circulation passage, the temperature of the temperature measurement substrate can be cooled from the set temperature to an initial temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Yoshimoto, Katsumi Yamane, Tetsuhiro Ohno, Takahiro Mizoguchi
  • Publication number: 20130206362
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods of cooling a substrate during rapid thermal processing. The methods generally include positioning a substrate in a chamber and applying heat to the substrate. After the temperature of the substrate is increased to a desired temperature, the substrate is rapidly cooled. Rapid cooling of the substrate is facilitated by increasing a flow rate of a gas through the chamber. Rapid cooling of the substrate is further facilitated by positioning the substrate in close proximity to a cooling plate. The cooling plate removes heat from substrate via conduction facilitated by gas located therebetween. The distance between the cooling plate and the substrate can be adjusted to create a turbulent gas flow therebetween, which further facilitates removal of heat from the substrate. After the substrate is sufficiently cooled, the substrate is removed from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jiping Li, Blake Koelmel, Aaron Muir Hunter, Wolfgang R. Aderhold
  • Publication number: 20130203269
    Abstract: A first flash heating is performed in which a lower flash lamp irradiates a back surface of a semiconductor wafer with flashes of light, so that heat conduction from the back surface to a surface of the semiconductor wafer raises the temperature of the surface from the room temperature to an intermediate temperature. Then, a second flash heating is performed in which an upper flash lamp irradiates the surface of the semiconductor wafer with flashes of light, to raise the temperature of the surface of the semiconductor wafer from the intermediate temperature to a target temperature. Since only the irradiation with flashes of light emitted from the lower flash lamp and the upper flash lamp is used to cause the semiconductor wafer having the room temperature to reach the target temperature, all heat treatments can be completed in an extremely short time of one second or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventor: DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD.
  • Patent number: 8498526
    Abstract: A high speed cooking apparatus employing a low voltage high current system for heating foods employing a novel wire mesh heating element. The system herein described providing the benefits of high speed cooking like that further described by U.S. Provisional Application 60/822,028 filed on Aug. 10, 2006, but yet providing significant cost benefit and simplicity over said system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: De Luca Oven Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Nicholas P. De Luca
  • Patent number: 8467668
    Abstract: An infrared, room heater system for installation in a wall or on a floor. An electric fan assembly draws room air into a housing, then through three parallel, air transit channels where the air is heated by infrared radiation within and about a heat exchanger assembly, and then back out into the room. One or more ceramic heating elements attached to a first copper plate emit infrared radiation when electrically energized. The first copper plate lies adjacent to, but spaced away from, a second copper plate such that radiation emitted from the heating elements reflects back and forth between the plates. Room air passed between the copper plates is heated by heat radiation concentrated between the plates, thereby achieving both energy and space efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Acepower Logistics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce R. Searle, Alexander Anderson
  • Publication number: 20130148948
    Abstract: A light-emission output of a flash lamp for performing a light-irradiation heat treatment on a substrate in which impurities are implanted is increased up to a target value L1 over a period of time from 1 to 100 milliseconds, is kept for 5 to 100 milliseconds within a fluctuation range of plus or minus 30% from the target value L1, and is then attenuated from the target value L1 to zero over a period of time from 1 to 100 milliseconds. That is, compared with conventional flash lamp annealing, the light-emission output of the flash lamp is increased more gradually, is kept to be constant for a certain period of time, and is then decreased more gradually. As a result, a total heat amount of a surface of the substrate increases compared with the conventional case, but a surface temperature thereof rises more gradually and then drops more gradually compared with the conventional case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventor: Shinichi KATO
  • Patent number: 8455293
    Abstract: A method for processing solar cells comprising: providing a vertical furnace to receive an array of mutually spaced circular semiconductor wafers for integrated circuit processing; composing a process chamber loading configuration for solar cell substrates, wherein a size of the solar cell substrates that extends along a first surface to be processed is smaller than a corresponding size of the circular semiconductor wafers, such that multiple arrays of mutually spaced solar cell substrates can be accommodated in the process chamber, loading the solar cell substrates into the process chamber; subjecting the solar cell substrates to a process in the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: ASM International N.V.
    Inventors: Chris G. M. de Ridder, Klaas P. Boonstra, Adriaan Garssen, Frank Huussen
  • Patent number: 8457479
    Abstract: A rapid thermal processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber which subjects a semiconductor substrate to rapid thermal processing. A substrate support part is arranged in the processing chamber and supports the substrate. A lamp part optically irradiates the substrate supported by the substrate support part and heats the substrate. A thermo sensor is provided to measure a temperature of the substrate. A temperature computing part computes the temperature of the substrate based on an output signal of the thermo sensor. A control part controls an irradiation intensity of the lamp part according to the temperature computed by the temperature computing part. In this apparatus, the control part is provided to correct a control parameter of the irradiation intensity of the lamp part based on a measured reflectivity of a surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Tomohiro Kubo
  • Patent number: 8452166
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for reducing heating source radiation influence in temperature measurement during thermal processing. In one embodiment of the present invention, background radiant energy, such as an energy source of a thermal processing chamber, is marked within a selected spectrum, a characteristic of the background is then determined by measuring radiant energy at a reference wavelength within the selected spectrum and a comparing wavelength just outside the selected spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Blake Koelmel, Aaron Hunter
  • Patent number: 8450652
    Abstract: An apparatus for thermally treating semiconductor substrates has a processing space which is defined by first walls substantially parallel to the semiconductor substrate and a second side wall connected to the first walls; a substrate holding device disposed in the processing space which defines a substrate retaining region for a semiconductor substrate in the processing space; and heating elements which are disposed in the processing space between at least one of the first walls and the substrate retaining region. The thermal gradient between the edge of the semiconductor substrate and the center of the semiconductor substrate can be effectively compensated by providing a shutter between the substrate retaining region and the heating elements which limits the radiation emitted in the processing space by the heating elements in the direction of the substrate retaining region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Mattson Thermal Products GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst Falter, Jeanette Falter
  • Patent number: 8450658
    Abstract: An output-history storing unit stores past and present measurement data input to a measurement-data input unit while distinguishing the measurement data for each of output sources. An output-fluctuation monitoring unit monitors, based on the measurement data stored in the output-history storing unit, output fluctuation in each of the output sources. An output control unit separately controls, based on the output fluctuation monitored by the output-fluctuation monitoring unit, outputs from the output sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masaki Kamimura
  • Publication number: 20130129329
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heat treatment inner chamber (3) for thermally processing a substrate (20), having walls (10) which enclose an inner space (24) of the heat treatment inner chamber (3), having a mounting apparatus (8) for mounting the substrate (20) during the thermal processing and having an energy source (11) for introducing energy into the inner space (24) of the heat treatment inner chamber (3), at least one part of the inner sides of the walls (10) being formed in order to reflect power introduced by the energy source (11), wherein the at least one part of the inner sides of the walls (10) consists of a material which is highly reflective at least for infrared radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicants: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE, LEYBOLD OPTICS GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Caspari, Stefan Henkel, Jutta Trube, Sven Stille, Martin Fürfanger
  • Patent number: 8440941
    Abstract: Provided is a heat treatment apparatus in which a large-sized substrate can be rapidly heated and rapidly cooled with high uniformity, and a heat treatment method using the heat treatment apparatus. The heat treatment apparatus includes: a first chamber of which one side is opened; a second chamber of which one side is opened; a device for moving the first and the second chambers; a heating device; a gas introduction port; a gas exhaust port; and a jig for longitudinally fixing a substrate, in which the substrate is rapidly heated while the first and the second chambers are connected, and rapidly cooled by separating the chambers to move the substrate away from a heat storage portion of the heating device or the like. Further, the heat treatment method includes the heat treatment apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using an oxide semiconductor is included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Narita, Hideto Ohnuma, Tomoaki Moriwaka, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20130109109
    Abstract: To provide a temperature control method capable of equivalently maintaining qualities of substrates even when treated substrates are continuously carried in a treatment container in the case in which activation annealing treatment is performed by an electron impact heating method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masami Shibagaki, Kaori Mashimo
  • Patent number: 8426323
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber capable of being evacuated, a substrate stage adapted to mount a substrate, a heating unit adapted to be set above the substrate mounting surface of the substrate stage, face the substrate mounted on at least the substrate mounting surface, and heat the substrate by radiant heat without being in contact with the substrate, a shutter adapted to be retractably inserted in the space between the heating unit and the substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface, and a shutter driving unit adapted to extend/retract the shutter into/from the space. The substrate is mounted on the substrate stage to face the heating unit, the substrate is annealed by heating the substrate by radiant heat from the heating unit, and the shutter is extended into the space between the heating unit and the substrate stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Masaki, Yuichi Sasuga, Masami Shibagaki, Hiroshi Doi
  • Patent number: 8428448
    Abstract: A walking beam type heat treatment apparatus including a heating furnace having a heating body to heat a substrate by radiation, a pair of first beams that are rod-like and provided in the heating furnace and a second beam disposed between the pair of the first beams, one of the pair of the first beams and the second beam relatively moving alternately in longitudinal and vertical directions repeatedly to the other of the pair of the first beams and the second beam, to cause to deliver and receive the substrate between the pair of the first beams and the second beam, and accordingly, to convey the substrate through the heating furnace, includes a side edge support protrusion that protrudes from each of the pair of the first beams such that the side edge support protrusion can horizontally support the substrate in abutting contact with a side edge of the substrate; and a front edge support protrusion and a rear edge support protrusion that protrude from the second beam such that the front edge support protrusio
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Noritake Co., Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Iwata, Yoshizumi Ito, Katsuhiro Kano
  • Publication number: 20130058636
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an edge ring for supporting a substrate with increased temperature uniformity. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide an edge ring having one or more fins formed on an energy receiving surface of the edge ring. The fins may have at least one sloped side relative to a main body of the edge ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake Koelmel, Joseph M. Ranish, Abhilash J. Mayur
  • Patent number: 8367976
    Abstract: A system of heating a sample on a microchip includes the steps of providing a microchannel flow channel in the microchip; positioning the sample within the microchannel flow channel, providing a laser that directs a laser beam onto the sample for heating the sample; providing the microchannel flow channel with a wall section that receives the laser beam and enables the laser beam to pass through wall section of the microchannel flow channel without being appreciably heated by the laser beam; and providing a carrier fluid in the microchannel flow channel that moves the sample in the microchannel flow channel wherein the carrier fluid is not appreciably heated by the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, The Board of Regents, The University of California
    Inventors: Neil Reginald Beer, Ian Kennedy
  • Patent number: 8367983
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing substrates and measuring the temperature using radiation pyrometry are disclosed. A reflective layer is provided on a window of a processing chamber. A radiation source providing radiation in a first range of wavelengths heats the substrate, the substrate being transparent to radiation in a second range of wavelengths within the first range of wavelengths for a predetermined temperature range. Radiation within the second range of wavelength is reflected by the reflective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Aaron M. Hunter, Blake R. Koelmel, Bruce E. Adams
  • Patent number: 8367975
    Abstract: A temperature adjustment method is provided to improve operating efficiency and reduce costs. Control of a heating unit in a thermal processing system including a heating control section is performed based on a first output control pattern obtained by subjecting a detection temperature provided by a first temperature detecting unit to an integral operation, a differential operation, and a proportional operation under a condition of a first set of temperature-setting conditions, a second output control pattern obtained by determining a first heat quantity in a period from the start of an increase in temperature detected by a second temperature detecting unit until the temperature inside the processing chamber reaches a maximum temperature, and using a second heat quantity obtained by subtracting the part of the output provided by the proportional operation from the first heat quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Masashi Sugishita, Masaaki Ueno
  • Patent number: 8357878
    Abstract: An ultraviolet (UV) LED-based lamp for UV curing lamp assemblies is disclosed. An array of UV emitting LEDs are packaged together and arranged along the length of a cylindrical lens to form a UV LED-based optical component assembly. The UV LED-based optical component assembly may be made to be modular. A UV LED lamp assembly may comprise a plurality of UV LED-based optical component assemblies arranged around a workpiece tube. The workpiece tube may be filled with an inert gas and may be made of quartz or glass. One or more curved back reflectors may be placed opposite the LED UV LED-based optical component assemblies to collect UV light escaping the workpiece tube and refocus the light to the other side of the workpiece. The UV LEDs may be arranged on a single surface or a multi-level tiered platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Fusion UV Systems
    Inventors: Darrin Leonhardt, Charles H. Wood, Pradyumna K. Swain
  • Patent number: 8355624
    Abstract: A susceptor for holding a semiconductor wafer to be flash-heated by a flash of light emitted from flash lamps is formed of transparent quartz. The susceptor has a backside surface only which is roughened by shot blasting to provide a ground-glass-like surface. When a flash of light is emitted, part of the flash of light emitted from the flash lamps and passing by a peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer held by the susceptor into the susceptor reaches the ground-glass-like backside surface and is diffusely reflected therefrom. Part of the diffusely reflected light impinges on the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer held by the susceptor to thereby heat the low temperature regions which have appeared in the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ippei Kobayashi, Yoshio Ito, Akio Wada, Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8346068
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate rotating and oscillating apparatus for a rapid thermal process (RTP), that oscillates an oscillation plate using an oscillation motor moved by an elevating unit. Rotational shafts of the oscillation motor comprise lower and upper center rotational shafts mounted on a central axis of the motor, and an eccentric shaft mounted between the lower and the upper center rotational shafts as deviated from the central axis. An oscillation cam is mounted to the eccentric cam. The oscillation plate has an oscillation hole for inserting the oscillation cam therein. A bearing is mounted between the oscillation cam and the eccentric shaft such that the oscillation cam rotates independently from the eccentric shaft. The oscillation plate supports the whole multipole-magnetized magnetic motor or maglev motor. Accordingly, the substrate can be uniformly heated by both rotating and all-directionally oscillating the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Asia Pacific Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jang Woo Shim, Sang Seok Lee, Woon Ki Cho, Jun Her
  • Publication number: 20120328272
    Abstract: A coated film drying furnace for drying a coated film inside a furnace body by conveying the coated film therein, the coated film having an absorption spectrum for electromagnetic waves of 3.5 ?m or less and having hydrogen bonds, such as an electrode coated film for lithium ion battery. Infrared heaters provided inside a furnace body have outer circumferences of filaments concentrically covered by tubes that function as a low pass filter, and have a structure in which a fluid flow passage is formed at 16 between the plurality of tubes. Due to this, a temperature rise in the furnace is controlled so as to prevent explosion of an organic solvent vapor, and the coated film is efficiently heated and dried by intensively radiating near infrared rays of 3.5 ?m or less that have superior ability to cut off the intermolecular hydrogen bonds onto a work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Fujita, Yoshio Kondo, Michiro Aoki
  • Publication number: 20120329001
    Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes a receiving unit supporting an object to be processed, a first heating unit adjacent the receiving unit, the first heating unit configured to heat the object to be processed to a first temperature during a first period, and a second heating unit adjacent the first heating unit, the second heating unit configured to heat the object to be processed to a second temperature, higher than the first temperature, during a second period that is shorter than the first period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: Min-Jae JEONG, Ki-Yong LEE, Yun-Mo CHUNG, Dong-Hyun LEE, Kil-Won LEE
  • Publication number: 20120319253
    Abstract: In the disclosed method for manufacturing a semiconductor module, a metal layer and a cooler, which have different coefficients of thermal expansion from each other, are joined into a single unit via an insulating resin sheet. A work, comprising a semiconductor element placed on the metal layer with solder interposed therebetween, is fed into a reflow furnace. The work, in that state, is heated in the reflow furnace, thereby mounting the semiconductor element to the metal layer. The heating is carried out such that the temperature of the cooler and the temperature of the metal layer differ by an amount that make the cooler and the metal layer undergo the same amount of thermal expansion as each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20120308215
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for detecting substrate warping during RTP processing are provided. In one embodiment, one or more beams of light are provided above and across the substrate being processed. In this embodiment, the amount of beam blockage correlates to the amount of substrate warping. In another embodiment, a beam of light is reflected off of a substrate during processing. In this embodiment, the amount of movement of the beam correlates to the amount of substrate warping. In yet another embodiment, a region of a substrate is illuminated during processing. In this embodiment, images of the illuminated region are analyzed to determine the amount of substrate warping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Jiping Li
  • Publication number: 20120294595
    Abstract: A conveyor oven has several heating zones. Each heating zone is comprised of one or more infrared emitters that are configured to emit a spectrum of infrared wavelengths that varies in intensity and spectrum over time. The spectra of emitted infrared wavelengths in each zone can have the same or different profile. Zones are regions wherein infrared emitters are configured and operated to emit the same or substantially the same infrared energy wavelengths and intensity levels across an IR spectrum. Access to the infrared emitters and the conveyor is provided by one or more access or maintenance ports formed into a side of the conveyor oven. Temperature control inside the oven is effectuated by venting hot air through air vents formed into the oven sides and/or top.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: PRINCE CASTLE LLC
    Inventors: Loren Veltrop, Frank Agnello, Thomas Serena, Nathaniel Howard
  • Publication number: 20120294596
    Abstract: A conveyor oven has several heating zones. Each heating zone is comprised of one or more infrared emitters that are configured to emit a spectrum of infrared wavelengths that varies in intensity and spectrum over time. The spectra of emitted infrared wavelengths in each zone can have the same or different profile. Zones are regions wherein infrared emitters are configured and operated to emit the same or substantially the same infrared energy wavelengths and intensity levels across an IR spectrum. Access to the infrared emitters and the conveyor is provided by one or more access or maintenance ports formed into a side of the conveyor oven. Temperature control inside the oven is effectuated by venting hot air through air vents formed into the oven sides and/or top.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: PRINCE CASTLE LLC
    Inventors: Frank Agnello, Loren Veltrop, Thomas Serena, Nathaniel Howard
  • Patent number: 8314368
    Abstract: A silver reflector for reflecting radiation from a lamp in a semiconductor processing chamber is disclosed. The reflector may be a sleeve to be disposed in a lightpipe or part of a lamphead. The silver may be in the form of a coating on the sleeve or the lamphead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Kelly Churton, Mark E. Lindsay, Mischa Ann Plesha, Sage Berta
  • Patent number: 8315510
    Abstract: A light emitting type heat treatment apparatus includes relatively low rated power density filament lamps and relatively high rated power density filament lamps, in which a heat treatment including a temperature raising heat process for raising a work piece quickly to a predetermined heat treatment temperature by light emitted from the filament lamps, and a constant temperature heating process succeeding the temperature raising heating process in which the work piece is heated while the predetermined heat treatment temperature is maintained, and a control unit which controls lighting state of the filament lamps so that while at least filament lamps with relatively high rated power density are lighted in the temperature raising heating process, in the constant temperature heating process, only filament lamps with relatively low rated power density are lighted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Ueshima, Shinji Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120288261
    Abstract: A photodetector element for receiving radiated light from a surface of a semiconductor wafer loses a detection function because the intensity of the received light exceeds a detection limit while a flash lamp emits light. Measurement is not performed during the above-mentioned period, and the intensity of the radiated light from the surface of the semiconductor wafer is measured after the flash lamp stops emitting light and the photodetector element restores the detection function. Then, the temperature of the surface of the semiconductor wafer heated by irradiation with a flash of light is calculated based on the measured intensity of the radiated light. Accordingly, even in a case where intense irradiation is performed in an extremely short period of time, such as flash irradiation, the flash of light does not act as ambient light, which enables to obtain the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: Kazuyuki HASHIMOTO, Tatsufumi KUSUDA
  • Patent number: 8309421
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods of controlling UV lamp output to increase irradiance uniformity. The methods generally include determining a baseline irradiance within a chamber, determining the relative irradiance on a substrate corresponding to a first lamp and a second lamp, and determining correction or compensation factors based on the relative irradiances and the baseline irradiance. The lamps are then adjusted via closed loop control using the correction or compensation factors to individually adjust the lamps to the desired output. The lamps may optionally be adjusted to equal irradiances prior to adjusting the lamps to the desired output. The closed loop control ensures process uniformity from substrate to substrate. The irradiance measurement and the correction or compensation factors allow for adjustment of lamp set points due to chamber component degradation, chamber component replacement, or chamber cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yao-Hung Yang, Abhijit Kangude, Sanjeev Baluja, Michael Martinelli, Liliya Krivulina, Thomas Nowak, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Scott Hendrickson
  • Publication number: 20120281975
    Abstract: A surface heating device for a substrate treatment device with increased power density and improved homogeneity of heat radiation includes a jacket tube heater with straight tube sections and bent tube sections in which straight tube sections are arranged parallel to each other in a main plane and straight tube sections are connected to each other by bent tube sections, so that at least part of the bent tube sections are aligned sloped relative to the main plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: VON ARDENNE ANLAGENTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Hentschel, Thomas Meyer, Hubertus Von Der Waydbrink, Marco Kenne, Daniel Stange, Hans-Christian Hecht
  • Patent number: 8298372
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a process gas to a substrate in a processing system are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the substrate processing system may include a process chamber having a substrate support disposed therein; a light source disposed above the process chamber to direct energy towards the substrate support; and a window assembly disposed between the light source and the substrate support to allow light energy provided by the light source to enter the process chamber towards the substrate support, wherein the window assembly includes an inlet to receive a process gas and one or more outlets to distribute the process gas into the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tae Jung Kim, Martin Ripley
  • Publication number: 20120269498
    Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus and a supporting unit are provided. The substrate treatment apparatus includes a chamber in which a substrate is processed; a supporting unit that is disposed in the chamber and is configured to support the substrate; and a heating member that is configured to apply heat to the substrate supported by the supporting unit. The supporting unit includes a plate; a plurality of supporting pins upwardly protruding from the plate; and at least one auxiliary pin upwardly protruding from the plate. A distance between a central point of the plate and the at least one auxiliary pin is different from a distance between the central point of the plate and the supporting pins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gonsu KANG, Sangbom KANG, Jaeyoung PARK, Sungho KANG, Taegon KIM, Hyunsub EARM, Jong-hoon KANG, Kang Hun MOON, Han Ki LEE
  • Patent number: 8294068
    Abstract: Embodiments of a lamphead and apparatus utilizing same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a lamphead for use in thermal processing may include a monolithic member having a plurality of coolant passages and a plurality of lamp passages and reflector cavities, wherein each lamp passage is configured to accommodate a lamp and each reflector cavity is shaped to act as a reflector or to receive a replaceable reflector for the lamp, and wherein the plurality of coolant passages are disposed proximate to the plurality of lamp passages; and at least one heat transfer member extending from the monolithic member into each coolant passage. In some embodiments, the lamphead may be disposed in an apparatus comprising a process chamber having a substrate support, wherein the lamphead is positioned to provide energy to the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Khurshed Sorabji, Kedarnath Sangam, Alexander Lerner
  • Patent number: 8295691
    Abstract: In a heat treatment apparatus, a substrate held by a holding part is irradiated with light emitted from halogen lamps to perform preheating thereon and irradiated with a flash of light emitted from flash lamps to perform flash heating thereon. Part of light which is emitted from the halogen lamps and goes toward the flash lamps passes through a window hole formed in a peripheral-light shielding member and enters the substrate held by the holding part, and its energy is used for the preheating on the substrate. On the other hand, the remaining light is blocked out by the peripheral-light shielding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsufumi Kusuda
  • Publication number: 20120263441
    Abstract: An oven apparatus 24 having a modular construction for curing paint on the surface of a vehicle body 26 using radiant and convection heat. The oven apparatus 24 includes a plurality of oven modules, each extending along an axis A along a length B. Each oven module 30 includes an interior shell 52, an outer shell 54 and a wall cavity 56 therebetween. A plurality of Z-shaped rails 84 are disposed in the cavity 56, wherein a rail leg 86 of each Z-shaped rail fixedly engages the outer shell 54. Further, a plurality of support clips 90 are disposed in the wall cavity 56 and fixedly engage the interior shell 52. The support clips 90 each have a clip cavity 96 for receiving a rail leg 88 of a Z-shaped rail 84 for allowing axial movement between the interior and outer shells 52, 54 while restricting transverse movement between the interior and outer shells 52, 54.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventors: James C. Schumacher, Curt D. Hite, Tracy E. Roberts