With Support For Workpiece Patents (Class 392/418)
  • 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: 8369696
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to micro-heaters, micro-heater arrays, methods for manufacturing the micro-heater, and methods for forming a pattern using the micro-heater. A micro-heater according to example embodiments may include a metal pattern formed on a substrate. A support may be formed beneath the metal pattern, the support securing the metal pattern to the substrate while spacing the metal pattern apart from the substrate. A spacer may be formed on the substrate and adjacent to the metal pattern, a first distance from the substrate to the top surface of the spacer being greater than a second distance from the substrate to the top surface of the metal pattern. The distance between the micro-heater and a target substrate positioned above the metal pattern may be controlled by the spacer, thus allowing the formation of a relatively fine pattern on the target substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junhee Choi
  • 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: 20120328273
    Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal processing apparatus and method that can acquire a high throughput and reduce the occupation area of the thermal processing apparatus. A wafer is heated by an LED module that irradiates infrared light corresponding to the absorption wavelength of the wafer, and therefore, the wafer can be rapidly heated. Since an LED is used as a heat source and a temperature rise of LED is small, a cooling process after the heating process can be performed in the same process area as the heating process area. As a result, an installation area of the thermal processing apparatus can be reduced. Since the time for moving between a heating process area and a cooling process area can be saved, a time required for a series of processes including the heating process and the subsequent cooling process can be shortened, thereby improving a throughput.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: Hisashi KAWANO, Ryouichi Uemura, Kousuke Yoshihara, Shigeru Kasai, Keiji Tanouchi, Makoto Muramatsu, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Masatake Yoneda, Kazuhiro Ooya
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8314371
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for rapid thermal processing of a planar substrate including axially aligning the substrate with a substrate support or with an empirically determined position are described. The methods and apparatus include a sensor system that determines the relative orientations of the substrate and the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Khurshed Sorabji, Joseph M. Ranish, Wolfgang Aderhold, Aaron M. Hunter, Blake R. Koelmel, Alexander N. Lerner, Nir Merry
  • 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: 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
  • 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: 8283606
    Abstract: A substrate stage includes a stage upon which a wafer is placed, a heater element installed within the stage, an upright support that ranges upright from a bottom of a processing chamber and includes a tubular member that includes a small tube portion, a large tube portion and a middle portion attached to and joins the small tube portion and the large tube portion to one another, an outer heat shield plate disposed so as to surround the outer side of the small tube portion and an inner heat shield plate. The outer heat shield plate and the inner heat shield plate are disposed so that an inner edge of the outer heat shield plate and an outer edge of the inner heat shield plate overlap along the entire circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Daisuke Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20120222620
    Abstract: Provided are atomic layer deposition apparatus and methods including a rotating wheel with a plurality of substrate carriers for continuous processing of substrates. The processing chamber may have a loading station on the front end which is configured with one or more robots to load and unload substrates from the substrate carriers without needing to stop the rotating wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Yudovsky
  • Patent number: 8254767
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods and apparatus for rapid thermal processing of a substrate over an extended temperature range, including low temperatures. Systems and methods for using an extended temperature pyrometry system employing a transmitted radiation detector system are disclosed. Systems combining transmitted radiation detector systems and emitted radiation detector systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron M. Hunter, Jiping Li, Rajesh S. Ramanujam, Thomas Haw
  • Patent number: 8253077
    Abstract: A processing temperature of thermal processing is corrected based on measurement of a first dimension of a resist pattern on a substrate from a previously obtained relation between a dimension of a resist pattern and a temperature of thermal processing, a second dimension of the resist pattern after thermal processing is performed at the corrected processing temperature is measured, a distribution within the substrate of the second dimension is classified into a linear component expressed by an approximated curved surface and a nonlinear component, a processing condition of exposure processing is corrected based on the linear component from a previously obtained relation between a dimension of a resist pattern and a processing condition of exposure processing, and thermal processing at the processing temperature corrected in a temperature correcting step and exposure processing under the processing condition corrected in an exposure condition correcting step are performed to form a predetermined pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kunie Ogata, Masahide Tadokoro, Tsuyoshi Shibata, Shinichi Shinozuka
  • Patent number: 8246900
    Abstract: Provided is an annealing apparatus, which is free from a problem of reduced light energy efficiency resulted by the reduction of light emission amount due to a heat generation and capable of maintaining stable performance. The apparatus includes: a processing chamber 1 for accommodating a wafer W; heating sources 17a and 17b including LEDs 33 and facing the surface of the wafer W to irradiate light on the wafer W; light-transmitting members 18a and 18b arranged in alignment with the heating sources 17a and 17b to transmit the light emitted from the LEDs 33; cooling members 4a and 4b supporting the light-transmitting members 18a and 18b at opposite side to the processing chamber 1 to make direct contact with the heating sources 17a and 17b and made of a material of high thermal conductivity; and a cooling mechanism for cooling the cooling members 4a and 4b with a coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shigeru Kasai, Hiroyuki Miyashita, Masatake Yoneda, Tomohiro Suzuki, Sumi Tanaka, Masamichi Nomura, Miwa Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8242417
    Abstract: In the present invention, temperature drop amounts of heating plate regions when the substrate is mounted on a heating plate are detected to detect a warped state of the substrate. From the temperature drop amounts of the heating plate regions, correction values for set temperatures of the heating plate regions are calculated. The calculation of the correction values for the set temperatures of the heating plate regions is performed by estimating steady temperatures within the substrate to be heat-processed on the heating plate from the temperature drop amounts of the heating plate regions using a correlation obtained in advance. From the estimated steady temperatures within the substrate and the temperature drop amounts of the heating regions, the correction values for the set temperatures of the heating plate regions are calculated. Based on the correction values for the set temperatures, the set temperatures of the heating plate regions are changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahide Tadokoro, Ryoichi Uemura, Mitsuteru Yano, Shinichi Shinozuka
  • Publication number: 20120193071
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum heating/cooling apparatus capable of rapidly heating and also rapidly cooling only a substrate while a high vacuum degree is maintained after film-formation processing. The vacuum heating/cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber (1), a halogen lamp (2) which emits heating light, a quartz window (3) for allowing the heating light to enter the vacuum chamber (1), a substrate supporting base (9) having a cooling function, and a lift pin (13) which causes the substrate (5) to stand still at a heating position P3 and a cooling position P1 and moves the substrate (5) between the heating position P3 and the cooling position P1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Tsunekawa, Yoshinori Nagamine, Shinji Furukawa
  • Patent number: 8229290
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer preheated to a preheating temperature is irradiated with light from flash lamps. With the light emission from the flash lamps, a surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer is maintained at a recovery temperature during a period of 10 to 100 milliseconds to induce recovery of defects created in silicon crystals. Then, with subsequent flashing light emission from the flash lamps, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer will reach a processing temperature to induce activation of impurities. Increasing the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer once to the recovery temperature and then, with the flashing light emission, to the processing temperature will also prevent cracking of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsufumi Kusuda
  • Patent number: 8222574
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for achieving uniform heating or cooling of a substrate during a rapid thermal process are disclosed. More particularly, apparatus and methods for controlling the temperature of an edge ring supporting a substrate and/or a reflector plate during a rapid thermal process to improve temperature uniformity across the substrate are disclosed, which include a thermal mass or plate adjacent the edge ring to heat or cool the edge ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Khurshed Sorabji, Alexander Lerner, Joseph Ranish, Aaron Hunter, Bruce Adams, Mehran Behdjat, Rajesh Ramanujam
  • Patent number: 8222570
    Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be, for instance, are lamps or lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Janis Timans
  • Patent number: 8217317
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermally treating a substrate is provided. A thermal treatment chamber has a substrate support and a magnetically permeable rotor housed in a rotor well. An annular cover shields the rotor from the processing environment. The annular cover has a thermal stress relief joint formed therein that provides one or more mechanical degrees of freedom to allow portions of the cover to shift with thermal stresses. In one embodiment, a gap is formed in the annular cover at the point of maximum thermal stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Tseng
  • Patent number: 8217313
    Abstract: A disclosed heating apparatus includes a heating chamber configured to heat a substrate placed in the heating chamber with a heat plate opposing the substrate; a gas stream forming portion that creates a gas stream along a top surface of the substrate in the heating chamber; and a pair of first plate members respectively located between an inner side wall of the heating chamber and a first substrate edge opposing the inner side wall, and between another inner side wall of the heating chamber and a second substrate edge opposing the other inner side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano, Kazuo Terada
  • Publication number: 20120145684
    Abstract: Methods used to perform an annealing process on desired regions of a substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, an amount of energy is delivered to the surface of the substrate to preferentially melt certain desired regions of the substrate to remove unwanted damage created from prior processing steps (e.g., crystal damage from implant processes), more evenly distribute dopants in various regions of the substrate, and/or activate various regions of the substrate. The preferential melting processes will allow more uniform distribution of the dopants in the melted region, due to the increased diffusion rate and solubility of the dopant atoms in the molten region of the substrate. The creation of a melted region thus allows: 1) the dopant atoms to redistribute more uniformly, 2) defects created in prior processing steps to be removed, and 3) regions that have hyper-abrupt dopant concentrations to be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Paul Carey, Aaron Muir Hunter, Dean Jennings, Abhilash J. Mayur, Stephen Moffatt, William Schaffer, Timothy N. Thomas, Mark Yam
  • Publication number: 20120099845
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the supply of power to a radiant heater of a cooking hob. According to one implementation a method is provided that includes the use of a control circuit that is configured to deliver power to the radiant heater via first and second electrical paths. One control method includes supplying a first level of power to the radiant heater through a closed disconnection switch situated in the first electrical path while sensing a temperature of the cooking hob. Upon detecting that the temperature has reached or exceeded a predetermined temperature, the control circuit terminates the supply of power to the radiant heater through the first electrical path by opening the disconnection switch and for at least a period of time initiating the supply of a second level of power to the radiant heater through the second electrical path, the second level of power being less than the first level of power and sufficiently low to cause the radiant heater to cool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: EIKA, S. COOP
    Inventors: Daniel de los Toyos López, Jon Endika Azpiritxaga Zalbide, Agustín Etxebarrieta Alonso
  • Patent number: 8164033
    Abstract: A stage onto which is electrostatically attracted a substrate to be processed in a substrate processing apparatus, which enables the semiconductor device yield to be improved. A temperature measuring apparatus 200 measures a temperature of the substrate to be processed. A temperature control unit 400 carries out temperature adjustment on the substrate to be processed such as to become equal to a target temperature based on a preset parameter. A temperature control unit 400 controls the temperature of the substrate to be processed by controlling the temperature adjustment by the temperature control unit 400 based on a measured temperature measured by the temperature measuring apparatus 200.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Chishio Koshimizu, Tomohiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8158911
    Abstract: A heating apparatus comprises heating elements arranged of a sheet form and having notches or through holes provided therein, a side wall member made of an electrically conductive material and arranged to surround and define the heating space, and holding members disposed at the heating space side of the side wall member for holding at one end the heating elements. Also, extending members are provided, each member comprising an extending-through portion arranged to project from the heating space side of the side wall member and extend through the notch or through hole between both ends in the heating element and projected portions arranged to project at both, front and back, sides of the heating element from the extending-through portion in a direction, which is orthogonal to the extending direction of the extending-through portion, thus to inhibit the displacement of the heating elements along the extending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., Teitokusha Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Hayashida, Masaaki Ueno, Masakazu Shimada, Kimio Kitamura, Kenji Tanaka, Jyunichi Nishihara
  • Patent number: 8150242
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally contemplate an apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling the temperature of a substrate during processing. One embodiment of the apparatus and method takes advantage of an infrared camera to obtain the temperature profile of multiple regions or the entire surface of the substrate and a system controller to calculate and coordinate in real time an optimized strategy for reducing any possible temperature non-uniformity found on the substrate during processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nir Merry, Stephen Moffatt, Kailash Patalay, David Keith Carlson
  • Patent number: 8145046
    Abstract: In light-irradiation heating with a total irradiation time of one second or less, two-stage irradiation is performed, including a first stage of light irradiation of a semiconductor wafer, which irradiation produces an output waveform that reaches a peak at a given emission output; and a second stage of supplemental light irradiation of the semiconductor wafer, which irradiation is started after the peak, producing an emission output smaller than the above given emission output. The emission output in the second stage is two thirds or less than the above given emission output at the peak. The first-stage light-irradiation time is between 0.1 and 10 milliseconds, and the second-stage light-irradiation time is 5 milliseconds or more. This allows the temperature of the semiconductor wafer even at a somewhat greater depth below the surface to be raised to some extent while allowing the surface temperature to be maintained at a generally constant processing temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kiyama, Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8138451
    Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly of light energy sources for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The light energy sources can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be either active sources of light energy or passive sources which reflect, refract or absorb light energy. For instance, in one embodiment, the tuning devices can comprise a lamp spaced from a focusing lens designed to focus determined amounts of light energy onto a particular location of a wafer being heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Arnon Gat, Bob Bogart
  • Patent number: 8115142
    Abstract: In a plate for adjusting a temperature of a substrate, a body of the plate supports the substrate. A first channel and a second channel are disposed within the body of the plate. The first channel has a first inlet and a first outlet and passes therethrough a first fluid to adjust the temperature of the substrate. The second channel has a second inlet adjacent to the first outlet and a second outlet adjacent to the first inlet and passes therethrough a second fluid to adjust the temperature of the substrate. Further, the first and second channels are disposed side by side. Thus, the temperature of the substrate may be adjusted uniformly as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Semes Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Suk Oh, Hyun-Kyung Kim
  • Publication number: 20120033953
    Abstract: Provided is a bidirectional heating cooker that supplements and improves a function of a conventional infrared radiation cooker, in which the bidirectional heating cooker further includes a lower heating unit that is placed at the lower end of a cooking pan that is heated by radiant heat irradiated by an infrared lamp and that directly heats the cooking pan, to thereby heat the cooking pan quickly by the lower heating unit to thus make the upper and lower portions of food such as meat put on the cooking pan more quickly roasted than the conventional infrared radiation cooker and reduce a burden of electric charges based on a shortened heating time of the cooking pan, and to thereby make it possible to cook food rapidly by an upper heating unit with the infrared lamp and the lower heating unit that is placed on the cooking pan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventor: Jin Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 8110780
    Abstract: To provide a photo-irradiation type heat treatment apparatus that eliminates the adverse influence of a light transmitting window on the temperature distribution of an article to be treated without losing the original function of a reflecting mirror a photo-irradiation type heat treatment apparatus in which heat treating of an article is performed by irradiating the article with light emitted from multiple filament lamps through a light transmitting window, by providing the apparatus with a reflecting mirror having an opening at its central area so that cooling air can pass therethrough and by providing an air permeable reflector so as to cover the opening in the reflecting mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Suzuki, Akinobu Nakashima
  • Patent number: 8107801
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for performing prescribed heat treatment to a subject (W) to be treated is provided with a processing chamber in which air can be exhausted; a mounting table arranged in the processing chamber, for placing on an upper plane the subject to be treated; a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements arranged on an upper part of the mounting table; a light transmitting window for covering a ceiling portion of the processing chamber airtight; and a gas introduction unit for introducing a required gas into the processing chamber. A heating unit which includes a plurality of heating light sources including a semiconductor light emitting element for emitting heating light to the subject to be treated, is provided above the light transmitting window. Thus, heating efficiency is improved and temperature can be increased and reduced at a higher speed for the subject to be treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Shimizu, Shigeru Kasai, Masatake Yoneda
  • Patent number: 8107800
    Abstract: An article supports a workpiece during thermal processing. At least three elongated support members, e.g., support pins, extend upwardly from an element such as support arms for supporting the workpiece. Each of the support members includes a first portion adjacent to the workpiece. A second portion extends downwardly from the first portion. The first portion can have a thermal response faster than the thermal response of the workpiece and the second portion can have a slower thermal response. A removable element may be mounted to the support member for adjusting the thermal response of the support member. With removable elements, the support members can be adjusted to cause no net transfer of heat to or from the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Raschid J. Bezama, Lewis S. Goldmann, Donald R. Wall
  • Publication number: 20120008926
    Abstract: A capacitor, a coil, a flash lamp, and a switching element such as an IGBT are connected in series. A controller outputs a pulse signal to the gate of the switching element. A waveform setter sets the waveform of the pulse signal, based on the contents of input from an input unit. With electrical charge accumulated in the capacitor, a pulse signal is output to the gate of the switching element so that the flash lamp emits light intermittently. A change in the waveform of the pulse signal applied to the switching element will change the waveform of current flowing through the flash lamp and, accordingly, the form of light emission, thereby resulting in a change in the temperature profile for a semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tatsufumi Kusuda
  • Patent number: 8084720
    Abstract: A method for multi-step temperature control of a substrate includes selecting a first set-point temperature and a second set-point temperature for the substrate, and selecting a first PID parameter set including a first proportional constant KP1, a first integral constant KI1 and a first derivative constant KD1, and selecting a second PID parameter set including a second proportional constant KP2, a second integral constant KI2 and a second derivative constant KD2. The substrate is placed on a substrate holder, the temperature of the substrate is adjusted to the first set-point temperature and the substrate is processed for a first period of time at the first set-point temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Mitsunori Ohata
  • Publication number: 20110303100
    Abstract: A conveyorized toaster oven for cooking flat breads, pita and the like uses infrared energy, which raises interior temperatures of the oven. A metallic shell is formed around the oven, which defines an air duct. A blower is configured to force air through the duct to remove heat energy from the exterior surface of the oven cabinet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: PRINCE CASTLE LLC
    Inventors: Frank Agnello, Loren Veltrop, Michael Soldwisch, Thomas Serena
  • Patent number: 8076615
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises: an outer tube; a manifold connected to the outer tube and made of a non-metal material; an inner tube disposed in the manifold at a more inner side than the outer tube and configured to process a substrate therein; a heating device installed at a more outer side than the outer tube and configured to heat the inside of the outer tube; a lid configured to open and close an opening of the manifold, with a seal member intervened therebetween; and a heat absorption member installed in the manifold, with a bottom end of the inner tube intervened therebetween, and configured to absorb heat from the heating device, the heat absorption member being made of a non-metal material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya Morita, Koichi Sada, Takayuki Nakada, Tomoyuki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8055125
    Abstract: A substrate stage mechanism (10) configured to place a substrate (W) thereon inside a process container of a substrate processing apparatus (100) and having a substrate heating function for heating the substrate (W) includes a substrate table (11) including a base body (11a) configured to place the substrate (W) thereon and a heating element (13) provided to the base body (11a) and configured to heat the substrate (W); a support member (12) having an upper end connected to the substrate table (11) and a lower end attached to the process container; and a heating device (17) configured to heat the support member (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Tomohito Komatsu
  • Patent number: 8049144
    Abstract: A system for coating a substrate includes a heater that heats the substrate. The heater includes a two-dimensional array of a plurality of heat sources which supply heat to the substrate when the substrate is in the presence of the array of heat sources. The heater further includes a controller that controls the operation of each heat source to heat a localized area of the surface of the substrate according to a predetermined temperature profile for the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Exatec LLC
    Inventor: Steven M. Gasworth
  • Patent number: 8050546
    Abstract: A capacitor, a coil, a flash lamp, and a switching element such as an IGBT are connected in series. A controller outputs a pulse signal to the gate of the switching element. A waveform setter sets the waveform of the pulse signal, based on the contents of input from an input unit. With electrical charge accumulated in the capacitor, a pulse signal is output to the gate of the switching element so that the flash lamp emits light intermittently. A change in the waveform of the pulse signal applied to the switching element will change the waveform of current flowing through the flash lamp and, accordingly, the form of light emission, thereby resulting in a change in the temperature profile for a semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsufumi Kusuda
  • Publication number: 20110262870
    Abstract: A purge ring for a photonic temperature processing system includes a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The first layer, the second layer and the third layer define an inner region. The first layer and the second layer define a first plenum and a first baffle. The first plenum receives a first gas that flows through the first plenum and the first baffle to the inner region. The second layer and the third layer define a second plenum and a second baffle. The second plenum receives a second gas that flows through the second plenum and the second baffle to the inner region, and wherein the second baffle is one of less restrictive and more restrictive than the first baffle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Inventors: James Lee, Lisa Gytri
  • Publication number: 20110262118
    Abstract: A radiant electric heater comprises a dish-shaped enclosure (1) formed of a first thermal insulation material and having a base (3) and a peripheral wall (5) and at least one upwardly-extending protrusion (7) formed in the base and defining a channel (9) in the base within the peripheral wall. A layer (11) of a second thermal insulation material, having greater thermal insulation properties than the first thermal insulation material, is provided in the channel. A radiant electric heating element (13) is supported on or in the layer of the second thermal insulation material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Inventor: Kevin Ronald McWilliams
  • Patent number: 8041198
    Abstract: In photo-irradiation heating with a total photo-irradiation time of one second or less, after initial photo-irradiation of a semiconductor wafer is performed while increasing an emission output to a target value, succeeding photo-irradiation of the semiconductor wafer is performed while maintaining the emission output within a range of plus or minus 20% from the target value. The photo-irradiation time for the initial photo-irradiation ranges from 0.1 to 10 milliseconds, and the photo-irradiation time for the succeeding photo-irradiation ranges from 5 milliseconds to less than one second. This allows the temperature of the semiconductor wafer even at a somewhat greater depth below the surface to be raised to some extent while allowing the surface temperature to be maintained at a generally constant processing temperature, thus achieving both the activation of implanted ions and the repair of introduced defects without any thermal damage to the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg.Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kiyama, Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8041197
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for heating a target object W is provided with a plurality of heating light sources, including LED elements for applying heating light having a wavelength within a range from 360 to 520 nm to the object. Thus, a temperature of only the shallow surface of the object, such as a semiconductor wafer, is increased/reduced at a high speed in uniform temperature distribution, irrespective of the film type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shigeru Kasai, Tomohiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20110229113
    Abstract: Heating arrangement for a thermoplastic prosthesis socket blank, said heating arrangement comprising a holder (1) for the thermoplastic prosthesis socket blank, and a heating device, wherein the holder has a plate (4), which receives the prosthesis socket blank (2), and one or more radiant heaters (3) for heating the thermoplastic prosthesis socket blank (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: MEDI GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Christof KURTH, Dirk KREMSER
  • Patent number: 8003918
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vertical heat treatment boat that has at least four or more support portions per processing target substrate to be supported, the support portions horizontally supporting the processing target substrate, support auxiliary members on which the processing target substrate is mounted being detachably attached to the four or more support portions, respectively, wherein flatness obtained from all surfaces of the respective support auxiliary members on which the processing target substrate is mounted is adjusted by adjusting thicknesses of the support auxiliary members or interposing spacers between the support portions and the support auxiliary members in accordance with respective shapes of the four or more support portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7986871
    Abstract: A method of adjusting the heat transfer properties within a processing chamber is presented. Chamber properties may be determined and adjusted by adjusting the thermal mass of an edge ring disposed in the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sundar Ramamurthy, Andreas G. Hegedus, Randhir Thakur