Wafer Heater Nozzle Positioning for Rapid Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wafer heating apparatuses face challenges in quickly cooling large wafers and maintaining uniform temperature distribution, with issues such as long cooling times and deterioration of resistive heating members due to thermal stress and insulation layer peeling.
Innovation Solution
A wafer heating apparatus with a plate-shaped member featuring a band-shaped resistive heating member and a casing with a nozzle positioned between the heating bands, combined with an insulation layer having protrusions and recesses to enhance cooling efficiency and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a conventional cooling nozzle is used to cool the heater section, then cooling is provided, but the cooling time is long and the heater section cannot be cooled down quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling nozzle is divided into multiple nozzle sections (first nozzle section and second nozzle section) that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows selective cooling of different regions of the heater section, enabling faster and more efficient cooling by simultaneously targeting multiple heat sources with dedicated cooling zones.
2Productivity
If the wafer heating apparatus is cooled quickly, then productivity improves, but temperature distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different nozzle sections are positioned to cool different regions of the heater section with different cooling intensities. The first nozzle section cools the central region while the second nozzle section cools the peripheral region, creating localized cooling zones that maintain temperature distribution uniformity while achieving rapid overall cooling.
3Productivity
If the nozzle is positioned to cool the heater section effectively, then cooling efficiency improves, but the insulation layer peels and the resistive heating member deteriorates due to thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple nozzle sections that cool different regions of the heater section. This distributed cooling approach reduces concentrated thermal stress on any single area, preventing insulation layer peeling and resistive heating member deterioration while maintaining high cooling efficiency.
4Measurement precision
If sequential operation type is used for accurate temperature control, then temperature control accuracy improves, but the number of wafers processed at a time decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater section is segmented into multiple independently controllable heating zones with corresponding cooling nozzle sections. This allows different regions to be processed at different temperature settings simultaneously, enabling batch processing of multiple wafers with the temperature control accuracy of sequential processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables rapid cooling of the wafer heating apparatus, maintains uniform temperature distribution, and prevents deterioration of the resistive heating member and insulation layer, ensuring high reliability and efficient heat transfer.
Implementation Method 1
a band-shaped resistive heating member (5) formed on the other principal surface
Implementation Method 2
a nozzle (24) of which tip faces the other surface of the plate-shaped member for cooling the plate-shaped member
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer heating apparatus which is capable of quickly cooling by improving the cooling rate of the heater section is provided.The wafer heating apparatus comprises a plate-shaped member having two opposing principal surfaces with one of the principal surfaces serving as a mounting surface to mount a wafer thereon and the other principal surface having a band-shaped resistive heating member formed thereon, power feeder terminals connected to the resistive heating member for supplying electric power to the resistive heating member, a casing provided to cover the power feeder terminals on the other surface of the plate-shaped member and a nozzle of which tip faces the other surface of the plate-shaped member for cooling the plate-shaped member, wherein the position of the tip of the nozzle as projected onto the other surface of the plate-shaped member is located between the bands of the resistive heating member.