METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COOLING DOWN SEMICONDUCTOR WAFERS Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: microelectronics. SUBSTANCE: semiconductor wafers used in lithographic operations for manufacturing semiconductor devices and integrated circuits are cooled down as follows. Heat- conducting substance such as gas or air space is organized between substrate holder and semiconductor wafer by means of air-swirl centrifuge upon admission of excess pressure into its air chambers; semiconductor wafer to be cooled down is placed directly onto centrifuge; compressed gas or air flow through feed lines of peripheral and central chambers is chosen to ensure that peripheral-to-central chamber flowrate ratio is between 1.5 and 6. Proposed method is suitable for use at atmospheric pressure and within comprehensive temperature range. Device implementing proposed method is, essentially, air swirl centrifuge that has case accommodating central and peripheral air chambers connected to gas or air feed lines and to working zone on its one external side that receives wafer and communicates through nozzles with air chambers; it also has gas or air flow varying facility, control unit, sensors responding to low pressure in central and peripheral air chambers connected to gas or air flow varying facilities through control unit. Device is arranged so that uniform contact is ensured between entire surface of wafer and heat- conducting material, that wafer is not wetted by the latter, and that gas or air space is controlled more effectively. EFFECT: reduced labor consumption; simplified design and reduced cost of device. 2 cl, 3 dwg