Apparatus for heating wafer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024071806-A1
Application number	US-202318321164-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 22, 2023
Priority date	Aug 25, 2022
Publication date	Feb 29, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for heating a wafer includes a heater, a heating block on an upper surface of the heater, and a plurality of support protrusions protruding from an upper surface of the heating block, wherein the upper surface of the heating block has a curved shape with a concave central portion, and at least the support protrusion at the central portion of the heating block, among the plurality of support protrusions, is configured to be deformed in response to heating by the heater.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for heating a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
a heater; a heating block on an upper surface of the heater; and a plurality of support protrusions protruding from an upper surface of the heating block, wherein the upper surface of the heating block has a curved shape with a concave central portion, and at least the support protrusion at the central portion of the heating block, among the plurality of support protrusions, is configured to be deformed in response to heating by the heater.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed is deformed when heat or power is supplied thereto.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed comprises a first set of the plurality of support protrusions that are formed of a material stretched or expanded by heat and a second set of the plurality of support protrusions that are formed of a material compressed or contracted by heat.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed is deformed in a vertical length direction.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed is formed of a piezoelectric material or a shape-memory alloy.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support protrusions have a cylindrical shape.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
a lower end of the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed is received in an insertion recess provided in the heating block, and deformation of the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed is guided in a vertical length direction by the insertion recess.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed changes in height according to a heating time of the wafer on the plurality of support protrusions.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein upper surfaces of the plurality of support protrusions are coplanar before deformation of the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein before deformation, a difference between a protruding height above the upper surface of the heating block of the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed and a protruding height above the upper surface of the heating block of at least one of the plurality of support protrusions at an outermost edge portion of the heating block is 75 μm to 85 μm.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the heating block has a circular shape, and the plurality of support protrusions are arranged along a line extending radially outwardly from a center of the heating block.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating block is divided into a plurality of portions to be assembled or is integrally formed.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a material of the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed in the central portion and a material of others of the plurality of support protrusions are different from each other.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein, the others of the plurality of support protrusions excluding the support protrusion that is configured to be deformed are formed of a material including silicon.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the heating block has a shape corresponding to a shape of the wafer with warpage seated on upper surfaces of the plurality of support protrusions.

16 . An apparatus for heating a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
a heater; a heating block on an upper surface of the heater and having a thickness difference between a central portion and an edge; and a plurality of support protrusions extending from an upper surface of the heating block, a portion thereof configured to be deformed in response to heat or power supplied thereto.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein, upper surfaces of the plurality of support protrusions, before deformation of the portion of the plurality of support protrusions that are configured to be deformed, are coplanar.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the portion of the plurality of support protrusions that are configured to be deformed are disposed in a central portion of the heating block.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the portion of the plurality of support protrusions that are configured to be deformed are formed of a material that is stretched or expanded by heat, and others of the plurality of support protrusions that are configured to be deformed are formed of a material that is compressed or contracted by heat.

20 . An apparatus for heating a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
a heater; a heating block on an upper surface of the heater and having a thickness difference between a central portion and an edge; and a plurality of support protrusions extending from an upper surface of the heating block, at least some of the plurality of support protrusions configured to be deformed in response to heating by the heater, wherein the plurality of support protrusions comprise a first support protrusion at the central portion of the heating block that is formed of a material that decreases in height in response to heat, and wherein the plurality of support protrusions comprise a second support protrusion adjacent the first support protrusion that is formed of a material that increases in height in response to heat.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jeongdu
• KIM SungHyup
• Park Junhyoun
• Hwang Junghwan
• Jin Dahee
• Choi Geonsoo

Classifications

• H10P72/7616

  characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material · CPC title

• H10P72/0432 Primary

  mainly by conduction · CPC title

• H10P72/7614 Primary

  characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions · CPC title

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/7611

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title