WO1999041778A1

WO1999041778A1 - Apparatus for controlling temperature of substrate

Info

Publication number: WO1999041778A1
Application number: PCT/JP1999/000636
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kanichi Kadotani; Akihiro Ohsawa; Katsuo Saio; Satoshi Fukuhara; Toshio Yoshimitsu; Toshinobu Tanimura
Original assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
Priority date: 1998-02-16
Filing date: 1999-02-15
Publication date: 1999-08-19
Also published as: TW439094B; KR20010033394A

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a substrate, wherein a stage (5l) on which a semiconductor wafer (3) is placed has a vertically symmetrical structure comprising a thin, flat type container (53) of a metal of a high thermal conductivity, and film type heaters (7, 35) pasted on upper and lower surfaces of this container (53), the vertically symmetrical structure being adapted to prevent the flexure of the stage (5l) which is ascribed to the thermal expansion thereof and improve the soaking characteristics thereof, the container (53) having therein a hollow (ll) for making cooling working fluid flow therein, a plurality of ribs (2l) being provided in the hollow (ll) to heighten the mechanical strength of the container (53), the high-pressure working fluid flowing from a plurality of inlets (l7), which are provided in a circumferential portion of the container (53), thereinto to be supplied as high-speed jet currents into the interior of the hollow (ll) through jet ports (59), the jet currents crossing one another and impinging upon the ribs (2l) to generate violent turbulent flow, whereby a heat exchange rate and soaking characteristics of the apparatus are improved.

Description

Description Substrate temperature controller Technical field

The present invention relates to an apparatus used to control the temperature of a substrate by heating or cooling the substrate in a process of processing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal panel.

Technology background

For example, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, heating and cooling of a wafer are frequently performed, for example, heating a wafer to remove moisture and a resist solvent at the time of applying a resist, and then cooling the wafer. A substrate temperature control device used for heating and cooling a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer generally has a flat upper surface stage on which the substrate is placed, and a heating and cooling device is provided in or below the stage. A heat source device is arranged. Heating devices, infrared lamps and working fluids are generally used as heating devices, and working fluids are generally used as cooling devices. In particular, working fluids are the most widely used. This type of temperature control device prefers a fluid pipe to flow the working fluid, and typically arranges a meandering elongated fluid pipe inside the stage and flows the working fluid through the meandering pipe. There is something like that. Also, there is a type in which a wide flow path is formed in the entire stage inside the stage and the working fluid flows through this flow path.

Performances generally required of substrate temperature control devices include, first, factors called good thermal response, high-speed heating and cooling, and good temperature control. In short, it is the ability to achieve the desired temperature quickly. For that purpose, it is important to reduce the heat capacity of the stage. Second, there is an element that can be called soaking. This is the ability to control the entire substrate at the same temperature without unevenness. However, when working fluid is used, the working fluid flows through the stage and As the temperature changes over time due to heat exchange with the stage, there is a problem that a temperature difference occurs between the upstream part and the downstream part of the flow path. In addition, since a temperature difference occurs between the upper and lower surfaces of the stage, the stage is thermally deformed in the upward and downward directions (for example, the central portion is lifted up or recessed below the peripheral portion), thereby causing a gap between the stage and the substrate. However, there is also a problem that the substrate temperature becomes non-uniform because the temperature varies from place to place. Other important factors are the third, low cost, the fourth, high security, and the fifth, easy manufacturing. The manufacture of fluid piping is generally cumbersome, and the meandering of the piping increases the pressure loss.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a low-cost substrate temperature control device having good thermal responsiveness.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate temperature control device having good thermal response and good thermal uniformity.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost substrate temperature control device having good thermal responsiveness, good thermal uniformity, and low cost.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate temperature control device having good heat uniformity.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost substrate temperature control device having good heat uniformity.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost, high-safe substrate temperature control device having good thermal responsiveness, good thermal uniformity, and low cost.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate temperature control device which has good heat uniformity and is easy to manufacture.

Disclosure of the invention

A substrate temperature control device according to a first aspect of the present invention has a main surface facing a substrate. The stage has a flat container, which has a cavity for flowing a working fluid, an inlet and an outlet for the working fluid, and a turbulent flow of the working fluid in the cavity. And a turbulence mechanism for causing it to occur. According to this device, since the working fluid flows in the cavity of the container as a turbulent flow, good heat uniformity and thermal responsiveness can be obtained. The “main surface” is the upper surface of the stage when the substrate is placed on the stage, but when the substrate is sucked to the stage by vacuum or the like, the stage can take various postures. Therefore, it refers to the stage surface on the side where the substrate is placed, including such cases.

As a turbulent flow mechanism, in a preferred embodiment, a plurality of ribs are provided in the cavity for connecting the main surface side wall and the reverse side wall, and the ribs disturb the flow of the fluid. In addition, the ribs increase the mechanical strength of the container substrate and prevent deformation of the container due to fluid pressure, which also contributes to improvement in heat uniformity. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the working fluid is jetted into the cavity as a jet flow or swirled to generate a turbulent flow more positively, thereby improving the heat uniformity and the thermal response. Is being planned.

In a preferred embodiment, the inlet and outlet are arranged such that the inlet is provided at the periphery of the container and the outlet is provided at the center of the container, or vice versa, or the inlet and the outlet are arranged differently. By providing it at the periphery of the vessel, the temperature distribution of the working fluid is made as uniform as possible within the vessel, which also contributes to the improvement of the heat uniformity. Further, by providing the inlet on the outer peripheral wall of the container in a direction parallel to the side wall of the main surface of the container, or by setting the peripheral portion of the container provided with the inlet to a position protruding far outside the outer periphery of the substrate, Consideration is made so that the strong thermal action of the working fluid at the beginning of the inflow does not concentrate locally, thereby improving the temperature uniformity. In a preferred embodiment, a sheet-shaped heater is provided on one or both of the main surface and the opposite side of the container, and the heating is performed by the sheet-shaped heater, and the cooling is performed by the heater. This is done with a moving fluid. A stage with such a simple structure can be designed so that its heat capacity is considerably small, so that good thermal response can be obtained. In addition, if the working fluid is used only for cooling, the working fluid system can be simplified, so that the cost is considerably reduced.

A substrate temperature control device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a plate-shaped stage having a main surface facing a substrate, the stage having a plate-shaped container, and the container flowing a working fluid. And a working fluid inlet and outlet, the inlet and outlet being arranged such that the inlet is provided at the periphery of the container and the outlet is provided at the center of the container, or vice versa. Alternatively, both the inlet and outlet are provided at the periphery of the container. According to this device, the working fluid flows radially from the periphery of the container to the center or vice versa, or in the reciprocating direction, so that the temperature distribution of the working fluid is fairly uniform, and the heat uniformity is improved. In particular, in a configuration with multiple inlets, the flows from the multiple inlets intersect with each other and become turbulent, so better heat uniformity and thermal responsiveness can be expected.

Further, if the turbulence mechanism as described above is provided, the thermal responsiveness is improved, and the heat uniformity is further improved. Also, if one or both of the main surface and the opposite side of the container are provided with a sheet-shaped heater and heating is performed by this heater, and only cooling is performed by the working fluid, the cost will be considerably reduced.

A substrate temperature control device according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a plate-shaped stage having a main surface facing a substrate, the stage having a plate-shaped container, and the container flowing a working fluid. And a plurality of ribs connecting the main surface side wall and the reverse side wall of the container in the cavity. According to this substrate temperature control device, since the mechanical strength of the container is increased by the rib, a high-pressure working fluid can be supplied into the container to flow the working fluid at a high speed, and the rib generates turbulent flow. As a result, good thermal responsiveness and uniform temperature can be obtained. This device also explained By adopting a turbulence mechanism, an inlet / outlet arrangement, and a combination with a heater and the like, it is possible to further improve the performance and reduce the cost.

A substrate temperature control device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes a plate-like stage having a main surface facing a substrate, and the stage has a plate-like shape having a cavity for flowing a working fluid therein. It has a container and sheet-shaped heaters provided on both the main surface and the opposite side of the container. According to this substrate temperature control device, since the stage has a structure that is thermally and mechanically symmetrical with respect to the main surface side and the opposite side, distortion or bending of the stage due to thermal expansion is reduced, and heat uniformity is improved. However, even with this device, the effects of further improving the performance and reducing the price can be obtained by adding the various measures described above.

A substrate temperature control device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention includes a stage on which a substrate is placed, the stage having a container, and the container has a flow path extending in a region immediately below the substrate. I have it. In addition, an inlet for allowing the working fluid to flow into the flow path is provided at a peripheral portion of the flow path. According to this substrate temperature control device, since the working fluid flows into the flow path in the stage from a plurality of locations on the periphery thereof, the flow direction of the working fluid in the flow path is not a simple one but a complicated direction. Therefore, the temperature change of the working fluid due to heat exchange with the stage becomes less conspicuous, and the heat uniformity is improved.

An outlet for the working fluid as well as the inlet can be provided at the periphery of the flow path. In particular, providing a plurality of outlets in the peripheral portion is advantageous in improving heat uniformity, as is the advantage of providing a plurality of inlets in the peripheral portion. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of inlets and a plurality of outlets are alternately arranged along the periphery of the flow path. As a result, the temperature difference between the upstream and the downstream becomes less noticeable, and the heat uniformity is improved.

The flow path may be divided into a plurality of small flow paths, and each flow path and each inlet may be connected so that the working fluid flows in opposite directions in the adjacent small flow paths. In this case, The heat exchange between the small flow paths reduces the temperature difference depending on the place, and the heat uniformity is improved. As a specific example, in one embodiment, in the flow path, a plurality of outgoing flow paths for flowing the working fluid from the peripheral portion to the central portion, and a plurality of return flows for flowing the working fluid from the central portion to the peripheral portion are provided. And the outgoing flow path and the return flow path are arranged alternately. In another embodiment, the flow path is divided into a plurality of elongated small flow paths that run parallel to each other, and the working fluid flows in opposite directions in adjacent small flow paths. In addition, two containers can be stacked so that the flow directions of the working fluid in the two containers are opposite to each other. Even with this, the two containers cancel each other's uneven temperature, and the heat uniformity is improved.

Also, a large number of fins can be arranged in the flow path, or a cotton-like or net-like fibrous body can be arranged. As a result, the flow of the working fluid in the flow path is disturbed, so that the temperature unevenness is reduced, so that the heat uniformity is improved, and the heat exchange efficiency is expected to be improved by the turbulent flow effect.

Further, a flat heat pipe may be joined to the upper surface of the container. The high heat transfer effect of the heat pipe contributes to the improvement of the heat uniformity. A heating wire may be attached to one or both of the upper and lower surfaces of the container. In particular, when the heaters are attached to both sides of the container, the temperature difference between the upper and lower portions of the container becomes smaller, so that the distortion in the vertical direction due to thermal expansion is reduced, which also contributes to the improvement of the heat uniformity.

A substrate temperature control device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes a stage for mounting a substrate, the stage including a container having a cavity extending inside a region immediately below the substrate inside, and the container including the stage. An inlet for supplying a working fluid to a cavity provided on the outer periphery of the container, an outlet for discharging the working fluid from the cavity provided on the outer periphery of the container, and one or more guides for partitioning the cavity A curved flow path is formed in the cavity by the guide wall.

In a preferred embodiment, a number of fins or ribs are located in the cavity. In another preferred embodiment, the guide wall comprises one or more bypass holes. The bypass holes are provided in the vicinity of the bent portions of the plurality of flow paths.

In another preferred embodiment, the working fluid flows at a substantially uniform speed along the entire length of the curved flow path formed by the guide wall.

In yet another preferred embodiment, a guide wall guides the working fluid from the inlet to near the outlet before circling the cavity. For example, the guide wall directs the flow in the center of the cavity to both sides, or the flow at the periphery of the cavity to the center of the cavity. In yet another preferred embodiment, the container has an inlet and an outlet at substantially the same location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a stage portion of a substrate temperature control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a stage portion of a substrate temperature control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along line A_A in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a stage portion of a substrate temperature control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view taken along line A—A in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a stage portion of a substrate temperature control device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan sectional view taken along the line A—A in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of a stage portion of a substrate temperature control device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 11 is a plan cross-sectional view of a vessel at a stage portion of a substrate temperature control device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan cross-sectional view of a container at a stage portion of a substrate temperature control device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional shape of the jet opening.

FIG. 14 is a plan sectional view of a stage of a substrate temperature control device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, cut along a horizontal plane.

FIG. 15 (A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A—A of FIG. 14, and FIG. 15 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B—B of FIG.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the guide fins 2 31 in detail by enlarging the fan-shaped flow paths 2 09 A and 2 09 B.

FIG. 17 is a plan cross-sectional view of a stage of a substrate temperature control device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention cut along a horizontal plane.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG.

FIG. 19 is a plan cross-sectional view of the stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention, cut along a horizontal plane.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a plan sectional view of two containers constituting the substrate temperature control device according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the stage along the line D-D in FIG. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate temperature control device according to a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a container constituting a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the sixteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the container taken along line AA of FIG.

Figure 28 is a cross-sectional plan view of a container with a bypass hole in each guide wall.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional plan view of the container in which the shape of the guide wall 409c is changed.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional plan view of the container in which the shapes of the guide walls 409 a and 409 b in FIG. 29 are changed.

FIG. 31 is a plan sectional view of a container constituting a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional plan view of the container when the number, shape, and arrangement of the guide walls of the container of FIG. 31 are changed.

FIG. 33 is a sectional view of a container constituting a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the eighteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a sectional view of a container constituting a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the nineteenth embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a stage portion of a substrate temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. It should be noted that the dimensional ratios of the respective parts in the drawings are different from those of the actual apparatus in order to make the drawings easier to understand, and the same applies to other drawings described later.

The stage 1 is a thin circular plate as a whole, and a circular substrate, typically a semiconductor wafer 3, is placed on the flat upper surface thereof. On the top of stage 1 There are small protrusions 5 of the same height (for example, 0.1 mm) at several places, and these protrusions 5 support the wafer 3 and prevent contact with the wafer 3 (this is the wafer 3 To prevent contamination from stage 1). Stage 1 is roughly composed of the following two layers. The first layer is a circular sheet-like thin film heater that forms the upper surface of the stage 1 (a heating wire laminated or embedded in an insulating film by printed wiring technology) 7, and the second layer is It is a thin disk-shaped container 9 for flowing a working fluid inside, and the thin film heater 7 is attached to the upper surface of the container 9.

The container 9 has a cavity 11 for allowing a working fluid to pass through the entire area inside the container 9, and is made of a thin plate of a material having good heat conductivity such as aluminum or a copper alloy. It is made by brazing the sheet at its periphery or by other methods. The bottom wall of the container 9 has an inlet 17 for supplying the working fluid to the cavity 11 at a plurality of locations on the peripheral edge, and an outlet for discharging the working fluid from the cavity 11 at a central location. 19 are each opened, and each inlet 17 has a fluid supply pipe 13 connected thereto, and an outlet 19 has a fluid discharge pipe 15 connected thereto (note that Conversely, the central hole 19 may be used as the inlet and the peripheral hole 17 may be used as the outlet. However, from the viewpoint of heat uniformity, it is preferred that the gas flow from the peripheral portion and flow out from the center as in this embodiment. Is considered preferable). In the cavity 11, ribs 21 are provided at many places to connect the bottom wall and the ceiling wall. One purpose of the ribs 21 is to increase the mechanical strength of the container 1 and to prevent the swelling of the container 9 particularly due to the pressure of the working fluid. Thereby, a high-pressure working fluid can be supplied to flow at a high speed, so that good thermal responsiveness and uniform temperature can be achieved. The second purpose of the rib 21 is to disturb the flow of the working fluid in the cavity 11 to generate a turbulent flow, thereby increasing heat exchange efficiency and improving uniformity. For these purposes and in terms of production, rib 21 is also made of aluminum or copper alloy. It is preferable to use a material that has good thermal conductivity and that can be easily joined by brazing or the like. As the working fluid, for example, water, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, Galden (registered trademark), or Florinato (registered trademark) can be used. The cavity 11 is basically a closed type without ventilation to the outside air, and the working fluid flows in a state where the cavity 11 is completely filled. However, the cavity 11 may be an open type with ventilation to the outside air, through which the working fluid flows in the form of a mixture with air or a spray.

The container 9 is mainly used for cooling the wafer 3 by passing a cold (for example, about room temperature) working fluid through the cavity 11. The heating of wafer 3 is performed in thin film 7. Of course, it is also possible to flow a high-temperature working fluid into the container 9 and use it positively for heating. However, from the viewpoint of low cost and ease of safety, the working fluid should not be used for active heating (especially heating in high temperature range such as 100 ° C or 200 ° C). Is preferred. The first reason is that the working fluid circulation system is originally one of the most expensive elements, but cooling has to use a working fluid system because there is no other suitable alternative, but heating is inexpensive. Replacing the heating wire in a short time can remove the expensive fluid heating device from the working fluid system, resulting in a large price drop. The second reason is that strict safety measures are required when a high-temperature fluid of 100 ° C or 200 ° C flows through the working fluid system, but strict safety measures are required only when a cold working fluid flows. This is because there is no need for any safety measures, and a considerable reduction in price can be expected.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain the advantages of good thermal responsiveness, good thermal uniformity, and the above-mentioned low cost. The first reason that the thermal responsiveness can be improved is that the heat capacity of stage 1 can be made very small. That is, the stage 1 has a simple configuration of the container 9 and the thin-film heater 7, and most of the heat capacity of the stage 1 is occupied by that of the container 9. The wall of the container 9 and the internal cavity 1 1 are quite thick in the figure, In some cases, they can all be made very thin and have a very low heat capacity. In addition, a high heat exchange amount can be maintained unless the flow rate of the working fluid is increased and the flow rate is not decreased by an amount corresponding to the thinner cavity 11. The second reason is that the heat exchange rate of the working fluid is reduced by the action of the ribs 21 and by the turbulence caused by the crossing of the flows from the inlets 1Ί as shown by the arrows in FIG. Because it will be higher. Third, since the presence of the ribs 21 makes the container 9 rigid, a high-pressure working fluid can be supplied and the working fluid can flow at a high speed, so that the working fluid in the container 9 can be exchanged quickly. In addition, since the turbulence is further increased, a large heat exchange amount can be obtained. The first reason that the heat uniformity can be improved is that the unevenness of the temperature distribution is eliminated by the turbulence caused by the ribs 21. The second reason is that since the working fluid can flow at a high speed, the working fluid in the container 9 can be exchanged quickly, the turbulence is further increased, and the temperature unevenness is reduced.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the stage according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of the stage taken along line AA of FIG. Elements that are functionally the same as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the same applies to other drawings described later.

This embodiment has the following two features improved from the above-described embodiment shown in FIGS. The first characteristic is that a thin film heater 35 having the same size and the same calorie as the thin film heater 7 on the upper surface is attached not only on the upper surface but also on the lower surface of the container 33. The upper and lower thin films 7 and 35 are used simultaneously in principle. Thus, the stage 31 has a substantially vertically symmetrical structure thermally and mechanically, so that distortion or bending of the stage due to thermal expansion during heating and cooling can be suppressed. When the stage 31 is distorted or bent due to thermal expansion, the gap length between the wafer 3 and the stage 31 (the height of the projection 5 when the upper surface of the stage 31 is flat, for example, 0.1 mm, is constant). Is different depending on the location, and the temperature of wafer 3 The cloth may be uneven (for example, a difference in gap length of 0.1 mm results in a temperature difference of about 40 K). Therefore, suppressing the distortion and the radius of the stage 31 greatly contributes to improving the heat uniformity.

The second feature is that the container 3 3 has an outer diameter larger than that of the wafer 3 and projects outside the outer periphery of the wafer 3, and the outer peripheral portion 3 7 The point is that a working fluid inlet 17 is provided on the bottom wall. This annular peripheral portion 37 may be made of the same material as the other portions of the container 33 (for example, aluminum-copper alloy), but from the viewpoint of the thermal effect described below. However, it is preferable to be made of a material having poor thermal conductivity such as ceramics. The working fluid that has flowed in from the inlet 17 of the peripheral portion 37 hits the ceiling wall of the peripheral portion 37, the flow direction is deflected, and flows toward the center. In the previous embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the ceiling wall portion to which the working fluid from the inlet 17 is applied may locally receive too much thermal action of the fluid, which may cause uneven temperature of the wafer 3. In the present embodiment, the ceiling wall on which the working fluid from the inlet 17 hits is located at a considerable distance from the wafer 3 and has poor thermal conductivity, so that the effect on the temperature of the wafer 3 is small. Therefore, better heat uniformity can be obtained.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the stage according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view of the stage taken along line AA of FIG.

In the present embodiment, the container 53 of the stage 51 is the same as the container 33 of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. A ring-shaped partition wall 55 is further provided for partitioning into a portion on the center side from 7. The partition wall 55 has a large number (only 10 in the drawing, but a larger number may be used) for sending the working fluid flowing into the peripheral portion 37 as a jet flow toward the center. There is a Jetro 59. Partition wall 5 5 is also made of the same material as the body of container 53 (For example, aluminum or copper alloy), but may be made of a material with poor thermal conductivity such as ceramics to reduce thermal effects. As shown in FIG. 6, since the jet flow gushes out of the large number of jets 59 in different directions in a vigorous manner, the working fluids intersect and mix more vigorously than in the previous embodiment, and the turbulence also increases. Therefore, further improvement in heat uniformity and thermal response can be expected.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the stage according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a plan sectional view of the stage taken along line AA of FIG.

In this embodiment, a large number (only 12 in the figure, but a larger number) of jet ports 67 are provided on the peripheral wall of the vessel 63 of the stage 61, and the supply pipe 13 is connected thereto. In addition, the jets of the working fluid are ejected from these many jets 67 in different directions in the cavity 11. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, good heat uniformity and thermal responsiveness can be expected.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the stage according to the fifth embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a plan sectional view of the stage taken along line AA of FIG.

In the present embodiment, the working fluid is caused to flow from the center to the outer periphery of the cavity 11 in the container 73 of the stage 71. At the center of the bottom wall of the container 73, there is a fluid inlet 75, and in the cavity 11, there is a ring-shaped partition wall 77 surrounding a region corresponding to the inlet hole 75. The partition wall 77 is provided with a number of jet ports 79 for radially blowing out the working fluid flowing from the inlet hole 75 in the outer peripheral direction as a jet flow. Also, the outermost peripheral edge 81 of the container 73 is located at a position protruding outward from the wafer 3, and there is no rib 21 inside the peripheral edge 81, and a ring-like shape through which fluid can easily flow. Of the dew path. The partition wall 77 and the peripheral portion 81 may be made of the same material as the other parts of the container 73 (for example, aluminum or copper alloy), but in order to reduce the thermal effect, the thermal conductivity of ceramics or the like is low. It may be made of different materials. As indicated by the arrows in FIG. 10, the working fluid is ejected from the central number of jet holes 79 as jet streams in different directions in the cavity 11, intersecting each other and forming ribs 21. As a result, a strong turbulent flow flows through the cavity 11, and finally flows through the peripheral portion 81 to the discharge pipe 85. Also in the present embodiment, good thermal responsiveness and good thermal uniformity can be expected.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional plan view of a container of the stage according to the sixth embodiment.

This embodiment is a modification of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in which the direction of the jet port 67 is inclined toward the circumferential tangent, and the jet flow of the working fluid from the jet 67 is performed. Is to form a swirling flow in the cavity 11 in one rotation direction. A similar swirling flow can be formed in other embodiments by tilting the direction of the inlet 17 or the jets 59, 79 in a circumferential tangential direction. Turbulence is more likely to occur due to this swirling flow, and further improvement in thermal response and soaking effect can be expected.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional plan view of the container of the stage according to the seventh embodiment.

In the vessel 103 of the stage 101, there is a ring-shaped fluid passage 107 for discharging fluid through a partition wall 105 on the outer periphery of the cavity 11 located immediately below the wafer. On its outer periphery, there is an annular fluid passage 111 for supplying fluid via a partition wall 109. Fluid outlets 19 are opened at a plurality of locations on the bottom wall of the inner discharge fluid passage 107. At a plurality of locations of the partition wall 105 inside the passage 107, suction ports 115 for opening the fluid in the cavity 111 to the passage 107 are opened. Fluid inlets 17 are open at a plurality of locations on the bottom wall of the outer supply fluid passage 111. A plurality of locations on the inner wall 109 of this passage 1 11 pass through the connecting pipe 1 17 and through the inner wall 1 05 to allow the working fluid to be ejected into the cavity 1 1 1. JETRO 1 19 is open.

As shown by the arrows, the working fluid from multiple jets 119 around the cavity Jet stream gushes out toward the center of the cavity. Further, the working fluid is guided to the suction port 115 in the flow direction from the center of the cavity to the outer circumference, and is discharged. Also in this embodiment, good thermal responsiveness and uniform temperature can be obtained. In addition, the supply and discharge of the fluid may be reversed from the above and supplied from the inside passage 107 and discharged to the outside passage 111.

By the way, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12, the shape of the jets 59, 67, 79, and 119 is shown in a sectional view in FIG. 13. The outlet can be formed in a shape that expands like a flap like the mouth 12 1. When such a jet 12 1 is used, the jet flow ejected therefrom effectively spreads radially in the cavity, and the crossover of the jet flows from a plurality of jetros becomes even better. It is considered to be effective in improving the heat uniformity and thermal response.

FIG. 14 is a plan sectional view of a stage of a substrate temperature control device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, taken along a horizontal plane. FIGS. 15 (A) and (B) are views of FIG. It is sectional drawing along the A-A line and the BB line.

The stage 201 of the substrate temperature control device has a flat disk shape as a whole, and as shown in FIG. 15, a substrate to be processed, for example, a semiconductor wafer 20 5 is placed. The upper surface 203 of the stage has three or more small protrusions 207 supporting the semiconductor wafer 205, and the semiconductor wafer 205 is separated from the upper surface 203 of the stage by a gap having a constant width.

The stage 201 is configured as a container having a cavity 209 that extends beyond the area immediately below the semiconductor wafer 205, and the cavity 209 inside the cavity 209 is a flow path for flowing a working fluid. Used as This cavity (flow channel) 209 is composed of a large number (for example, 18) of partition walls arranged along the radial line from the side wall 211 of the periphery of the stage 201 toward the center. 2 1 3 allows many (eg 18) Are divided into fan-shaped small flow paths 209A and 209B. There are two types of these fan-shaped flow paths 2 09 A and 209 B. One type of the fan-shaped flow path 2 09 A allows the working fluid to flow from the periphery of the stage 201 to the center. (Hereinafter referred to as a sector-shaped outgoing passage 209A), and the other type of small passage 209B serves as a return passage for flowing a working fluid in the opposite direction (hereinafter referred to as a returning passage). , The fan-shaped return channel is referred to as 2009 B). The fan-shaped outgoing passages 209 A and the fan-shaped return passages 209 B are alternately arranged. All the fan-shaped channels 200A and 209B are open at the center (tip), and are connected to a common central channel 209C. At the center position in the central flow path 209 C, that is, at the center position in the stage 201, a column 216 is set up.

On the lower surface 2 17 of the stage 201, two annular channels 219 and 221 are joined in a concentric arrangement along the periphery of the stage at the peripheral edge thereof. The outer annular flow path 219 is for supplying a working fluid into the stage 201 (hereinafter referred to as an annular supply path 219), and is a supply pipe 225 for supplying a working fluid from the outside. 3, and communicates with all fan-shaped outgoing channels 209A in the stage 201 via inlet holes 227 in the peripheral portion of each channel 209A. The inner annular flow path 2 21 is for discharging the working fluid from the inside of the stage 201 (hereinafter, referred to as an annular discharge path 2 21), and is a discharge pipe 2 25 for discharging the working fluid to the outside. And is connected to all the fan-shaped return channels 209 B in the stage 201 via outlet holes 229 in the peripheral portion of each channel 209 B. Note that the inlet holes 227 and the outlet holes 229 are alternately arranged along the entire periphery of the outgoing channel 209A and the return channel 209B.

In all the fan-shaped channels 200A and 209B (Fig. 14 typically shows only one fan-outgoing channel 209A and one fan-shaped return channel 209B) (Although not shown.) In some cases, the working fluid should flow smoothly over the entire surface of each flow path 209A and 209B. A plurality of guide fins (or ribs) 231 are provided for good heat exchange with the working fluid. FIG. 16 shows the guide fins 231 in detail by enlarging the fan-shaped channels 2109A and 209B. As shown in FIG. 16, there are several types of guide fins 2 31, such as fins 2 3 1 that extend parallel to the partition wall 2 13 and allow the flow as a whole to follow the radial direction. A, fins 23 1 B scattered on the center line of each fan-shaped flow path 2 09 A, 2 09 B to separate the flow on the center line into left and right, located in front of the inlet hole 2 27 2 3 1 C to separate the flow coming out of the inlet hole 2 2 7 into right and left, and fins 2 in front of the outlet hole 2 2 9 to direct the flow to the outlet hole 2 3 1 3 1D and others.

The stage 201 described above can be made using a material having good heat conductivity such as aluminum and copper alloy.

In the stage 201 having the above configuration, as shown by arrows in FIG. 14, typically, the working fluid is in the form of one fan-shaped outgoing passage 209A and one fan-shaped return passage 209B. From the nine inlet holes 2 27 opened in the peripheral edge of the cartridge, it enters the nine fan-shaped outgoing channels 209 A, flows through the outgoing channels 209 A from the rim to the center, After gathering in the central channel 209C, it branches into the nine return channels 209B, flows in the return channels 209B from the center to the peripheral portion, and moves to the peripheral portion of the stage. Exit the stage from the 9 exit holes 2 2 9 In this process, heat is exchanged between the working fluid and the stage 201, and the temperature of the working fluid changes. However, both the working fluid inlet hole 227 and the working fluid outlet hole 229 are located at the periphery of the stage 201, and a large number (in this example, nine in each case) of outgoing passages 209A and Since the working fluids are alternately arranged and the working fluid flows in the reciprocating direction in the radial direction, the temperature difference between the periphery and the center of the stage 201 and the outgoing flow passages 2109A The temperature difference between locations such as the temperature difference between the channels 209 B is reduced, and the overall temperature of the stage 201 is improved. Equalized. Since the region where the temperature is particularly excellent and is uniform is the region inside the annular discharge passage 222 of the stage 201, the stage is placed so that the semiconductor wafer 205 is placed on the region inside this region. The diameter of 201 is preferably designed to be sufficiently larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer 205.

FIG. 17 is a plan cross-sectional view of a stage of a substrate temperature control device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention, cut along a horizontal plane. FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.

The stage 241 has an overall shape of a flat disk, and a substrate to be processed, for example, a semiconductor wafer 245 is placed on the upper surface 243 as shown in FIG. The stage upper surface 243 has three or more small protrusions 247 that support the semiconductor wafer 245, and the semiconductor wafer 245 is separated from the stage upper surface 243 by a gap having a constant width.

The stage 241 is configured as a container having a cavity 249 extending inside the area immediately below the semiconductor wafer 245, and a cavity 249 inside the cavity 249 is a flow path for flowing a working fluid. Used as The cavity (flow passage) 2 49 has a diameter slightly smaller than the side wall 25 1 at the periphery of the stage, and is formed outside the annular wall 25 3 by an annular wall 25 3 arranged concentrically with the side wall 25 1. Is divided into an annular channel (hereinafter referred to as an outer annular channel) 249 C and an inner circular channel, and the inner circular channel is further divided by a number of partition walls 255 that are arranged in parallel with each other. It is divided into a number of elongated small channels 249A and 249B. There are two types of these narrow small channels 249A and 249B, and one type of small channels 249A is for flowing the working fluid downward in the figure. The downstream flow channel 249 A) and the other type of small flow channel 249 B flow the working fluid upward in the figure (hereinafter referred to as the upstream flow channel 249 B). The down flow channel 249 A and the up flow channel 249 B are alternately arranged. An annular flow path 259 is joined to the lower surface 2570 of the stage 241, along a position directly below the outer ring flow path 249C. The annular flow path 259 serves to supply the working fluid into the stage 241 (hereinafter referred to as an annular supply path 259), and two supply pipes 265 to supply the working fluid from the outside. And is communicated with the outer ring flow path 249C through a number of introduction holes 267 formed at the bottom of the outer ring flow path 249C with almost constant pitch. Another annular flow path 261, which is adjacent to and concentric with the inner side of the annular supply path 255, is joined to the stage lower surface 257. The inner annular flow path 26 1 is for discharging the working fluid from the inside of the stage 24 1 (hereinafter, referred to as an annular discharge path 26 1). It is connected to the discharge pipe 2 65. The supply pipe 263 and the discharge pipe 265 need not necessarily be two, and may be one or three or more.However, from the viewpoint of heat uniformity, there are two or more and they are arranged at almost constant pitch. It is preferable that

All the downstream channels 2 49 A in the stage 24 1 communicate with the outer annular channel 24 9 C through the inlet holes 26 9 formed in the annular walls 25 3 at the upper ends thereof, respectively. It communicates with the annular discharge channel 26 1 through an outlet hole 27 1 formed in the bottom of the lower end of the container. In addition, all the upflow channels 249 B communicate with the outer annular divergence 249 C through the inlet holes 269 opened in the annular walls 253 at the lower ends, respectively. It communicates with the annular discharge channel 26 1 through an outlet hole 27 1 formed in the bottom of the container. In addition, the inlet holes 269 and the outlet holes 271 are alternately arranged along the periphery of the whole (circular flow path) of the ascending and descending channels 249A and 249B. . The stage 241 described above can be made using a material having good heat conductivity such as aluminum and copper alloy.

In the stage 241, which has the above configuration, as shown by arrows in the two downstream flow channels 249A and the two upstream flow channels 249B typically in FIG. From the outer ring channel 24 9 C at the periphery, all the down and up channels 24 9 A and 24 9 B through all the inlet holes 2 67 of the annular wall 25 3, and these channels 2 49 It flows from A, 24 9 B inside the stage from top to bottom and from bottom to top, and exits the stage from the exit hole 271, at the periphery of the stage. In this process, heat is exchanged between the working fluid and the stage 241, and the temperature of the working fluid changes. However, both the working fluid inlet hole 26 9 and the outlet hole 27 1 are located at the periphery of the stage 24 1, and a number of downstream channels 24 9 A and upstream channels 24 9 B Are alternately arranged and the working fluid flows in a reciprocating manner in the vertical direction, so that the temperature difference depending on the location of the stage 241 is reduced, and the temperature of the entire stage 241 is satisfactorily equalized. The region where the temperature becomes particularly excellent and uniform is the circular channel (downstream and upstream channels 249A, 2449B) inside the annular discharge channel 261 of the stage 241, The diameter of the stage 241 is preferably designed to be sufficiently larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer 245 so that the semiconductor wafer 245 is placed on the inner area.

FIG. 19 is a plan sectional view of the stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention, cut along a horizontal plane.

The stage 281 has a flat disk-shaped overall shape, and a substrate to be processed, for example, a semiconductor wafer is placed on the upper surface thereof, as in the above-described embodiment. From the top of the stage with a gap of a certain width.

The stage 281 is configured as a container with a cavity 289 that extends beyond the area immediately below the semiconductor wafer, and the cavity 289 inside is used as a flow path for flowing the working fluid . The cavity (flow path) 2 89 has a diameter slightly smaller than the side wall 2 91 of the stage periphery, and is formed by an annular wall 2 93 arranged concentrically with the side wall 2 91. It is divided into an annular channel (hereinafter referred to as an outer ring channel) 289 A and an inner circular channel 289 B. Circular channel 2 8 9 B Inside, an infinite number of pin-shaped fins 295 are erected over the entire area thereof, and these pin fins 295 contribute to heat exchange with the working fluid.

The stage 281 has a supply section 297 at one location on the periphery thereof for supplying the working fluid into the stage 281.The supply section 297 supplies the working fluid to the outside. And is connected to the outer ring channel 289A. In addition, at the periphery of the stage, which is symmetrical with respect to the supply section 297 with respect to the center of the stage, there is a drain section 299 for discharging working fluid from inside the stage 281. 9 is connected to a discharge pipe 303 for discharging the working fluid to the outside. The drain section 299 has a wider width than the supply section 297 so that the working fluid can be easily collected. A large number of inlet holes 2977 are formed in the annular wall 293 partitioning the outer flow passage 289 A and the circular flow passage 289 B with a substantially constant bite. In addition, a portion of the annular wall 293 corresponding to the front of the drain section 299 is cut out to form an outlet hole 307.

The stage 281 described above can be made using a material having good heat conductivity such as aluminum and copper alloy.

In the stage 281, the working fluid flows from the supply section 297 to the outer ring flow path 289A at the periphery of the stage as shown by the arrow in FIG. From 9 A, it flows in the direction toward the center into the circular flow path 2899 B through the majority of the inlet holes 3 05 of the annular wall 2 93, and flows from the periphery to the center in the circular flow path 2 89 B At the same time, it flows from the top to the bottom, and finally exits from the exit hole 307 at the periphery of the stage to the drain section 299 to be discharged out of the stage. In this process, heat is exchanged between the working fluid and the stage 281, and the temperature of the working fluid changes. However, the working fluid flows into the circular flow passage 289 B in different directions from a number of inlet holes 305 arranged on the peripheral portion of the stage 281, and then flows into the circular flow passage 289 B. Innumerable fins 295 disturb the working fluid flow and stir Therefore, the temperature difference depending on the location of the stage 28 1 is reduced, and the temperature of the entire stage 28 1 is favorably equalized. The region where the temperature is particularly excellent and the temperature is uniform is the region of the circular channel 289 B. Therefore, the diameter of the stage 281 is set so that the semiconductor wafer is placed on the circular channel 289 B. It is preferable that the diameter is designed to be sufficiently larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer.

In the stage 281, which is shown in FIG. 19, of the many inlet holes 300 surrounding the circular flow passage 2889B, the inlet hole located closer to the drain section 299, that is, located downstream. 305 may not actually be an inlet hole, but may function as an outlet hole for the working fluid to exit from the circular channel 289 B to the outer annular channel 289 A. Even so, the flow of the working fluid in the circular flow path 289 B is such that the working fluid flows in different directions from the many inlet holes 305 on the upstream side and flows into the many fins 295. Thus, the mixture is agitated and disturbed, and exits in a different direction from a large number of outlet holes 3005 on the downstream side, so that good heat uniformity can be obtained. In addition, by providing a block or throttle that blocks or suppresses the passage of the working fluid at a position that is somewhat closer to the downstream side in the outer ring flow path 289 A, the inlet hole 30 upstream of that position is provided. The flow of the working fluid into the circular flow path 2 89 B at step 5 is strengthened, and the inlet hole 3005 downstream from that position is used not as an inlet hole but as an outlet hole. You may do so. Further, the annular wall 293 need not be provided.

The stage 3 11 includes a flat disk-shaped container 3 13 according to the principle of the present invention, and a flat disk-shaped heat pipe 3 15 bonded to the upper surface of the container 3 13 . The container 313 can have the same structure as any of the stages shown in FIGS. 14 to 19, for example. Heat pipe 3 15 has a semiconductor Small projections 3 17 are provided to support the wafer. Due to the high heat transfer action of the heat pipes 3 15, better heat uniformity can be expected.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the 12th embodiment of the present invention.

The stage 3 19 is composed of a flat disk-shaped container 3 21 according to the principle of the present invention, and a film heating wire 3 2 3 attached to the upper surface of the container 3 2 1. Is done. The container 3221 can have a structure similar to any of the stages shown in FIGS. 14 to 19, for example. On the upper surface of the container 321, a small protrusion 325 for supporting the semiconductor wafer is provided. It is also possible to compensate for the uneven temperature of the vessel 3 21 that cannot be completely homogenized with the working fluid alone, using a heating wire 3 2 3 to achieve better heat uniformity. The heating wire 3232 may be provided on the lower surface of the container 3221 instead of the upper surface.

The stage 3 27 is composed of a flat disk-shaped container 32 9 according to the principle of the present invention, and a film-shaped heating wire heater 31 1 3 attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the container 32 9. 3 and 3. The container 329 can have the same structure as any of the stages shown in FIGS. 14 to 19, for example. On the upper surface of the container 329, a small protrusion 339 for supporting the semiconductor wafer 337 is provided. Since the heating wires 3 3 1 and 3 3 3 are present on both the upper and lower surfaces of the container 3 29, the upper and lower temperatures of the stage 3 27 are equalized, and therefore, especially when switching between cooling and heating is performed. The distortion caused by the thermal expansion of the stage 327 during such a rapid temperature change is suppressed, and the gap between the stage 327 and the semiconductor wafer 337 is maintained evenly, so that better heat uniformity is obtained. Achieved.

FIG. 23 shows a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the 14th embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan cross-sectional view of two containers constituting the above. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the stage taken along line DD in FIG.

The stage 341 is formed by stacking and joining two flat disk-shaped containers 344 and 345 having a flat cross-sectional structure as shown in FIG. Each of the two containers 3 4 3 and 3 45 has a large number of parallel elongated small flow paths 3 that allow the working fluid to flow in the same direction from one peripheral edge of one radius to the other peripheral edge. 47 and 349 are provided inside. The two containers 3 4 3 and 3 45 are joined to each other so that their flow directions are opposite to each other. Since the temperature difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of one container 345 is compensated by the temperature difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the other container 345, good heat uniformity can be obtained.

FIG. 25 is a sectional view showing a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the fifteenth embodiment of the present invention.

The stage 351, for example, has basically the same structure as the stage shown in FIG. 19, but the entire inner circular flow path is made of aluminum or aluminum instead of the pin-type fin shown in FIG. A cotton-like or net-like fibrous body 353 made of copper alloy is packed and contributes to heat exchange with the working fluid.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a container constituting a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the sixteenth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 27 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. The container 403 constituting the stage 401 is, for example, a single flat disk having a diameter of 5-1 to 0 cm and a thickness of 0.3 to 5 cm. The container 4003 has a fluid inlet 4111 and an outlet 4113 at the end opposite the peripheral edge, and has a bottom wall and a ceiling wall in a cavity 405 through which the working fluid passes. And a number of ribs (or fins) 407 for generating turbulence by connecting to the first and second guide walls, and three guide walls 409a, 409b, 409c. The two guide walls 409a, 409b are straight and parallel to each other, allowing fluid from the inlet 411 through the center of the cavity 403. A flow channel (hereinafter, a central flow channel) 4 15 flowing in the direction of the outlet 4 13 is formed. The central channel 4 15 starts at the inlet 4 11 and ends at a location approximately between the center of the cavity 403 and the outlet 4 13. The other guide wall 403c has a substantially U-shape having a plurality of (for example, three) corners so that fluid coming out of the central flow path 4 15 can be folded back into the U-shaped valley. The two flow paths (hereinafter, intermediate flow paths) 4 17 a and 4 17 b are formed outside the central flow path 4 15 and the fluid flows in the opposite direction to the central flow path 4 15 You. The intermediate flow paths 4 17 a and 4 17 b end near the periphery of the container 3. The fluid coming out of the intermediate flow paths 417a, 417b is further turned back to the outlet 4 through the outer flow paths 419a, 419b along the periphery of the container 403. Exit at 1 3 The width of the central flow path 4 15, intermediate flow path 4 17 a, 4 17 b and outer flow path 4 19 a, 4 19 b is set so that the flow velocity of all flow paths is equal Have been.

In this embodiment, if there is no guide wall 409a, 409b, 409c, there will be a difference between the flow velocity flowing in the center of the cavity 405 and the flow velocity flowing on both sides thereof, thereby causing the temperature of the upper surface of the container 403 to rise. There is considerable unevenness in the distribution. However, by arranging the guide walls 409a, 409b, and 409c as shown, the fluid wraps around the two halves of the cavity 405 in a z-shape with approximately uniform flow velocity. It goes around the whole cavity 405. In other words, by forcing the flow at the center of the cavity 405 to both sides (or forcing the flow at the periphery of the cavity 405 to the center when the mouth 413 is the inlet), The flow velocity is made uniform and the heat uniformity is improved. Further, the turbulence generated by the large number of ribs 407 further improves the heat uniformity. Further, since the fluid inlets and outlets 4 1 1 and 4 13 are provided on the outer peripheral side of the container 403, the temperature distribution at the fluid inlets and outlets 4 1 1 and 4 13 is not easily influenced by the substrate. Also contributes to heat uniformity. In addition, since the flow path can be freely formed only by partitioning the cavity 405 by the guide walls 409a, 409b, and 409c, it can be easily manufactured. Also, since the meandering of the fluid passage is a simple Z-shape, the pressure The power loss is small.

There are some variations in the configuration of the guide walls 409a, 409b, and 409c in the cavity 405. Hereinafter, for example, three variations are shown in FIGS. 28, 29, and 30.

In the modification shown in FIG. 28, each of the guide walls 409a, 409b, 409c is provided with a bypass hole 423a, 423b, 423c for further improving the circulation of the fluid. Each bypass hole 423a, 423b, 423c is provided in the vicinity of a place 424a, 424b, 424c where the fluid turns back, and eliminates the stagnation of the fluid generated near this. In other words, the bypass holes 423a, 423b, and 423c are formed in the guide walls 409a and 409b near the return locations 424a and 424b of the outlets of the intermediate flow paths 417a and 417b. And a part of the fluid in the central channel 415 is blown out to the return locations 424a and 424b. In addition, the bypass hole 423 c is formed in the guide wall 403 c near the turn-back location 424 c of the outlet of the central flow path 4 15, and the fluid stagnating at the turn-back location 424 c is directed toward the outlet 4 13. Let go. This allows the fluid to more evenly circulate through the cavity 421, so that the heat uniformity is further improved. A plurality of bypass holes 423a, 423b, 423c may be provided on each guide wall 409a, 409b, 409c.

In the modification shown in FIG. 29, a U-shaped guide wall 427 having a smooth curved surface along a streamline is used. The guide wall 427 allows the fluid to smoothly pass through the cavity 425.

In the modification shown in FIG. 30, all the guide walls 431, 433, and 427 have smooth curved surfaces along the streamlines. With such a configuration, the fluid can smoothly go around the cavity 429.

By the way, in the above description, the opening 411 of the container is the inlet, and the opening 413 is the outlet. However, conversely, mouth 4 13 can be an entrance and mouth 4 11 can be an exit. However, assuming that the mouth 4 13 is the inlet, the fluid entering the cavity immediately returns to the guide wall 4 09 c (or

Since it collides with 4 27), the temperature change of the guide wall 4 09 c (or 4 2 7) becomes large, which may adversely affect the heat uniformity. On the other hand, if the mouth 4 11 is used as the inlet, the fluid that has entered the cavity first reaches the position beyond the center of the cavity and hits the guide wall 409 c. The temperature change of 9 c can be made relatively small. The number of inlets and outlets of the container is not limited to one.

FIG. 31 is a plan cross-sectional view of a container constituting a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention.

The container 437 constituting the stage 435 is a substantially circular flat plate, and has a portion 436 slightly extending outward at one location on the outer periphery, and the bottom of the extension 436. On the wall there are two fluid inlets 439, 441 and one outlet 441 between them (the inlet and outlet may be reversed). In the cavity 447 through which the fluid passes, there are a number of pin-shaped fins (or lips) 449 that create turbulence. In the cavity 447, there are three guide walls 451a, 451b, and 451c. The two outer guide walls 4 5 1 a and 4 5 1 b allow the fluid from the inlets 4 3 9 and 4 4 1 to pass along the periphery of the vessel 4 3 7 and on the opposite side of the fluid inlet and outlet 4

Guides to 5 3 Two flow paths 4 5 4 a and 4 5 4 b and the fluid that merges at that location 4 5 3 is guided through the center of the cavity 4 4 7 to the location near the exit 4 4 3 Channel 4 5 4 c is formed. The third guide wall 45 1 c has a substantially U-shape, and the flow coming out of the flow path 45 54 c is turned around the outlet 44 3 to flow in the opposite direction. 4 d, 4 5 4 e, and the fluid that was turned back is crushed against guide walls 4 5 1 a and 4 5 1 b. To form 4 5 4 h. The width of the flow channel 4 5 4 a to 4 5 4 h is equal to the entire cavity. The fluid is set to flow at such a flow rate. Reference numerals 445 a, 445 b, and 445 c are through holes for passing pins (not shown) for elevating a substrate placed on the upper surface of the stage 435.

According to this embodiment, the guide walls 451 and 454 allow the fluid to meander through the cavity 447 and circulate at a substantially uniform flow rate. In other words, the fluid flowing around the periphery of the cavity 447 is turned back and forced to flow to the center at a uniform flow rate, or the fluid flowing to the center of the cavity 447 is turned back and forced to flow at both sides at an even flow rate. Thereby, the heat uniformity can be improved. Further, the turbulence generated by the large number of fins 449 further improves the heat uniformity. Further, since the fluid inlets 439, 441 and the outlet 443 are provided in the same place, the pipes can be collected at one place, and the pipes can be easily piped.

FIG. 32 shows a modification of the embodiment of FIG.

In this modification, auxiliary guide walls 460a to 460d are further disposed between the guide walls 451a, 451b, and 451c. By appropriately setting the number, shape, and arrangement of these guide walls 451a to 451c and 460a to 460d, fluid flow can be optimized.

FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of a container constituting a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the eighteenth embodiment of the present invention.

As the container 503 constituting the stage 501, for example, any of the containers used in the first to seventeenth embodiments can be adopted. This container 503 is substantially vertically symmetrical as a whole, and the upper surface 503A and the lower surface 503B are joined to the sheet-shaped thin film heaters 505a and 505b shown in FIG. . Since the heating wire sheets 505a and 505b are closest to the wafer (not shown), the heating efficiency is very good. The heating wire sheets 505a and 505b have only one of the upper surface 503A and the lower surface 503B. May be joined. However, by joining to both sides as shown, the stage

Since the temperature difference between the upper surface and the lower surface of 501 can be substantially eliminated, thermal deformation of the stage caused by the temperature difference can be prevented. Also, from the viewpoint, it is desirable that the fluid inlet 511 and the fluid outlet 513 are provided at opposite ends of the container peripheral edge as shown in the figure. Although a number of fins (or ribs) 507 are installed in the cavity 525 shown in this figure, guide walls for circulating the working fluid as shown in FIGS. It is needless to say that may be arranged. FIG. 34 is a sectional view of a container constituting a stage of the substrate temperature control device according to the nineteenth embodiment of the present invention.

Any one of the containers used in the first to seventeenth embodiments can be adopted as the container 529 constituting the stage 509, for example, as in FIG. The whole is substantially vertically symmetrical. At the center of the cavity 531 inside the container 5229, a heat plate 533 parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the container 5229 is provided. The cavity 531 is divided into two layers by the heater plate 533, and a cavity 531a on the upper surface side and a cavity 531b on the lower surface side are formed. The same fluid flows through each of the cavities 531a and 531b. At the opposite end of the periphery of the container 529, the respective inlets 535a and 535b for supplying fluid to the cavities 531a and 531b, and the respective cavities 531 a, 531b are provided with outlets 537a, 537b for discharging fluid from b. The inlets 535a and 535b and the outlets 537a and 537b are arranged symmetrically with each other.

The heating plate 533 is used for heating a substrate (not shown) to be placed or controlling the temperature of the fluid flowing through each cavity 531a, 531b. The heating wire is embedded 5 3 9. A plurality of the plates 5 3 3 can be installed so that the volume of the cavities 5 3 1 is equally divided, in other words, if the configuration inside the container 5 29 is vertically symmetrical. it can. Hee Yu Pre The port 5333 may be provided with an opening (not shown) through which fluid flowing on the upper surface side and the lower surface side can flow to each other.

Incidentally, the thin film sheets 505a and 505b shown in FIG. 33 can also be joined to the upper and lower surfaces of the container 529. The functions of the inlets 535a and 535b and the outlets 537a and 537b may be reversed as long as they are vertically symmetrical. For example, let the entrance 5 35 b of the cavity 5 3 1 b be the exit and the exit 5 3 7 b be the entrance. In this way, the directions of the fluid flowing through the cavity 531a on the upper surface side and the cavity 531b on the lower surface side are opposite to each other, so that the temperature distribution of the entire vessel 529 becomes more uniform. I can expect that.

In this embodiment, for example, two containers as described above may be prepared, and the thin film sheet 505 or the heat plate 533 may be interposed therebetween. As described above, some preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these are exemplifications for describing the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to these examples. The present invention can be implemented in other various forms.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A flat stage having a main surface facing a substrate is provided, the stage has a flat container, the container has a cavity for flowing a working fluid, and the working fluid flows into the cavity. And a turbulence mechanism for generating a turbulent flow of the working fluid in the cavity.

2. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the turbulence mechanism has a plurality of ribs connecting the wall on the main surface side and the wall on the opposite side of the container in the cavity.

3. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the turbulence mechanism has a jet that makes the working fluid jet flow when flowing into the cavity.

4. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the turbulent flow mechanism has a swirl mechanism that directs the working fluid in a predetermined swirl direction when flowing into the cavity.

5. The arrangement of the inlet and outlet is as follows (1), (2) and (3),

(1) The inlet is provided at a peripheral portion of the container, and the outlet is provided at a central portion of the container.

(2) the inlet is provided at a central portion of the container, and the outlet is provided at a peripheral portion of the container.

(3) The substrate temperature control device according to (1), wherein the inlet and the outlet are each provided at a peripheral portion of the container.

6. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 5, wherein the inlet is provided on an outer peripheral wall of the container in a direction parallel to the wall on the main surface side of the container.

7. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 5, wherein the inlet is provided in the peripheral portion, and the peripheral portion is located at a position protruding outside the outer periphery of the substrate.

8. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the stage further includes a sheet-shaped heater provided on the surface on the main surface side and the surface on the opposite side of the container.

9. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 8, further comprising a working fluid system for supplying the working fluid to the container, wherein the working fluid system supplies only a working fluid for cooling the substrate.

10. Equipped with a flat stage having a main surface facing the substrate,

The stage has a flat container, the container has a cavity for flowing a working fluid, an inlet for flowing the working fluid into the cavity, and an outlet for discharging the working fluid from the cavity. And

The arrangement of the inlet and outlet is as follows (1), (2) and (3),

(3) The substrate temperature control device, wherein the inlet and the outlet are respectively provided at a peripheral portion of the container.

11. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 10, wherein the container further has a turbulent flow mechanism for generating a turbulent flow of the working fluid in the cavity.

12. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 10, wherein the stage further includes a sheet-shaped heater provided on the surface on the main surface side and the surface on the opposite side of the container.

13. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 12, further comprising a working fluid system for supplying the working fluid to the container, wherein the working fluid system supplies only a working fluid for cooling the substrate.

1 4. Equipped with a flat stage having a main surface facing the substrate,

The stage has a flat container, and the container is provided for flowing a working fluid. A substrate temperature control device comprising: a cavity; and a plurality of ribs connecting a wall on the main surface side and an opposite wall of the container in the cavity.

15. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 14, wherein the container further has a turbulent flow mechanism for generating a turbulent flow of the working fluid in the cavity.

16. The container has an inlet for allowing the working fluid to flow into the cavity, and an outlet for discharging the working fluid from the cavity, and the arrangement of the inlet and the outlet is as follows (1). , (2) and (3),

(3) The substrate temperature control device according to claim 14, wherein the inlet and the outlet are each provided at a peripheral portion of the container.

17. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 14, wherein the stage further includes a sheet-shaped heater provided on the surface on the main surface side and the surface on the opposite side of the container.

18. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 15, further comprising a working fluid system for supplying the working fluid to the container, wherein the working fluid system supplies only a working fluid for cooling the substrate.

1 9. Equipped with a flat stage having a main surface facing the substrate,

The stage includes a flat container having a cavity for flowing a working fluid therein, and a sheet-shaped heater provided on both the main surface and the opposite surface of the container. Substrate temperature control device.

20. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 19, wherein the container has a plurality of ribs connecting the wall on the main surface side and the wall on the opposite side of the container in the cavity.

21. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 19, wherein the container further has a turbulence mechanism for causing a turbulence of the working fluid in the cavity.

22. The container has an inlet for allowing the working fluid to flow into the cavity, and an outlet for discharging the working fluid from the cavity, and the arrangement of the inlet and the outlet is as follows (1). , (2) and (3),

(3) The substrate temperature control device according to (19), wherein the inlet and the outlet are each provided at a peripheral portion of the container.

23. The substrate temperature control apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a working fluid system for supplying the working fluid to the container, wherein the working fluid system supplies only a working fluid for cooling the substrate.

2 4. Equipped with a stage for mounting the substrate,

The stage has a container having a flow path that extends inside a region immediately below the substrate,

The substrate temperature control device, wherein the container has an inlet at a peripheral portion of the flow channel to allow a working fluid to flow into the flow channel.

25. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 24, wherein the container has at least one outlet for causing a working fluid to flow out of the flow channel at a peripheral portion of the flow channel.

26. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 25, wherein the inlet and the outlet are alternately arranged along a peripheral edge of the flow path.

27. Each of the plurality of small passages is divided into a plurality of small passages, and the plurality of small passages are arranged so that the working fluid flows in opposite directions in adjacent small passages. 26. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 24, wherein the device is connected to each of the inlets.

28. The flow path includes a plurality of outgoing flow paths for flowing a working fluid from a peripheral portion to a central portion of the flow path, and a plurality of return flows for flowing a working fluid from the central portion to the peripheral portion of the flow path. And the outward flow path and the return flow path communicate with each other at the center of the flow path and are arranged alternately, and each of the outward flow paths is connected to each of the inlets at the peripheral edge. 27. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 26, wherein each of said return channels is connected to each of said outlets at said peripheral portion.

29. The flow path is divided into a plurality of elongated small flow paths that run parallel to each other, and the small flow paths are classified into an upstream flow path and a downstream flow path in which flow directions are opposite to each other, and the upstream flow Roads and the down flow passages are alternately arranged, each of the up flow passages being connected to each of the inlets on one side of the peripheral portion and being connected to each of the outlets on the other side of the peripheral portion, 27. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 26, wherein each of the down flow paths is connected to each of the outlets on one side of the peripheral portion, and is connected to each of the inlets on the other side of the peripheral portion.

30. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 24, wherein a number of fins are arranged in the flow path.

31. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 24, wherein a flocculent or net-like fibrous body is arranged in the flow path.

32. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 24, wherein the stage further includes a flat heat pipe joined to an upper surface of the container.

33. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 24, wherein the stage further includes a heating wire attached to one or both of an upper surface and a lower surface of the container.

34. The stage according to claim 24, wherein the stage has two stacked containers, and a flow direction of a working fluid in the two containers is opposite between the containers. Substrate temperature controller.

3 5. Equipped with a stage for mounting the substrate,

The stage has a container having a cavity extending inside a region directly below the substrate,

An inlet for supplying a working fluid to the cavity provided on an outer peripheral portion of the container, an outlet for discharging the working fluid from the cavity provided on an outer peripheral portion of the container, and a partition for the cavity; A substrate temperature control device, comprising: one or a plurality of guide walls; wherein the guide wall forms a curved flow path in the cavity by the guide walls.

36. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 35, wherein a number of fins or ribs are arranged in the cavity.

37. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 35, wherein the guide wall includes one or a plurality of bypass holes.

38. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 37, wherein the bypass hole is provided near a bent portion of the plurality of flow paths.

39. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 35, wherein the working fluid flows at a substantially uniform speed over the entire length of the curved flow path formed by the guide wall.

40. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 35, wherein the guide wall guides the working fluid from the inlet to the vicinity of the outlet before circling the cavity.

41. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 40, wherein the guide wall guides a flow at the center of the cavity to both sides thereof, or guides a flow at a peripheral edge of the cavity to the center of the cavity.

42. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 35, wherein the container includes the inlet and the outlet at substantially the same location.

43. The substrate according to claim 35, wherein a sheet-shaped heater is joined to an upper surface and a lower surface of the container, and the entire stage is substantially vertically symmetric. Temperature control device.

44. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the container has a sheet-shaped heater in the container, and the whole of the stage is substantially vertically symmetrical.

45. The substrate temperature according to claim 46, wherein the inlet or the outlet is installed vertically symmetrically.

4 6. Equipped with a stage for mounting the substrate,

The stage has two containers each having a cavity extending in a region immediately below the substrate,

Any one or two of the containers have an inlet for supplying a working fluid to the cavity, and an outlet for discharging the working fluid from the cavity,

A substrate temperature control device in which a sheet-shaped heater is interposed between the two containers.

47. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 46, wherein the inlet or the outlet is installed vertically symmetrically.