Temptronic Corporation

Henry A Lyden

Paul A Getchel

Kenneth M Cole, Sr

Robert R Lopez

William M Stone

Dana G Butcher

Thomas J Schey

Donald C Miffitt

Dino J Farina

A system for and method of controlling the temperature of a flat workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer are disclosed. The workpiece is mounted on a workpiece chuck which is mounted over a base between the chuck and a host machine such as a wafer prober used to test integrated circuits on a wafer. The chuck includes an upper portion on which the workpiece is mounted. The temperature of the upper portion of the chuck is controlled to control the temperature of the workpiece. The temperature of the base is controlled to reduce the amount of heat flow between the chuck and the host machine. A power and control system includes a switching power supply which provides power to system components including heaters in the chuck used to heat the workpiece. A series of filters removes electrical noise generated by the switching power supply such that low-noise operation is realized.

Temperature control system for a workpiece chuck

A workpiece chuck includes an upper assembly on which can be mounted a flat workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. A lower assembly is mountable to a base that supports the chuck. A non-constraining attachment means such as vacuum, springs or resilient washers applied to the chuck holds the upper assembly to the lower assembly, the lower assembly to the base and can hold the wafer to the top surface of the upper assembly. A heater and a heat sink can be included in the bottom assembly to allow for temperature cycle testing of the wafer. By holding the chuck together by non-constraining means, the chuck layers can move continuously relative to each other under expansion forces caused by temperature effects. Mechanical stresses on the chuck and resulting deformation of the chuck and workpiece over temperature are substantially eliminated.

Workpiece chuck

A workpiece chuck includes an upper assembly on which can be mounted a flat workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. A lower assembly is mountable to a base that supports the chuck. A non-constraining attachment means such as vacuum, springs or resilient washers applied to the chuck holds the upper assembly to the lower assembly, the lower assembly to the base and can hold the wafer to the top surface of the upper assembly. By holding the chuck together by non-constraining means, the chuck layers can move continuously relative to each other under expansion forces caused by temperature effects, such that mechanical stresses on the chuck and resulting deformation of the chuck and workpiece over temperature are substantially eliminated. A plurality of support members including inclined surfaces provided between an upper and lower portion of the chuck maintain the top surface of the chuck and any workpiece mounted thereon at a constant height over temperature.

Workpiece chuck with guard layer having vacuum distribution pattern

Power and control system for a workpiece chuck

A method of and system for determining the location of hot spots on the surface of an object which has thermotropic material applied to the surface are disclosed. The system is designed to varying the nominal temperature of the object through a range of nominal temperatures between a first nominal temperature limit and a second nominal temperature limit, wherein one temperature limit is below and the other nominal temperature limit is above the temperature at which the thermotropic material changes phase. A sequence of images of the surface are acquired, each of the images depicting a two dimensional temperature representation of the surface at a predetermined nominal temperature within the range of nominal temperatures, wherein each image in the sequence represents an incremental change in nominal temperature than that of a preceding image. Select ones of the images are processed to define the intensity signature of valid hot spots in the select ones of the images and to determine the location of the hot spots on the surface as a function of the defined intensity signature.

Growing community of inventors

Wellesley, MA, United States of America

Henry A Lyden