Electric resistance heating devices – Heating devices – Continuous flow type fluid heater
Patent
1997-01-03
2000-12-05
Paschall, Mark
Electric resistance heating devices
Heating devices
Continuous flow type fluid heater
392495, 165154, F24H 110
Patent
active
061577782
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multi-temperature control system for controlling temperatures at a plurality of places using circulation of a working fluid, and also relates to a fluid temperature control device which is applicable to the same system.
The multi-temperature control system according to the present invention can be preferably used, for instance, to control temperatures of various portions in a plurality of process chambers (reaction processing chambers) of a semiconductor processing apparatus; without being limited only thereto, however, this system can be applied to the other various reaction processing apparatus.
The fluid temperature control device according to the present invention is applicable not only to the multi-temperature control system of this invention, but also to the other various type temperature control systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The conventional semiconductor processing apparatus is constructed as shown in FIG. 1, for instance. In more detail, a plurality of process chambers 2a, 2b and 2c are arranged around a transfer chamber 1. A wafer (not shown) to be processed is carried from a process chamber to another process chamber via the transfer chamber 1 by use of a carrier robot (not shown) provided within the transfer chamber 1. A specific reaction is performed on the wafer in each of the process chambers 2a, 2b and 2c, respectively.
FIG. 2 shows a construction of each process chamber, which is composed of a chamber wall 3, a chamber cover which functions as an anode, and a wafer support base 6 which functions as a cathode. The chamber wall 3, the chamber cover 4 and the wafer support base 6 are provided with pipe lines 7a, 7b and 7c through which working fluids for controlling temperature flow, respectively. The working fluid flowing through each of these pipe lines 7a, 7b and 7c controls each temperature of the chamber wall 3, the chamber cover 4 and the wafer support base 6 to each of specific target temperatures T1, T2 and T3 separately.
The prior art temperature control system applied to the semiconductor processing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises three temperature control machines 8a, 8b and 8c in each of which each of the target temperatures T1, T2 and T3 is set. Each of the temperature control machines 8a, 8b and 8c supplies each temperature-controlled working fluid to all of the process chambers 2a, 2b and 2c of the semiconductor processing apparatus. For instance, the first temperature control machine 8a supplies the working fluid to the chamber walls 3 of all the process chambers 2a, 2b and 2c through three pairs of fluid circulation pipes 9a, 9b; 9a, 9b; and 9a, 9b. In the same way, the second temperature control machine 8b supplies the working fluid to the chamber covers 4 of all the process chambers 2a, 2b and 2c; and the third temperature 8c supplies the working fluid to the wafer support bases 6 of all the process chambers 2a, 2b and 2c.
As shown in FIG. 3, each temperature control machine is provided with a heat exchanger 11 for cooling the working fluid, a heater 13 for heating the working fluid, and a pump 14 for circulating the temperature-controlled working fluid through the circulation pipes 9a and 9b. The heat exchanger 11 cools the working fluid by passing cooling water through a cooling water pipe 10. The heater 13 accumulates the working fluid in a tank 13a and then heats the working fluid in the tank 13a by an electric heater 12.
As described above, in the prior art temperature control system used for the semiconductor processing apparatus, one temperature control machine is used in common for a plurality of the process chambers; that is, one temperature control machine controls temperature at specific portions of a plurality of process chambers in centralization manner.
Accordingly, since the target temperature is controlled in common at the temperature-controlled portion of each of a plurality of the process chambers, it is impossible to change each target temperature at each temperature-c
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Campbell Thor
Komatsu Ltd.
Paschall Mark
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