IP Library Granted Patent US 12680761
Granted Patent B2
US 12680761 · App. 18/174,306 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Convective substrate cooling with minimal pressure change

Inventor: Wolfgang R. Aderhold (Cupertino, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
F27D1/0043F27D9/00F27D19/00H10P72/0436F27D2009/0005F27D2009/0018F27D2019/0056
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12680761
App. No.
18/174,306
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a reflector plate assembly. The reflector plate assembly includes a reflector plate and a baffle. The reflector plate includes a gas conduit, a plurality of gas passages, a plurality of lift pin holes, and a gas inlet. The gas conduit includes a first opening on a front side of the reflector plate and a second opening on a backside of the reflector plate adjacent to the gas conduit. The baffle is attached at a first end to a support base of an edge ring. The baffle is attached at a second end to the backside of the reflector plate. The baffle forms an opening in the backside of the reflector plate to the gas conduit.

Claims (44)

1 . A reflector plate assembly, comprising:

a reflector plate, the reflector plate comprising:

a gas conduit;

a plurality of gas passages having a first opening on a front side of the reflector plate and a second opening on a backside of the reflector plate adjacent to the gas conduit; and

a gas inlet; and

a baffle, wherein the baffle is attached at a first end to a support base of an edge ring, and attached at a second end to the backside of the reflector plate and forming an opening in the backside of the reflector plate to the gas conduit.

2 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the baffle has a first volume greater than or equal to a second volume, the second volume being a distance between from a lift pin to a backside of a substrate multiplied by an area of the backside of the substrate.

3 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas passages comprise a valve.

4 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 3 , wherein the valve is a needle valve, a dynamic valve, or a mass flow controller (MFC) valve.

5 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the baffle comprises steel or teflon.

6 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein a gas passage density increases as a distance from a center of the reflector plate increases.

7 . A processing chamber, comprising:

an edge ring for supporting a substrate in the processing chamber, the edge ring comprising a support base;

a heating apparatus spaced apart from a front side of a substrate;

a reflector plate assembly spaced apart from a backside of a substrate, the reflector plate assembly comprising:

a reflector plate, the reflector plate comprising:

a gas conduit;

a plurality of gas passages having a first opening on a front side of the reflector plate and a second opening on a backside of the reflector plate adjacent to the gas conduit; and

a gas inlet; and

a baffle, wherein the baffle is attached at a first end to a support base of an edge ring, and attached at a second end to the backside of the reflector plate and forming an opening in the backside of the reflector plate to the gas conduit.

8 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 7 , wherein the baffle has a first volume greater than or equal to a second volume, the second volume being a distance between from a lift pin to a backside of a substrate multiplied by an area of the backside of the substrate.

9 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of gas passages comprise a valve.

10 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 9 , wherein the valve is a needle valve, a dynamic valve, or a mass flow controller (MFC) valve.

11 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 7 , wherein the baffle comprises steel or teflon.

12 . The reflector plate assembly of claim 7 , wherein a gas passage density increases as a distance from a center of the reflector plate increases.

13 . A controller storing instructions that when executed by a computer processor, cause the controller to perform operations of:

actuating components of a processing chamber between a processing position, a post-cooling position, and a transfer position, the processing chamber including:

an edge ring for supporting a substrate in the processing chamber, the edge ring comprising a support base;

a heating apparatus spaced apart from a front side of a substrate;

a reflector plate assembly spaced apart from a backside of a substrate, the reflector plate assembly comprising:

a reflector plate, the reflector plate comprising:

a gas conduit;

a plurality of gas passages having a first opening on a front side of the reflector plate and a second opening on a backside of the reflector plate adjacent to the gas conduit; and

a gas inlet; and

a baffle, wherein the baffle is attached at a first end to a support base of an edge ring, and attached at a second end to the backside of the reflector plate and forming an opening in the backside of the reflector plate to the gas conduit;

adjusting an actuator and gas flow controls based off one or more of sensor reading, a system model, and stored readings and calculations; and

synchronizing a rate of expansion or contraction of the baffle with a flow of gas to or from the baffle.

14 . The controller of claim 13 , wherein the baffle has a first volume greater than or equal to a second volume, the second volume being a distance between from a lift pin to a backside of a substrate multiplied by an area of the backside of the substrate.

15 . The controller of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of gas passages comprise a valve.

16 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein the valve is a needle valve, a dynamic valve, or a mass flow controller (MFC) valve.

17 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein the controller may adjust a flow rate of the valve.

18 . The controller of claim 13 , wherein the baffle comprises steel or teflon.

19 . The controller of claim 13 , wherein a gas passage density increases as a distance from a center of the reflector plate increases.

20 . The controller of claim 13 , wherein the controller may include a machine-learning algorithm.