Susceptor heater and method of heating a substrate
A wafer processing apparatus may include a susceptor having a top side and a backside, a susceptor heater having a spacing member and a heating member, a shim removably mounted between the susceptor and the susceptor heater, a cavity formed by the susceptor backside, the susceptor heater, and the shim, a fluid inlet communicating with the cavity, and a plurality of fluid outlets communicating with the cavity.
1. A susceptor heater assembly comprising:
a heating member having a top surface;
a fluid manifold connected to the heating member;
a shim removably mounted on the heating member;
a susceptor having a bottom surface, the susceptor connected to the shim;
a fluid line inlet traversing the heating member;
a fluid line in fluid communication with a cavity between the bottom surface and the top surface; and
a heat conductive fluid introduced through the fluid line inlet to provide heat conductive fluid to the cavity.
2. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein the fluid manifold comprises an inlet port and at least one outlet port.
3. The susceptor heater of claim 2 , wherein the at least one manifold outlet port is positioned at an angle between 90 degrees and 180 degrees from the inlet port.
4. The susceptor heater of claim 2 , wherein the at least one outlet port is three outlet ports positioned about 120 degrees apart from each other.
5. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein the fluid manifold positions a susceptor on the susceptor heater.
6. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , further comprising a spacing portion.
7. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein the cavity further comprises a variable cross-sectional area.
8. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein the heat conductive fluid is selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, and hydrogen.
9. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fluid line exit positioned radially outside of the fluid line inlet.
10. The susceptor heater of claim 9 , wherein each of the at least one fluid line exits surrounds a wafer lift pin.
11. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one fluid line exits is in fluid communication with a slot in the heating member.
12. The susceptor heater of claim 11 , wherein the slot is in fluid communication with an outlet port.
13. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element disposed within the heating member radially inward from the shim.
14. A wafer processing apparatus comprising:
a susceptor having a top side and a backside;
a susceptor heater having a heating member;
a shim removably mounted between the susceptor and the susceptor heater;
a cavity formed by the susceptor backside, the susceptor heater, and the shim;
a fluid inlet communicating with the cavity, the fluid line configured to provide heat-conductive fluid to the cavity; and
at least one fluid outlet communicating with the cavity.
15. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a heat conducting fluid flowing through the fluid inlet, the cavity, and the at least one fluid outlet.
16. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the heat conducting fluid is selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, and hydrogen.
17. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a heating element is disposed within the susceptor heater and provides thermal energy to the heat conducting fluid.
18. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a fluid flows radially outward from the fluid inlet to the plurality of fluid outlets through the cavity.
19. A method of heating a susceptor in a wafer processing chamber comprising the method of:
providing a susceptor having a top side and a backside, a susceptor heater having a heating member, a shim removably mounted between the susceptor and the susceptor heater, a cavity formed by the susceptor backside, the susceptor heater, and the shim, and a fluid inlet communicating with the cavity;
heating the heating element; and,
flowing a heat conductive fluid through the fluid inlet, the cavity, and at least one fluid outlet.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the heat conductive fluid is selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, and hydrogen.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the fluid inlet orients the fluid flow within the cavity.
22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the heat conductive fluid is cooled prior to the flowing step to reduce the susceptor temperature.