Workpiece magnetizing system and method of operating

1. An apparatus for magnetizing one or more workpieces, comprising:

a magnet assembly having a first magnet and a second magnet, the first magnet and the second magnet being electro-magnets, the first and second magnets defining a gap between opposing poles of each magnet, wherein the magnet assembly is arranged to generate a magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the planar surface of the one or more workpieces, and

a workpiece holder configured to support one or more workpieces, the one or more workpieces having each at least one substantially planar surface, within said gap between the opposing poles of each magnet;

a power source configured to independently deliver power levels to individual coil windings of the first and second magnets; and

a controller coupled to the power source and programmable,

wherein the controller is configured to control the magnetic field to have a field uniformity having less than a 10% variation across the diameter or major lateral dimension of the one or more workpieces, and

wherein the percent variation is measured as a maximum variation in a magnetic field strength across at least one workpiece divided by the average field strength across the at least one workpiece.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more workpieces includes ten (10) or fewer workpieces.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more workpieces is a single workpiece.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnet assembly to range up to 2T.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the gap ranges up to and including 20 mm (millimeters).

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnet assembly to range up to 1 T.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the gap ranges up to and including 80 mm (millimeters).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnet assembly to range up to 0.1 T.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the gap ranges up to and including 200 mm (millimeters).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more workpieces include wafer or panel substrates having a diameter or lateral dimension equal to or greater than 200 mm.

11. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the field uniformity of the magnetic field generated by the magnet assembly is less than a 5% variation across the diameter or major lateral dimension of the one or more workpieces.

12. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the field uniformity of the magnetic field generated by the magnet assembly is less than or equal to a 2% variation across the diameter or major lateral dimension of the one or more workpieces.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnet assembly further includes: an H-frame for mounting the first and second magnets to complete the magnetic field circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnet assembly further includes:

a first magnetic pole piece arranged proximate a first pole of the first magnet, and located adjacent the one or more workpieces; and

a second magnetic pole piece arranged proximate a second pole of the second magnet, and located adjacent the one or more workpieces.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the magnetic assembly generates a magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the planar surface of the one or more workpieces across an area in excess of 10 cm 2 .

16. The apparatus for magnetizing one or more workpieces according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a workpiece heating system configured to elevate the one or more workpieces to an anneal temperature.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the magnet assembly further includes:

an H-frame for mounting the first and second magnets to complete the magnetic field circuit;

a first magnetic pole piece arranged proximate a first pole of the first magnet, and located adjacent the one or more workpieces; and

a second magnetic pole piece arranged proximate a second pole of the second magnet, and located adjacent the one or more workpieces.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising: a vacuum chamber defining an interior space to arrange the workpiece holder and one or more workpieces in a vacuum environment, wherein the vacuum chamber is disposed within the gap between the first and second magnets.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the vacuum chamber maintains the vacuum environment at a pressure ranging from 10 −7 Torr to 10 Torr.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the vacuum chamber is coupled to a gas delivery system configured to supply a gas to the vacuum environment.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the gas includes an inert gas or reducing gas.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the anneal temperature ranges up to 600 degrees Centigrade.

23. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the workpiece heating system is configured to heat the one or more workpieces by radiation, conduction, convection, or induction, or any combination of two or more heating mechanisms.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the workpiece heating system is coupled to a temperature controller programmably configured to controllably elevate a temperature for each of the one or more workpieces to a pre-determined temperature range including the anneal temperature.

25. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the workpiece heating system includes a resistive heating element coupled to the workpiece holder, or coupled to the vacuum chamber within which the workpiece holder and one or more workpieces are mounted, or coupled to both.

26. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the workpiece heating system includes an electromagnetic source arranged to illuminate at least a part of the one or more workpieces with a beam of energy, and scan the beam of energy across the planar surface of the one or more workpieces.

27. A method for magnetizing one or more workpieces, comprising:

locating one or more workpieces on a workpiece holder within a gap between opposing poles of a first magnet and a second magnet mounted in a magnetic assembly arranged to generate a magnetic field;

generating said magnetic field substantially perpendicular to an exposed planar surface of the one or more workpieces, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are electro-magnets;

independently delivering, from a power source, power levels to individual coil windings of first and second magnets of a magnet assembly; and

using a programmable controller coupled to the power source to control the magnetic field to have a field uniformity having less than a 10% variation across the diameter or major lateral dimension of the one or more workpieces, wherein the percent variation is measured as a maximum variation in a magnetic field strength across at least one workpiece divided by the average field strength across the at least one workpiece.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein a magnetic field strength generated by the magnet assembly ranges up to 3T.

29. The method for magnetizing one or more workpieces according to claim 27 , further comprising:

thermally processing the one or more workpieces before, during, or after the magnetizing by elevating the temperature of the one or more workpieces to an anneal temperature ranging up to 600 degrees Centigrade.