Air impingement heater

摘要

Apparatus and methods for heating of one or more substrates with a plurality of independently controllable heating zones. Pressurized air is provided to each of a plurality of independently controlled heater blocks each including a heating element. The pressurized air is heated in the heater blocks and discharged towards one or more regions of the one or more substrates. The amount of power provided to the heating element in one of the heating blocks may be adjusted relative to the amount of power provided to the heating element in another of the heating blocks. The temperature of one heating zone may thereby be adjusted relative to other heating zones so that the temperature of different heating zones for the one or more substrates may be independently controlled. Heated air may be recovered from the heating zones and recycled. The pressurized air may be preheated by passing through a lift plate.

主权项

1. An apparatus for processing one or more substrates, the apparatus comprising:
a heater including a plurality of heater blocks, each heater block including at least one heating element, and each heater block configured to receive pressurized air for heating by the at least one heating element and to exhaust the pressurized air to heat the one or more substrates; and a controller coupled with the heater blocks, the controller configured to independently regulate power supplied to the at least one heating element of each heater block for adjusting an amount of heat supplied by the pressurized air from each heater block of the heater to the one or more substrates.