Lam Research Corporation
THERMOELECTRIC COOLING PEDESTAL FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS

Abstract:

A temperature-controlled pedestal includes a pedestal, a temperature sensor to sense N temperature in N zones, and N temperature control devices arranged in the N zones, respectively. A voltage source selectively supplies power to the N temperature control devices. A controller is configured to cause the voltage source to control a temperature in the N zones by a) determining a hottest one of the N zones based on the N temperatures; b) if the hottest one of the N zones is not already cooling, increasing cooling to the hottest one of the N zones using one of the N temperature control devices; c) decreasing cooling to the N zones when a temperature of the N zones is less than a first temperature setpoint; and d) repeating a) to c) until all of the N zones have a temperate less than or equal to the first temperature setpoint.