Patent ID: 6532772
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
An apparatus for forming a planar layer of a dielectric material on a microelectronic substrate, comprising:a vessel having a vessel wall with a closed end, an open end opposite the closed end and an interior volume between the open and closed ends, the vessel adapted to retain a flowable material therein adjacent the vessel wall, the flowable material comprising a support material and the planar layer of dielectric material having a different density than the support material, the flowable planer layer of dielectric material having a first surface facing the microelectronic substrate and a planar second surface opposite to the first surface in contact with a support surface of the support material so that the dielectric material floats on the support surface of the support material, or the support material floats on the second surface of the dielectric material; a substrate positioning device adapted to releasably engage the substrate while the substrate is within the interior volume, the substrate positioning device being movable relative to the vessel to move the substrate within the interior volume; an actuator coupled to the substrate positioning device to move the substrate positioning device within the interior volume; and a temperature control device positioned to control a temperature of at least one of the vessel and flowable material positioned within the vessel.