Patent ID: 6741446
Filing Date: 2004-05-25
Classification: H01J,H01L

Abstract:
A vacuum plasma processor for processing a workpiece comprising a vacuum chamber having a gas inlet port, a vacuum port, a workpiece holder, a reactance for exciting gas in the chamber to an AC plasma, and a controller arrangement for controlling temperature properties of different localized portions of a workpiece on the holder, the controller arrangement including a temperature sensor for different localized portions of the workpiece on the holder, the controller including a plurality of thermoelectric devices associated with the different localized portions of the workpiece on the holder, each thermoelectric device including a pair of first and second semiconductor structures, a DC voltage source connected between the first and second semiconductor structures; the electrodes, semiconductor structures and DC voltage source being arranged to cause the first structure to supply heat to the first segment for a first polarity of the voltage and the second structure to remove heat from the second segment for a second polarity of the voltage.