Patent ID: 7977258

Claim:
A method for thermally processing a plurality of wafer-shaped objects comprising: placing a first wafer-shaped object into a thermal processing chamber, the first wafer-shaped object having a diameter and having a first side and a second and opposite side, the first side comprising a working side configured to be modified while in the thermal processing chamber, the second side comprising a back side; placing a second wafer-shaped object into the thermal processing chamber, the second wafer-shaped object having a first side and a second and opposite side, the first side comprising a working side configured to be modified while in the thermal processing chamber, the second side comprising a back side, and wherein the second wafer-shaped object is placed in the thermal processing chamber spaced a distance from the first wafer-shaped object and such that the first side of the first wafer-shaped object faces the first side of the second wafer-shaped object or the second side of the first wafer-shaped object faces the second side of the second wafer-shaped object; and processing the first and second wafer-shaped objects in the thermal processing chamber by heating the objects.