Stacked annealing system

Abstract

A process chamber includes an opening, two or more stacked cold plates adjacent the opening, two or more stacked hot plates adjacent the cold plates, and a rotatable wafer transport capable of moving a wafer between the cold plates and between the hot plates for processing of the wafer. The wafer can be rapidly heated while between the hot plates. The wafer transport has perpendicular walls about a pivot such that when the wafer is between the cold plates or between the hot plates, one of the walls separates the cold and hot portions, thereby increasing the efficiency of cooling and heating.

1 . A process for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising: 
 inserting the wafer onto a wafer support between two cold plates in a process chamber;    rotating the wafer support approximately 90° to move the wafer from between the two cold plates to between two hot plates for heating the wafer within a first volume of the process chamber;    rotating the wafer support approximately 90° to move the wafer back between the two cold plates; and    removing the wafer from the wafer support and out of the process chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising at least partially separating the first volume from other portions of the process chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the separating comprises moving a wall between the cold plates and the hot plates.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising inserting multiple wafers in a process chamber and placing each wafer between two adjacent cold plates.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 4 , further comprising placing each of the multiple wafers between two adjacent hot plates for heating the wafers.