Thermal dynamic response sensing systems for heaters

Abstract

A method includes: emitting, by a controller, a stimulus at a heating surface of a heater assembly, the stimulus causing a disturbance to a predetermined temperature of the heating surface, wherein the heater assembly has the heating surface and a plurality of heating elements for heating a heating target; receiving, by a control system from the controller, stimulus information; and controlling, by the control system, the heater assembly to maintain a predetermined temperature profile on the heating surface based on the stimulus information from the controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 emitting, by a controller, a stimulus at a heating surface of a heater assembly, the stimulus causing a disturbance to a predetermined temperature of the heating surface, wherein the heater assembly has the heating surface and a plurality of heating elements for heating a heating target;   receiving, by a control system from the controller, stimulus information; and   controlling, by the control system, the heater assembly to maintain a predetermined temperature profile on the heating surface based on the stimulus information from the controller.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is a gas controller, and the method further comprises injecting, by the gas controller, gas, as the stimulus, through a gas shower head proximate the heater assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  further comprising:
 calculating an anticipated disturbance to the predetermined temperature profile based on the stimulus information of the gas to be injected; and 
 selectively operating the heating elements by activating, deactivating or changing power to one or more of the heating elements based on the calculated anticipated disturbance to maintain the predetermined temperature profile. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the stimulus information includes at least one of type, mass, temperature, and timing of the gas to be injected proximate the heater assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the heater assembly is disposed in a processing chamber and the gas controller controls the injection of the gas to be injected into the processing chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising adjusting power to the heater assembly to offset the disturbance. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system is in electrical communication with the heater assembly and the controller. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising independently controlling the plurality of heating elements. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising adjusting power to the plurality of heating elements differently based on the stimulus information. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising calculating an anticipated disturbance to the predetermined temperature profile based on the stimulus information. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system provides a closed-loop control for the heater assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising acquiring, by a video camera, images of the heating surface;
 sending the images to the control system to obtain information a specific heating zone that is influenced by the stimulus; and   controlling the heater assembly based on the information about the specific heating zone as a feedback.   
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 obtaining information of a stimulus, the stimulus causing a disturbance to a predetermined temperature of a heating surface of a heater assembly, wherein the heater assembly has a plurality of heating elements;   calculating an anticipated disturbance to the predetermined temperature of the heating surface based on the information of the stimulus; and   controlling operation of the heater assembly based on the anticipated disturbance and the predetermined temperature of the heating surface.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising independently controlling the plurality of heating elements to offset the anticipated disturbance to maintain the predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the heater assembly is disposed in a processing chamber and the stimulus is gas injected into the processing chamber by a gas controller. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the information of the stimulus includes at least one of type, mass, temperature and timing of the gas injected into the processing chamber by the gas controller. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the gas is injected proximate the heating surface of the heater assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the operation of the heater assembly is controlled by a control system, the control system receiving the information of the stimulus. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the control system is in electrical communication with the heater assembly and a controller that controls emitting of the stimulus. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the control system provides a closed-loop control for the heater assembly.