JP4548626B2 - Thermoelectric module and temperature control plate using thermoelectric module - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a thermoelectric module and a temperature adjustment plate using the thermoelectric module.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The semiconductor wafer manufacturing process includes a baking process for heating the substrate (semiconductor wafer) and a cooling process for cooling the heated substrate to a room temperature level.
[0003]
These baking processing and cooling processing are performed by a temperature adjustment plate, and in particular, the above-described cooling processing is performed by a temperature adjustment plate (cooling plate) as shown in FIG.
[0004]
The temperature adjustment plate A is formed by interposing a plurality of thermoelectric modules D, D... Between the mounting plate B and the water cooling plate C, and is mounted by energizing these thermoelectric modules D, D. The substrate W placed on the plate B is cooled.
[0005]
Each thermoelectric module D includes a plurality of alternately arranged p-type thermoelectric elements p and n-type thermoelectric elements n at electrodes t, t... Provided on upper and lower heat transfer plates h, h made of a ceramic material or the like. It is configured by connecting.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the temperature adjustment plate A having the above-described configuration, the thermoelectric modules D, D... Are spaced apart from each other, so that the temperature distribution of the mounting plate B becomes non-uniform, and the temperature adjustment plate A is mounted on the mounting plate B. There is a disadvantage that the temperature distribution of the placed substrate W is also non-uniform.
[0007]
In order to eliminate such inconvenience, a large number of p-type thermoelectric elements p and n-type thermoelectric elements n arranged alternately like the temperature adjustment plate A ′ shown in FIG. 4 are mounted on the mounting plate B ′. A thermoelectric module D ′ is used which is distributed over the entire (contact surface) and connected to each other by electrodes t, t..., And this thermoelectric module D ′ is placed on the mounting plate B ′ by an insulating adhesive E ′. It is possible to consider a configuration in which a fixed installation is provided between the water cooling plate C ′.
[0008]
According to the temperature adjustment plate A ′ having the above configuration, a large number of thermoelectric elements (p, n) are distributed over the entire area of the mounting plate B ′, so that the temperature distribution in the mounting plate B ′ is not uniform. Can be greatly improved.
[0009]
Here, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mounting plate B ′ has a disk shape corresponding to the shape of the wafer W, while each thermoelectric element (p, n) of the thermoelectric module D ′ is viewed from a plane. The thermoelectric elements (p, n) are connected by a rectangular electrode t.
[0010]
Therefore, the mounting area Da ′ of the thermoelectric module D ′ with respect to the mounting plate B ′, that is, the virtual circular area (Da ′) connecting the plurality of electrodes t located at the outermost side in the thermoelectric module D ′ is mounted. A blank portion s in which the electrode t does not exist is generated at the outer peripheral edge portion of the mounting plate B ′.
[0011]
Further, when a bolt hole h or the like is formed in the mounting plate B ′, a blank portion where the electrode t does not exist in the contact area Da ′ between the bolt t and the electrode t arranged so as to avoid the bolt hole h. s will occur.
[0012]
Furthermore, since the thermoelectric elements (p, n) of the thermoelectric module D ′ are all connected in series, in order to satisfy the connection condition of the thermoelectric elements (p, n), the adjacent electrodes t are inevitably separated. In the case of the arrangement, a blank portion where the electrode t does not exist is generated in the contact area Da ′.
[0013]
Here, in the temperature adjustment plate A ′, heat transfer is performed between each thermoelectric element (p, n) and the mounting plate B ′ via the electrode t of the thermoelectric module D ′. Thus, the presence of the blank portion s in which the electrode t is not disposed in the contact area Da ′ of the thermoelectric module D ′ with respect to the mounting plate B ′ causes unevenness in the temperature distribution in the mounting plate B ′. There is a disadvantage that the temperature distribution of W becomes non-uniform.
[0014]
In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a thermoelectric module capable of making the temperature distribution of the temperature controlled body uniform.
[0015]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a temperature adjustment plate using a thermoelectric module that can make the temperature distribution of the mounting plate uniform.
[0016]
[Means for solving the problems and effects]
In order to achieve the above object, the thermoelectric module according to the invention of claim 1 is in contact with the temperature controlled body, and a large number of thermoelectric elements are distributed over the entire contact surface of the temperature controlled body and adjacent to each other. a thermoelectric element a thermoelectric module formed by connecting to each other by electrodes, said electrodes, rectangular planar shape, and rectangular shape consists of a Zoseki extending from the rectangular base portion and the base headquarters and Has a plurality of shapes having different planar shapes, and is characterized in that the electrodes are developed in the entire contact region with respect to the temperature-controlled body.
According to the above configuration, the temperature of the temperature controlled body is uniform by filling the blank area where the electrode is not arranged in the contact area with the electrode extending in the entire contact area with respect to the temperature controlled body. It becomes possible.
[0017]
The temperature control plate using the thermoelectric module according to the invention of claim 2 is formed by distributing a large number of thermoelectric elements over the entire contact surface of the mounting plate and connecting adjacent thermoelectric elements to each other by electrodes. A temperature adjustment plate using a thermoelectric module in which the thermoelectric module is provided on the contact surface of the mounting plate, and the electrodes in the thermoelectric module have a rectangular planar shape, a rectangular basic portion, and a rectangular basic portion extending from the basic portion. It is characterized by having a plurality of shapes that are formed by an increased number of existing portions and exhibiting a planar shape different from the rectangular shape, and that the electrodes are developed over the entire contact area with respect to the mounting plate.
According to the above configuration, the electrode in the thermoelectric module has a shape that extends across the entire contact area with the mounting plate, and the temperature distribution of the mounting plate is made uniform by filling the blank area in which no electrode is arranged in the contact area. Can be made.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments.
1 and 2 show an example in which a temperature control plate according to the present invention is applied to a cooling plate for performing a cooling process when a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is processed. The temperature adjusting plate 1 is a large cooling plate for performing a cooling process on a substrate having a diameter of 100 to 300 mm.
[0019]
The temperature adjustment plate 1 is configured by interposing a thermoelectric module 10 between a mounting plate 2 that is a temperature controlled body and a water cooling plate (heat exchanger) 3. The substrate (semiconductor wafer) W placed on the placement plate 2 is cooled by energizing the substrate.
[0020]
The mounting plate 2 on which the substrate W is mounted is formed of an aluminum material, a copper material, a metal matrix composite, or the like having good thermal conductivity, and has a disk-shaped appearance that is slightly larger than the substrate W. The water cooling plate 3 has a disk shape corresponding to the mounting plate 2 described above.
[0021]
The thermoelectric module 10 interposed between the mounting plate 2 and the water cooling plate 3 described above alternately arranges a number of p-type thermoelectric elements p and n-type thermoelectric elements n, and adjacent p-type thermoelectric elements. One end and the other end of the element p and the n-type thermoelectric element n are connected by electrodes 11, 11..., Respectively.
[0022]
In the thermoelectric module 10, the upper electrodes 11, 11,... Are bonded and fixed to the lower surface (contact surface) 2a of the mounting plate 2 with an insulating adhesive e.
That is, the thermoelectric module 10 is in contact with the mounting plate 2 that is a temperature controlled body via the insulating adhesive g.
[0023]
Further, the lower electrodes 11, 11... In the thermoelectric module 10 are also bonded and fixed to the upper surface of the water-cooled plate 3 with an insulating adhesive e.
The mounting plate 2 and the water cooling plate 3 are coupled to each other via a plurality of bolts b, b.
[0024]
Here, in the thermoelectric module 10, the p-type thermoelectric elements p and the n-type thermoelectric elements n are dispersed and arranged in a lattice pattern over the entire lower surface (contact surface) of the mounting plate 2 at equal intervals. .
[0025]
The thermoelectric module 10 is configured such that all p-type thermoelectric elements p and n-type thermoelectric elements n are connected in series with each other via electrodes 11, 11. Has been.
[0026]
As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), a contact area 10A of the thermoelectric module 10 with respect to the mounting plate 2, that is, a virtual circle connecting a plurality of electrodes 11, 11,. The electrodes 11, 11,... Located in the peripheral area of the region (10A) have a deformed shape that is significantly different from the conventional rectangular electrode (see reference symbol t in FIG. 6).
[0027]
That is, these electrodes 11, 11... Have a basic portion 11A corresponding to a conventional rectangular electrode (see symbol t in FIG. 6), and an increased product portion 11a extending from the basic portion 11A. Yes.
[0028]
Here, the accumulation portion 11a in each electrode 11 extends from the basic portion 11A to the full contact area 10A, and the electrode t of the conventional temperature adjustment plate A ′ shown in FIGS. The blank portion s that does not exist is filled.
[0029]
2 (a), 2 (b) is located around a bolt assembly hole h provided in the mounting plate 2, and these electrodes 11, 11 ... It has a basic portion 11A corresponding to a conventional rectangular electrode (see reference numeral t in FIG. 6), and an increased portion 11b extending from the basic portion 11A.
[0030]
Here, the increased portion 11b in each of the electrodes 11 extends from the basic portion 11A to the vicinity of the bolt assembly hole h, and the electrodes in the conventional temperature adjustment plate A ′ shown in FIGS. The blank portion s where t does not exist is filled.
[0031]
In addition, in the electrodes 11, 11,... In the thermoelectric module 10, other than the irregularly shaped electrodes 11 arranged at specific positions such as the peripheral area of the contact area 10A shown in FIG. Of course, the electrode 11 having a rectangular shape is employed in the same manner as the electrode t in the conventional temperature control plate A ′ shown in FIG.
[0032]
Moreover, the copper material which has favorable electroconductivity and thermal conductivity is used for each electrode 11,11 ... in the thermoelectric module 10, and when manufacturing the thermoelectric module 10, all the electrodes 11,11 ... are used. Is formed by an existing etching method.
[0033]
In the temperature adjustment plate 1 having the above-described configuration, the electrodes 11, 11... In the thermoelectric module 10 are formed in such a manner as to fill a blank portion where no electrode is arranged in a contact area with the mounting plate of the conventional thermoelectric module. The electrodes 11, 11... Are developed over the entire contact area 10 </ b> A with respect to the mounting plate 2.
[0034]
Thus, the thermoelectric module 10 uniformly cools the mounting plate 2 without causing unevenness in the temperature distribution, and thus the substrate W placed on the mounting plate 2 is also cooled with a uniform temperature distribution. It will be.
[0035]
As described above, according to the thermoelectric module 10 of the present invention, the temperature distribution of the mounting plate which is a temperature controlled body can be made uniform, and according to the temperature adjustment plate 1 of the present invention, the substrate W The temperature distribution can be made uniform.
[0036]
Further, according to the above-described configuration, the electrodes 11, 11,... In the thermoelectric module 10 are formed in such a manner as to fill a blank portion where no electrode is arranged in a contact area with the mounting plate of the conventional thermoelectric module. The electrode 11 becomes larger than the conventional one, and the contact area of the electrodes 11, 11... With the mounting plate 2 increases, so that heat transfer is efficiently performed between the mounting plate 2 and the thermoelectric module 10. Will be.
[0037]
In the above-described embodiment, the electrode 11 arranged in the peripheral region of the contact region 10A, the periphery of the bolt assembly hole h, and the like is illustrated, but in order to satisfy the connection condition of each thermoelectric element (p, n). Needless to say, the electrodes that are inevitably spaced apart may be enlarged in a manner that fills the portion where the electrodes are not provided, as described above.
[0038]
In addition, the electrode 11 in the embodiment described above is a single-layer electrode formed from a copper material by an etching method, but a surface electrode having a basic part and an extension part as in the case of the electrode 11 in the embodiment is a conventional electrode. Similarly, it is possible to employ a two-layered electrode laminated on an electrode body having a rectangular shape .
Here, the surface electrode in the electrode having the two-layer structure may be formed of at least a material having good thermal conductivity, and the conductivity can be appropriately set based on the installation conditions of the thermoelectric module. It is.
[0039]
Further, in the above-described embodiments, the temperature adjustment plate formed by attaching the thermoelectric module to the mounting plate is illustrated, but the thermoelectric module according to the present invention has an appropriate insulating layer without using the mounting plate. Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to a temperature adjusting device configured to directly place a substrate on a thermoelectric module.
[0040]
Here, the contact between the thermoelectric module and the temperature-controlled body (mounting plate or wafer) does not necessarily indicate only the state of direct contact, for example, contact via a protrusion or shim, Needless to say, this also refers to the case where heat is exchanged through the air layer.
[0041]
Further, in the above-described embodiments, the temperature adjustment plate formed by attaching the thermoelectric module to the mounting plate is exemplified, but the thermoelectric module according to the present invention is not limited to the mounting plate, but various temperature controlled bodies. It is possible to make the temperature distribution of the temperature-controlled body uniform.
[0042]
In addition, in the case of a temperature adjustment plate in which a thermoelectric module is mounted on a mounting plate, the mounting plate shape is not limited to a disk shape but may be a polygonal shape such as a quadrangle. In this case, the contact area in the thermoelectric module is the mounting plate. Needless to say, it is set according to the outer shape of the plate.
[0043]
Further, even in a device in which the thermoelectric module is attached to various temperature controlled bodies, the temperature controlled body can adopt various shapes, and the contact area in the thermoelectric module is the outer shape of the temperature controlled body. Needless to say, it is set as appropriate.
[0044]
Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the temperature adjustment plate related to the present invention is applied to the cooling plate. However, by changing the energization direction to the thermoelectric module, baking is performed when a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is manufactured. Needless to say, the present invention can be effectively applied as a hot plate for performing the treatment.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1A and 1B are a plan view and a side view conceptually showing a temperature adjustment plate according to the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are main part plan views conceptually showing a temperature adjustment plate and a thermoelectric module according to the present invention. FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a side view conceptually showing a conventional temperature adjustment plate.
FIG. 4 is a side view conceptually showing a conventional temperature adjustment plate.
FIG. 5 is a plan view conceptually showing a conventional temperature adjustment plate.
FIG. 6 is a principal plan view conceptually showing a conventional thermoelectric module of a temperature adjustment plate.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... Temperature adjustment plate,
2 ... Mounting plate (temperature controlled body),
3 ... Water-cooled plate,
10 ... Thermoelectric module,
10A ... contact area,
11 ... electrode,
11A ... Basic part,
11a, 11b ... the increased portion,
p ... p-type thermoelectric element,
n ... n-type thermoelectric element,
W: Substrate (semiconductor wafer).

Claims (2)

A thermoelectric module that is in contact with a temperature controlled body and has a plurality of thermoelectric elements distributed over the entire contact surface of the temperature controlled body, and adjacent thermoelectric elements are connected to each other by electrodes,
The electrodes, rectangular planar shape, and has a plurality of shapes that exhibit different planes form a rectangular base portion and consists of a Zoseki portion extending from the base headquarters rectangular,
2. The thermoelectric module according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is shaped so as to spread over the entire contact area with respect to the temperature controlled body. A thermoelectric module in which a plurality of thermoelectric elements are distributed over the entire contact surface of the mounting plate and adjacent thermoelectric elements are connected to each other by electrodes, and provided on the contact surface of the mounting plate. A temperature adjustment plate using
The electrode in the thermoelectric module, rectangular planar shape, and has a plurality of shapes that exhibit different planes form a rectangular base portion and consists of a Zoseki portion extending from the base headquarters rectangular,
A temperature adjustment plate using a thermoelectric module, wherein the electrode has a shape that extends over the entire area of contact with the mounting plate.

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