Chamber for degassing substrates

Abstract

A heater and/or cooler chamber includes a heat storage block or chunk. In the block a multitude of parallel, stacked slit pockets each dimensioned to accommodate a single plate shaped workpiece. Workpiece handling openings of the slit pockets are freed and respectively covered by a door arrangement. The slit pockets are tailored to snuggly surround the plate shaped workpieces therein so as to establish an efficient heat transfer between the heat storage block or chunk and the workpieces to be cooled or heated.

1 . A method of treating workpieces or of manufacturing treated workpieces thereby providing:
 a number of slit pockets each dimensioned to accommodate a single of said workpieces therein,   and comprising   first loading workpieces subsequently in time and with a time lag between subsequent first loadings into first slit pockets of said number of slit pockets and performing treatment of said workpieces loaded subsequently in time in said first slit pockets, thereby selecting said first slit pockets by skipping second slit pockets between first slit pockets;   and, thereafter,   second loading workpieces subsequently in time and with a time lag between subsequent second loadings into second slit pockets of said number of slit pockets having been skipped by said first loading and performing treatment of said workpieces loaded subsequently in time in said second slit pockets;   unloading subsequently in time and with a time lag between subsequent unloadings, workpieces from said first and from said second slit pockets, treatment of said workpieces being unloaded having been completed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising said unloading by unloading a workpiece having been completely treated from respective slit pockets of said first and said second slit pockets and performing, directly succeedingly to said unloading, said first and second loadings respectively into said slit pockets having been freed by said unloading. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising selecting said time lag between subsequent first loadings, said time lag between subsequent second loadings and said time lag between subsequent unloadings are equal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said time lag between subsequent first loadings, said time lag between subsequent second loadings and said time lag between subsequent unloadings are equal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said time lag is selected in dependency of a workpiece throughput to be achieved. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said time lag is selected in dependency of a workpiece throughput to be achieved. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising selecting a treatment time span for complete treatment of said workpieces and determining said number in dependency of the extent of said time lags and of said selected treatment time span for complete treatment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising selecting a treatment time span for complete treatment of said workpieces and determining said number in dependency of the extent of said time lags and of said selected treatment time span for complete treatment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising selecting a treatment time span for complete treatment of said workpieces and determining said number in dependency of the extent of said time lags and of said selected treatment time span for complete treatment. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising selecting a treatment time span for complete treatment of said workpieces and determining said number in dependency of the extent of said time lags and of said selected treatment time span for complete treatment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said treatment is a thermal treatment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  comprising minimizing heat exchange between workpieces just having been loaded and workpieces just being completely treated by said first and second loadings. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2  comprising minimizing the extent of handling paths for loading and unloading of workpieces by said unloading a workpiece having been completely treated from respective slit pockets of said first and said second slit pockets and by performing, directly succeedingly to said unloading, said first and second loadings respectively into said slit pockets having been freed by said unloading. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  comprising minimizing the extent of handling paths for loading and unloading of workpieces by unloading a workpiece having been completely treated from respective slit pockets of said first and said second slit pockets and by performing, directly succeedingly to said unloading, said first and second loadings respectively into said slit pockets having been freed by said unloading. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said number of slit pockets are arranged to form a stack of slit pockets. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said number of slit pockets are arranged to form a stack of slit pockets. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  comprising
 providing more of said slit pockets than said number of slit pockets. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 3 ,  11 ,  14  or  16  comprising: selecting a treatment time span for completing treatment of said workpieces and selecting said time lags in dependency of a desired throughput of completely treated workpieces, and further selecting said number to be at least equal to a quotient of said treatment time span and of said time lags, rounded to the next higher integer. 
     
     
         19 . A method of treating workpieces or of manufacturing treated workpieces thereby providing:
 a number of slit pockets each dimensioned to accommodate a single of said workpieces therein,   and comprising   first loading workpieces subsequently in time and with a time lag between subsequent first loadings into first slit pockets of said number of slit pockets and performing a heat treatment of said workpieces loaded subsequently in time in said first slit pockets, thereby selecting said first slit pockets by skipping second slit pockets between first slit pockets;   and, thereafter,   second loading workpieces subsequently in time and with a time lag between subsequent second loadings into second slit pockets of said number of slit pockets having been skipped by said first loading and performing heat treatment of said workpieces loaded subsequently in time in said second slit pockets;   unloading subsequently in time and with a time lag between subsequent unloadings, workpieces from said first and from said second slit pockets, heat treatment of said workpieces being unloaded having been completed, and further comprising said unloading by unloading a workpiece having been completely treated from respective slit pockets of said first and said second slit pockets and performing, directly succeedingly to said unloading, said first and second loadings respectively into said slit pockets having been freed by said unloading and   selecting said time lag between subsequent first loadings, said time lag between subsequent second loadings and said time lag between subsequent unloadings to be equal.