Integrated bake/chill for photoresist processing

A thermal cycling system for baking and chilling semiconductor wafers is presented for photoresist processing applications. The proposed unit differs from conventional systems as the bake and chill steps are conducted sequentially within the same module without substrate movement. The unit includes a circulating fluid that can be switched between hot and cold reservoirs and serves as the dominant means for heat transfer. A set of thermoelectric devices is used in conjunction with the hot/cold fluid to provide a distributed amount of heat to the wafer for uniformity and transient temperature control. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate temperature uniformity during both transient and steady-state operation.