Importance

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Abstract

A heat exchanger such as an evaporator for a temperature control system includes an input port with an orifice through which a refrigerant enters the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates and a tilted deflection surface near the input port. High-pressure refrigerant entering through the input port impinges on the tilted deflection surface and is deflected by the deflection surface onto the plates. The tilt angle of the deflection surface is selected such that the refrigerant is evenly distributed over the plates resulting in even and highly efficient heat transfer. The heat exchanger can be used as the evaporator in a refrigeration system used to control temperature in a workpiece chuck for supporting a flat workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer during processing and testing. In particular, the heat exchanger can be used to control the temperature of a fluid which is circulated through the chuck to control the temperature of the workpiece and/or the chuck itself. In that setting, the temperature control circulating fluid can be circulated through the heat exchanger over the sides of the plates opposite the refrigerant to cool the circulating fluid. Because the refrigerant is evenly distributed over the plates, highly efficient heat transfer, i.e., cooling, is achieved.

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First Claim