Method and apparatus for cooling rectangular substrates

Claim 1

A method for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising the steps of: positioning said substrate with a substrate surface proximate to a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from a pedestal center line; and conforming said substrate to said cooling surface while providing a coolant medium under pressure between said substrate surface and said pedestal surface; wherein said pedestal cooling surface has a downward curvature that is greater than the amount of substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by said coolant medium on said substrate surface; and wherein said downward curvature is sufficient to bend said substrate, such that said substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, and such that voids between said substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized.

Claim 2

A method for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising the steps of: positioning said substrate with a substrate surface proximate to a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from a pedestal center line; and conforming said substrate to said cooling surface while providing a coolant medium under pressure between said substrate surface and said pedestal surface; wherein said pedestal cooling surface has a downward curvature that is greater than the amount of substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by said coolant medium on said substrate surface; and wherein said downward curvature is sufficient to bend said substrate, such that said substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, and such that voids between said substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized.

Claim 9

An apparatus for cooling a rectangular substrate, comprising: a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface having a pedestal center line, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from said pedestal center line; means for positioning said substrate at a substrate surface proximate to said cooling surface thereby conforming said substrate to said cooling surface; and a coolant medium provided under pressure to said substrate surface; wherein said pedestal cooling surface has a downward curvature that is greater than the amount of substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by said coolant medium on said substrate surface; and wherein said downward curvature is sufficient to bend said substrate, such that said substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, and such that voids between said substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized.

Claim 10

An apparatus for cooling a rectangular substrate, comprising: a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface having a pedestal center line, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from said pedestal center line; means for positioning said substrate at a substrate surface proximate to said cooling surface thereby conforming said substrate to said cooling surface; and a coolant medium provided under pressure to said substrate surface; wherein said pedestal cooling surface has a downward curvature that is greater than the amount of substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by said coolant medium on said substrate surface; and wherein said downward curvature is sufficient to bend said substrate, such that said substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, and such that voids between said substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized.

Claim 17

A method for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising the steps of: positioning said glass substrate with a substrate surface proximate to a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from a pedestal center line, said downwardly curved pedestal surface being a multiply stepped or beveled slope that sufficiently approximates a smoothly curving surface, said pedestal cooling surface having a downward curvature that is greater than an amount of glass substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by an inert gas on said glass substrate surface; and bending said glass substrate, such that said glass substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, and such that voids between said glass substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized;and providing an inert gas under pressure between said glass substrate surface and said pedestal surface; wherein said substrate is cooled during processing under vacuum in a reaction chamber.

Claim 18

A method for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising the steps of: positioning said glass substrate with a substrate surface proximate to a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from a pedestal center line, said downwardly curved pedestal surface being a multiply stepped or beveled slope that sufficiently approximates a smoothly curving surface, said pedestal cooling surface having a downward curvature that is greater than an amount of glass substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by an inert gas on said glass substrate surface; and bending said glass substrate, such that said glass substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, and such that voids between said glass substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized;and providing an inert gas under pressure between said glass substrate surface and said pedestal surface; wherein said substrate is cooled during processing under vacuum in a reaction chamber.

Claim 20

An apparatus for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising: a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface having a pedestal center line, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from said pedestal center line, said downwardly curving pedestal surface being a multiply stepped or beveled approximation of a smoothly curving surface, said pedestal cooling surface having a downward curvature that is greater than an amount of glass substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by an inert gas on said glass substrate surface; means for positioning said glass substrate at a substrate surface proximate to said cooling surface thereby conforming said glass substrate to said cooling surface, said downward curvature being sufficient to bend said glass substrate, wherein said glass substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, such that voids between said glass substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized; and an inert gas provided under pressure to said glass substrate surface; wherein said glass substrate is cooled during processing under vacuum in a reaction chamber.

Claim 21

An apparatus for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising: a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface having a pedestal center line, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from said pedestal center line, said downwardly curving pedestal surface being a multiply stepped or beveled approximation of a smoothly curving surface, said pedestal cooling surface having a downward curvature that is greater than an amount of glass substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by an inert gas on said glass substrate surface; means for positioning said glass substrate at a substrate surface proximate to said cooling surface thereby conforming said glass substrate to said cooling surface, said downward curvature being sufficient to bend said glass substrate, wherein said glass substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, such that voids between said glass substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized; and an inert gas provided under pressure to said glass substrate surface; wherein said glass substrate is cooled during processing under vacuum in a reaction chamber.

Claim 23

A method for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising the steps of: positioning said glass substrate with a substrate surface proximate to a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from a pedestal center line, said downwardly curved pedestal surface being a multiply stepped or beveled slope that sufficiently approximates a smoothly curving surface, said pedestal cooling surface having a downward curvature that is greater than an amount of glass substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by an inert gas on said glass substrate surface, said rectangular substrate having a longer dimension and a shorter dimension, said longer dimension running either parallel to said cooling surface center line or perpendicular to said center line; bending said glass substrate, such that said glass substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, and such that voids between said glass substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized; and providing an inert gas under pressure between said glass substrate surface and said pedestal surface; wherein said substrate is cooled during processing under vacuum in a reaction chamber.

Claim 24

A method for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising the steps of: positioning said glass substrate with a substrate surface proximate to a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from a pedestal center line, said downwardly curved pedestal surface being a multiply stepped or beveled slope that sufficiently approximates a smoothly curving surface, said pedestal cooling surface having a downward curvature that is greater than an amount of glass substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by an inert gas on said glass substrate surface, said rectangular substrate having a longer dimension and a shorter dimension, said longer dimension running either parallel to said cooling surface center line or perpendicular to said center line; bending said glass substrate, such that said glass substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, and such that voids between said glass substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized; and providing an inert gas under pressure between said glass substrate surface and said pedestal surface; wherein said substrate is cooled during processing under vacuum in a reaction chamber.

Claim 25

An apparatus for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising: a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface having a pedestal center line, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from said pedestal center line, said downwardly curving pedestal surface being a multiply stepped or beveled approximation of a smoothly curving surface, said pedestal cooling surface having a downward curvature that is greater than an amount of glass substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by an inert gas on said glass substrate surface, said rectangular substrate having a longer dimension that runs either parallel to said cooling surface center line or perpendicular to said center line; means for positioning said glass substrate at a substrate surface proximate to said cooling surface thereby conforming said glass substrate to said cooling surface, said downward curvature being sufficient to bend said glass substrate, wherein said glass substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, such that voids between said glass substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized; and an inert gas provided under pressure to said glass substrate surface; wherein said glass substrate is cooled during processing under vacuum in a reaction chamber.

Claim 26

An apparatus for cooling a rectangular glass substrate, comprising: a rectangular pedestal having a convex cooling surface having a pedestal center line, said convex pedestal cooling surface curving downwardly from said pedestal center line, said downwardly curving pedestal surface being a multiply stepped or beveled approximation of a smoothly curving surface, said pedestal cooling surface having a downward curvature that is greater than an amount of glass substrate bending which would result from the amount of pressure which is to be applied by an inert gas on said glass substrate surface, said rectangular substrate having a longer dimension that runs either parallel to said cooling surface center line or perpendicular to said center line; means for positioning said glass substrate at a substrate surface proximate to said cooling surface thereby conforming said glass substrate to said cooling surface, said downward curvature being sufficient to bend said glass substrate, wherein said glass substrate surface is brought into an intimate conforming relationship with said pedestal surface, such that voids between said glass substrate surface and said cooling surface are minimized; and an inert gas provided under pressure to said glass substrate surface; wherein said glass substrate is cooled during processing under vacuum in a reaction chamber.