MICROELECTRIC HEAT EXCHANGER PEDESTAL

A microelectric wafer or chip vacuum chuck in the form of a heat exchanger pedestal with a heat exchanger pressure vessel at the pedestal top through which hot and cold fluids are selectively pumped in circulation from and return to, respectively, hot and cold remote fluid reservoirs. A plurality of small diameter vacuum tubes pierce the heat exchanger pressure vessel and are brazed at each end to upper and lower plates with the top of the upper plate being the chuck surface with the vacuum tubes providing frequent tension ties between the plates. Dry nitrogen is fed into and through a circumferential passageway about the pedestal to protect wafers and chips with an inert cover atmosphere from oxidation damage at high temperatures or frost damage at low temperatures.