Abstract: A ceramic heater for use as a platform or support in producing a semiconductor wafer is described. A method for use of the ceramic heater as well as a method for controlling the temperature of a semiconductor wafer is provided. In a exemplary embodiment, the heater is made from a ceramic compound which has a thermally conductive ceramic layer and a ceramic heater element. In this embodiment, the thermally conductive ceramic layer is aluminum nitride doped with oxygen at such a level that it promotes thermal conductivity. The heater may also have a thermally insulative ceramic layer comprised of a mixture of aluminum nitride with a dopant at a level that makes the aluminum nitride thermally insulating. The heater element may be embedded within the ceramic chuck in a variety of shapes and configurations as necessary and as particular to the semiconductor processing requirements.

Abstract: A refractory tile system includes a barrier layer coating applied to the wall (membrane and waterwall or tube wall) of a boiler of an incinerator or heat exchanger. Refractory tiles are then fastened to the tube wall utilizing a floating attachment mechanism to provide a relatively high degree of freedom of movement relative to the tube wall to accommodate micro-scale bowing of the tile generated by the relatively large temperature gradient and mean temperature typically experienced by such tiles. Each tile is also effectively isolated from adjacent tiles by providing a predetermined gap therebetween of sufficient size to effectively prevent macro-scale bowing generated by networking thereof. Moreover, a compressible fibrous mortar is preferably disposed in the gap or channel between each adjacent tile to substantially prevent ash or other contaminants from passing therethrough.