Abstract: A heating device for manufacturing semiconductor capable of uniformly heating a wafer or other materials to be treated, and in particular a heating device in a coater-developer used for heat-hardening of resin film for photolithography and for heat-calcining of low-dielectric constant insulating film, is provided. A device of this invention comprises a ceramic holder 1 having a resistive heating element 2 embedded therein, which holds and heats a wafer 6 or another material to be treated; a cylindrical support member 4 which supports the ceramic holder 1; and a chamber 5 which houses these. The support member 4 and ceramic holder 1 are not hermetically sealed, or alternatively the atmospheres within the cylindrical support member 4 and within the chamber 5 are maintained to be substantially the same by adjusting the introduction and evacuation of gas.

Abstract: A heater unit has excellent uniform heat properties in a wafer placement surface, and is capable of rapid temperature increase and rapid cooling, also has high rigidity. A heating and cooling device that includes the heater unit is used as a manufacturing or inspection apparatus and is used for work with glass substrates or semiconductor substrates for flat panel displays. The heater comprises a first uniform heat plate having a placement surface on which a substrate is placed, a second uniform heat plate for supporting the first uniform heat plate, and at least one layer of a insulated resistance heating element provided between the first uniform heat plate and the second uniform heat plate. The first uniform heat plate and the second uniform heat plate have a differing thermal conductivity and differing Young's modulus.

Abstract: The invention provides a wafer-prober wafer holder that allows positional precision and temperature uniformity to be increased, and also allows the chip to be heated and cooled rapidly, and a wafer prober device provided with the same. The wafer-prober wafer holder of the invention is constituted by a chuck top having a chuck top conducting layer on its surface, and a support member for supporting the chuck top, and has a cavity in a portion between the chuck top and the support member. The chuck top preferably is provided with a heating member.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor or liquid crystal is provided with a reaction chamber housing a ceramic holder with an embedded resistive heating element, and a cylindrical support member one end of which supports the ceramic holder and the other end of which side is fixed to the reaction chamber. One end of the cylindrical support member is hermetically bonded to the ceramic holder; and a partition plate and sealing material hermetically seal the other end of which side. Embodiments include partitioning the space within the cylindrical support member with the ceramic holder, and the partition plate and depressurizing to vacuum or to a reduced pressure atmosphere of an inert gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor or liquid crystal has, within a reaction chamber 1 to which a reactive gas is supplied, a ceramic holder 2 having a resistive heating element 7 embedded therein; and further comprises a ceramic cylindrical support member 3 one end of which supports the ceramic holder 2 and the other end of which is fixed to a portion of the reaction chamber 1, and an inert gas supply tube 4 and inert gas evacuation tube 5 each having an opening inside the cylindrical support member 3. It is preferable that the inert gas within the cylindrical support member 3 be maintained at less than 0.1 MPa (one atmosphere). By means of such an arrangement, oxidation and corrosion of electrodes provided on the rear surface of the ceramic holder can be prevented, without an oxidation-resistant seal or corrosion-resistant seal being applied.

Abstract: A holder for semiconductor manufacturing equipment is provided, in which electrical leakage and sparks do not occur across the electrode terminals and lead wires to supply power to a resistive heating element embedded in a holder, and the thermal uniformity in the holder is within ±1.0%. The holder for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, that is provided in a chamber to which reactive gas is supplied, comprises a ceramic holder 1 which holds a treated material 10 on a surface thereof and is provided with a resistive heating element 2 for heating the material to be treated, and a support member 6 one end of which supports the ceramic holder 1 at a position other than the surface holding the material to be treated, and the other end of which is fixed to the chamber.

Abstract: A heater unit that much improves accuracy in thermal uniformity of an object of heating during cooling, particularly rapid cooling, is provided. The heater unit in accordance with the present invention includes a heater substrate for mounting an object of heating and performing heat treatment thereon, and a cooling module for cooling the heater substrate, and between said heater substrate and the cooling module, an intervening body is arranged. Utilizing deformability of the intervening body, ratio of a non-contact portion can be reduced than when the intervening body is not provided, and temperature uniformity of the heater substrate at the time of cooling can be improved.

Abstract: A wafer holder is provided that can be used in wafer processes at room temperature or lower and that is particularly suited for use in a CVD apparatus. The wafer holder 1 has a wafer-mounting surface. The wafer holder 1 is made of ceramic and has a flow channel 3 that allows coolant to flow to the interior of the wafer holder in order to cool the wafer holder 1, and is furthermore preferably provided with a high-frequency generating electrode 2. The wafer holder 1 can be manufactured having a flow channel 3 formed in one of the ceramic substrates, at least another ceramic substrate is joined to the ceramic substrate so as to cover the flow channel 3, and a ceramic plate in which a high-frequency generating electrode 2 is formed is preferably additionally joined to the other substrates.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to prevent damage due to thermal stress induced into a substrate holding table in a substrate holding structure for holding a substrate to be processed. In the substrate holding structure having the substrate holding table arranged at the top of a support column, a flanged part is defined by an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface at a joint between the support column and the substrate holding table. The inner circumferential surface is formed of an inclined surface, which is inclined such that the inner diameter of the flanged part successively increases as approaching the lower surface of the substrate holding table. On the lower surface of the substrate holding table to which the flanged part is joined, a U-shaped groove is formed so as to correspond to the outer circumferential surface of the flanged part.

Abstract: A wafer holder is provided having high rigidity and an enhanced heat-insulating effect that allow positional accuracy and heating uniformity to be improved, a chip to be rapidly heated and cooled, and the manufacturing cost to be reduced, and a wafer prober apparatus on which the wafer holder is mounted. The wafer holder of the present invention includes a chuck top for mounting a wafer, a support member for supporting the chuck top, and a stand for supporting the support member. The chuck top has a thermal conductivity K1 and a Young's modulus Y1; the support member has a thermal conductivity K2 and a Young's modulus Y2; and the stand has a thermal conductivity K3 and a Young's modulus Y3. K1>K2 and K1>K3; and Y3>Y1 and Y3>Y2.

Abstract: A ceramic heater attaining more uniform temperature distribution from the start to the end of cooling is provided. Further, in a cooling module used for cooling the heater, liquid leakage during use is prevented, degradation in cooling capability is prevented and the performance is maintained for a long period of use, and the manufacturing cost of the module is decreased. The ceramic heater includes a ceramic heater body and a cooling module cooling the heater body, and the cooling module has a structure formed by arranging a pipe in a trench formed in a plate-shaped structure.

Abstract: Wafer holder and semiconductor manufacturing equipment in which the holder is installed, the wafer holder having a wafer-carrying surface, wherein incidence of warping and cracking when the wafer holder is heated is slight. In the wafer holder having a wafer-carrying surface, electrical circuitry consisting of one or more sinter laminae is formed on the face or in the interior of the wafer holder; and by rendering pores present in the circuitry, the incidence of warping and cracking can be made very slight. The electrical circuitry is preferably any of an electrode circuit for an electrostatic chuck, a resistive-heating-element circuit, an RF-power electrode circuit, and a high-voltage-generating electrode circuit.

Abstract: A heat transfer member (20) has a support (1), and columnar bodies (2) all or some of which are disposed so as to be inclined at an angle with respect to the support (1). The columnar bodies (2) are in contact with a contacted body (21), and the columnar bodies (2) elastically deform and/or plastically deform along the shape of the contact surface with the contacted body (21) to thereby make direct contact along the wavy and rough irregularities of the contacted body (21), and to cause heat to move through the columnar bodies (2).

Abstract: A wafer holder that prevents positional deviation of the wafer mounted on the wafer-mounting surface of a chuck top and enables better thermal uniformity of the wafer, as well as a heater unit including the wafer holder and a wafer prober mounting these are provided. The wafer holder has a chuck top mounting and fixing the wafer and a supporter supporting the chuck top, and the chuck top has water absorption of at least 0.01% and preferably at least 0.1%. Preferable material of the chuck top is a composite of metal and ceramics, and particularly, a composite of aluminum and silicon carbide, or a composite of silicon and silicon carbide.

Abstract: A wafer holding body used for a wafer prober for testing a semiconductor wafer includes a chuck top having a conductive layer on a surface thereof and a support body supporting the chuck top. The support body has a base portion opposing the chuck top and a side portion extending from the perimeter of the base portion to the chuck top to support the chuck top. A cavity portion is formed between the chuck top and the base portion of the support body. A reflection plate is provided in the cavity portion. A heater unit and a wafer prober includes the wafer holding body.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a wafer prober wafer holder that is highly rigid and increases the heat insulating effect, thereby improving positional accuracy, thermal uniformity, and chip temperature ramp-up and cooling rates, as well as a wafer prober device equipped therewith. A wafer holder of the present invention includes a chuck top that mounts a wafer, and a support member that supports the chuck top, wherein, a restricting member is provided that covers an interface between the chuck top and the support member. By covering the gap between the chuck top and the support member with the restricting member, the heat insulating effect can be increased by preventing the flow of outside air through the gap into the support member, and the cooling rate can be particularly improved if cooling to a temperature below room temperature.

Abstract: For semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a ceramic susceptor that without occurrence of cracking in the course of heating wafers suppresses thermal radiation from the circumferential surface of a wafer placed on the ceramic susceptor, to heighten isothermal quality in the wafer face. A semiconductor-manufacturing-equipment ceramic susceptor (1) including a resistive heating element (3) in the face or interior of ceramic substrates (2a, 2b) has a wafer pocket (5) consisting of a recess that can accommodatingly carry a wafer. The angle that the perimetric inside surface and the bottom face of the wafer pocket (5) form is over 90° and 170° or less, and/or the curvature of the bottom-portion circumferential rim where the perimetric inside surface and the bottom face of the pocket join is 0.1 mm or more. A plasma electrode furthermore may be disposed in the face or interior of the ceramic substrates (2a, 2b) of the ceramic susceptor (1).

Abstract: A ceramic base material that is reduced in distortion caused by high-temperature heat treatment. A ceramic base material having sintering agents and satisfying the following formula: a/b?1.3, where a: the larger of c1 and c2, b: the smaller of c1 and c2, c1: the ratio “k” at a main-surface side, c2: the ratio “k” at the other main-surface side, k=s/m, s: the fluorescent X-ray-detected strength of the constituent elements of the sintering agents, m: the fluorescent X-ray-detected strength of the main-constituent elements.

Abstract: According to the invention, there is provided a wafer holding member for use in a wafer prober for inspecting a semiconductor wafer, including a chuck top and a supporting member for supporting the chuck top, wherein the supporting member has a bottom portion facing to the chuck top, a cavity portion is formed between the chuck top and the bottom portion of the supporting member, and there is provided, in the cavity portion, at least a portion of a cooling mechanism for cooling at least one of the chuck top and the supporting member. Further, there is provided a wafer prober using the wafer holding member.

Abstract: By wafer holder including a chuck top for mounting a wafer and a supporter supporting the chuck top and having flatness of at most 0.1 mm, a heater unit for a wafer prober and the wafer prober using the wafer holder, a wafer holder and a wafer prober apparatus hardly deformable even under high load and capable of effectively preventing contact failure, and capable of preventing temperature increase in a driving system when a semiconductor wafer having semiconductor chips with minute circuitry that requires high accuracy is heated can be provided. In the wafer holder of the present invention, the flatness of the supporter is preferably at most 0.05 mm, and more preferably at most 0.01 mm.