Abstract: The present invention provides a supporting unit for semiconductor manufacturing device and semiconductor manufacturing device with supporting unit installed wherein there is high thermal uniformity in the support surface for the workpiece and strain to the support section and the support body is prevented. The supporting unit for semiconductor manufacturing device includes: a ceramic support section supporting a workpiece installed in a chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing device; and a hollow support body supporting the support section. The ceramic support section and the support body are hermetically bonded. Either the support body and the chamber are in contact with each other by way of a material with a thermal conductivity lower than that of the support body or the section of the chamber that comes into contact with the support body is a material with a thermal conductivity lower than that of the support body.

Abstract: Heater module, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment in which the heater module is utilized, for raising the cooling speed of a post-heating heater markedly more than conventional, and that can contribute toward bettering and improving productivity, without accompanying scaling-up of and cost increases in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The heater module is furnished with heater part 1a for controlled heating of a wafer placed on its top face, and block part 3a provided to be shiftable relative to said heater part, for varying heat capacity in total with heater part 1a by abutting on or separating from the reverse surface of heater part 1a. By having the heat capacity of block part 3a be 20% or more of the total heat capacity of heater part 1a and block part 3a, the heater cooling speed can be made 10° C./min or more.

Abstract: For semiconductor manufacturing equipment a ceramic susceptor is made available in which by optimizing the inter-wiring-line separation in the resistive heating element, damage due to shorting between resistive heating element lines during heating operations is prevented while wafer-surface temperature uniformity is maintained. The ceramic susceptor (1) for semiconductor manufacturing equipment has a resistive heating element (3a) on a surface of or inside ceramic substrate (2), with the smallest angle ? formed by the bottom and lateral sides of the resistive heating element (3a) In a section of the resistive heating element (3a) being 5° or greater. A plasma electrode may be arranged on a surface of or inside the ceramic substrates (2a) of the ceramic susceptor (1). The ceramic substrates (2a) are preferably made of at least one selected from aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, aluminum oxynitride, and silicon carbide.

Abstract: Heater module, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment in which the heater module is utilized, for raising the cooling speed of a post-heating heater markedly more than conventional, and that can contribute toward bettering and improving productivity, without accompanying scaling-up of and cost increases in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The heater module is furnished with heater part 1a for controlled heating of a wafer placed on its top face, and block part 3a provided to be shiftable relative to said heater part, for varying heat capacity in total with heater part 1a by abutting on or separating from the reverse surface of heater part 1a. By having the heat capacity of block part 3a be 20% or more of the total heat capacity of heater part 1a and block part 3a, the heater cooling speed can be made 10° C./min or more.

Abstract: Ceramic susceptor whose wafer-retaining face has superior isothermal properties, and that is suited to utilization in apparatuses for manufacturing semiconductors and in liquid-crystal manufacturing apparatuses. In plate-shaped sintered ceramic body 1, resistive heating element 2 is formed. Fluctuation in pullback length L between sintered ceramic body outer-peripheral edge 1a and resistive heating element substantive-domain outer-peripheral edge 2a is within ±0.8%, while isothermal rating of the entire surface of the wafer-retaining face is ±1.0% or less. Preferable is a superior isothermal rating of ±0.5% or less that can be achieved by bringing the fluctuation in pullback length L to within ±0.5%.

Abstract: Ceramic susceptor whose wafer-retaining face has superior isothermal properties, and that is suited to utilization in apparatuses for manufacturing semiconductors and in liquid-crystal manufacturing apparatuses. In plate-shaped sintered ceramic body 1, resistive heating element 2 is formed. Fluctuation in pullback length L between sintered ceramic body outer-peripheral edge 1a and resistive heating element substantive-domain outer-peripheral edge 2a is within ±0.8%, while isothermal rating of the entire surface of the wafer-retaining face is ±1.0% or less. Preferable is a superior isothermal rating of ±0.5% or less that can be achieved by bringing the fluctuation in pullback length L to within ±0.5%.

Abstract: Affords ceramic susceptors, for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, in which wafer-surface isothermal quality during heating operations is heightened by enhancing the degree of planarization of the susceptor wafer-carrying face in its high-temperature region where wafers are processed in the course of manufacturing semiconductors. Ceramic susceptor (1) for semiconductor manufacturing equipment has in the surface or interior of ceramic substrates (2a) and (2b) resistive heating element (3), and a non-heating (ordinary-temperature) arched contour in its wafer-carrying face is a concavity of 0.001 to 0.7 mm per 300 mm. A plasma electrode furthermore may be disposed in ceramic susceptor 1, in the surface or interior of ceramic substrates (2a) and (2b). Preferably, moreover, ceramic substrates (2a) and (2b) are at least one ceramic selected from aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, aluminum oxynitride, and silicon carbide.

Abstract: In a heater member executing a heat process with a heat subject placed thereon, and a heat processor using the same, the power supply is reduced to achieve energy conservation, a damage risk to be caused by the thermal stress is eliminated, and the wiring design flexibility is increased for a heat-generating circuit section. Furthermore, the heat uniformity capability is increased, and the reliability is increased by preventing short-circuit accidents. At least entirely over the surface of a heat-subject-placing surface of a heater substrate 2, a low-radiation-rate film 10 made of a material whose radiation rate is lower than that of the heater substrate 2 is formed. By applying patterning to the low-radiation-rate film 10, the exposure rate of the heater substrate 2 is changed on the heat-subject-placing surface.

Abstract: Affords a susceptor unit in which the temperature uniformity of the susceptor baseplate is enhanced, and devices in which such a susceptor unit is installed. The susceptor unit is made up of a susceptor baseplate for carrying an object to be heated and performing heating operations on the object, and a containment for shielding the susceptor baseplate. In this susceptor unit, the shielding containment shields at least the surface of the susceptor baseplate that forms a lateral side with respect to the baseplate's heated-object-carrying face; and the difference between the maximum and the minimum separations in the encompassing interval between the lateral side of the susceptor baseplate and, facing onto the baseplate lateral side, the inside surface of the shielding containment is not more than 2.2 mm. In implementations including a cooling block, the shielding extends over the lateral side of the cooling block as well.

Abstract: For semiconductor manufacturing equipment a ceramic susceptor is made available in which the temperature uniformity in the surface of a wafer during heating operations is enhanced by keeping fluctuations in the shape of the susceptor—particularly in the outer diameter along the thickness at normal temperature—under control. The ceramic susceptor (1) for semiconductor manufacturing equipment has a resistive heating element (3) on a surface of or inside ceramic substrates (2a), (2b). The difference between the maximum outer diameter and minimum outer diameter along the thickness of the ceramic susceptor when not heating is 0.8% or less of the average diameter along the wafer-support side. A plasma electrode may be arranged on a surface of or inside the ceramic substrates (2a), (2b) of the ceramic susceptor (1). The ceramic substrates (2a), (2b) are preferably made of at least one selected from aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, aluminum oxynitride, and silicon carbide.

Abstract: A wafer holder furnished with a plurality of anchored tubular pieces and/or anchored support pieces affixed to the holder's ceramic susceptor and in which damage to the anchored tubular pieces due to thermal stress during heating operations is prevented, and a high-reliability semiconductor manufacturing apparatus utilizing the wafer holder are made available.

Abstract: To provide a semiconductor manufacturing device, which is provided with a wafer holder capable of improving the cooling rate of a heater and retaining the homogeneity of the temperature distribution of the heater at cooling time and which can markedly shorten the time period for treating a semiconductor wafer. The wafer holder includes the heater 1 for carrying the semiconductor wafer thereon to heat the same, and the cooling block 2 for cooling the heater 1. The cooling block 2 is arranged so as to come into and out of abutment against the back 1b of the heater on the side opposed to the wafer carrying face 1a, and its abutment face 2a to abut against the heater 1 has a warpage of 1 mm or less. The cooling block 2 can be provided therein with a passage for a cooling liquid. It is preferred that the passage has a sectional area of 1 mm2 or larger over 80% of its entire length, and that the area of the portion having the passage formed is 3% or larger of the entire area of the abutment face 2a.

Abstract: A semiconductor-producing apparatus increases both the cooling rate of the heater and the uniformity in the temperature distribution of the heater. The semiconductor-producing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a heater for heat-treating a semiconductor wafer and a cooling block for cooling the heater. The cooling block is provided with at least one through hole for inserting a penetrating object. The distance from the inner surface of the or each through hole to the penetrating object is at most 50 mm. The cooling block is arranged such that it can both make contact with and separate from the heater's face opposite to the face for placing the wafer. The foregoing penetrating object is a current-feeding electrode for feeding current to the heater circuit, a temperature-measuring means, or the like.

Abstract: Semiconductor-manufacturing-apparatus workpiece holder whose wafer-retaining surface is superior in isothermal properties, and that is suitable for use in thermosetting of photolithographic photoresists in coater/developers, and in baking of low dielectric constant, i.e. low-k, insulating films. The workpiece holder is made up of a wafer holder 1, and a support member 4 that supports the wafer holder 1, and features the thermal conductivity of the support member 4 being lower than the thermal conductivity of the wafer holder 1. The wafer holder 1 and the support member 4 either are not joined, or if joined are made to have a difference in thermal expansion coefficient of 2.0×10?6/° C. or less. The chief component of the wafer holder 1 preferably is AlN, and of the support member 4, mullite.

Abstract: Made available are a gas-heating method and a small-scale, energy-saving gas-heating device that, utilizing heaters that enable high-speed gas heat-up without being corroded by the gas, make possible the direct, efficient heating of gases. A plurality of platelike ceramic heaters 30, or heater units in which a number of ceramic heaters are combined, is arranged in a staggered-ledge formation within a flow path or heating chamber for gases to create a zigzag gas flow-path A; gas supplied to the gas flow-path A is heated directly by the ceramic heaters 30 or heater units. This gas-heating device 10 can be utilized, in apparatuses that process NOx:containing exhaust gases or noxious/poisonous exhaust gases, for heating the exhaust gases and their diluent gases.

Abstract: A method of producing ceramics base plates is disclosed, comprising forming a continuous flaw on at least one surface of a ceramics sintered base plate from end to end using a flawing tool and dividing the ceramics sintered base plate along the flaw by applying an external force. It is preferred that a blade edge portion of the flawing tool is made of a cemented carbide or diamond. By the method of the invention, the ceramics sintered base plate can be easily divided, and ceramics base plates excellent in dimensional accuracy are obtained without lowering the strength thereof.

Abstract: A wafer holder is provided in which local heat radiation in supporting and heating wafers is kept under control and temperature uniformity of the wafer retaining surface is enhanced, and by making use of the wafer holder a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus suitable for processing larger-diameter wafers is made available. In a wafer holder (1) including within a ceramic substrate (2) a resistive heating element (3) or the like and being furnished with a lead (4) penetrating a reaction chamber (6), the lead (4) is housed in a tubular guide member (5), and an interval between the guide member (5) and the reaction chamber (6) as well as the interior of the guide member (5) are hermetically sealed. The guide member (5) and the ceramic substrate (2) are not joined together, and in the interior of the guide member (5) in which the inside is hermetically sealed, the atmosphere toward the ceramic substrate (2) is preferably substantially the same as the atmosphere in the reaction chamber (6).

Abstract: According to the present invention, a wafer holder is supported by support pieces mounted on a pedestal and is installed within the processing chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing device, wherein the lift pins are set up anchored to the semiconductor-manufacturing-device chamber and the pedestal is driven vertically, thereby running the wafer holder up/down to thrust the lift pins out from, or retract them into, the top side of the wafer holder, which makes it possible to dechuck wafers from and pocket them into the holder. Consequently, leveling the height of the tip ends of the plurality of lift pins is facilitated and synchronization problems are completely eliminated besides, which thus makes it possible to prevent wafer drop-off during wafer dechucking/pocketing. And since a mechanism for synchronously driving the plural lift pins up/down is unnecessary, the device overall can be made more compact.

Abstract: Enhances the durability of electrodes for supplying electricity to electroconductive components formed in the interior and/or on the surface of a susceptor ceramic heater-block, affords for semi-conductor manufacturing equipment a susceptor in which incidents of inter-electrode shorting are prevented, and makes available semiconductor manufacturing equipment in which the susceptor is installed. Rendering as unitary articles the electrodes for supplying electricity to electroconductive components formed in the interior and/or on the surface of a ceramic heater-block contributes to improved electrode endurance. Further, setting up a tubular piece encompassing each electrode contributes to preventing incidents of shorting. Introducing inert gas into the interior of the tubular pieces further improves the reliability of the electrodes.

Abstract: Ceramic susceptor whose wafer-retaining face has superior isothermal properties, and that is suited to utilization in apparatuses for manufacturing semiconductors and in liquid-crystal manufacturing apparatuses. In plate-shaped sintered ceramic body 1, resistive heating element 2 is formed. Fluctuation in pullback length L between sintered ceramic body outer-peripheral edge 1a and resistive heating element substantive-domain outer-peripheral edge 2a is within ±0.8%, while isothermal rating of the entire surface of the wafer-retaining face is ±1.0% or less. Preferable is a superior isothermal rating of ±0.5% or less that can be achieved by bringing the fluctuation in pullback length L to within ±0.5%.