Abstract: A silicon carbide rail for use as a support in an apparatus for holding semiconductor wafers is made by forming a first series of parallel slots or grooves into the front side of a graphite plate usually without piercing the back side of the plate, converting the slotted graphite plate into a slotted silicon carbide plate, and forming a second series of parallel slots into the back side of the slotted silicon carbide plate such that each slot on the back side connects with a corresponding slot on the front side. The width of each back side slot is less than that of the corresponding front side slot, thereby forming rail teeth having a ledge running along their to top surfaces.

Abstract: A rotatable sputter target for use in a sputtering system having a sleeve of sputtering material attached to a structural support tube such that an annular space is formed between the inside surface of the sleeve and the outside surface of the support tube. The annular space is at least partly filled with a thermally and electrically conductive material which flows at ambient temperature. The annular space is sealed at either end so that the material cannot escape the annular space.

Abstract: A rail for use as a support in an apparatus for holding semiconductor wafers during heat treatment of the wafers in a furnace comprises a plurality of teeth arranged such that the space between adjacent teeth can receive a portion of a semiconductor wafer. The teeth contain a raised support structure, such as a ledge, located on their top surface for supporting a wafer. Each tooth usually has a length greater than about 20 millimeters, and the raised support structure typically occupies greater than about 50% of the length of a tooth.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding a plurality of semiconductor wafers during heat treatment of the wafers in a furnace comprises a plurality of rails extending essentially vertically between a top and bottom plate. Each rail contains a plurality of teeth arranged such that the space between adjacent teeth can receive a portion of a single semiconductor wafer. Each tooth contains a raised support structure, typically a ledge, located on the top surface of each tooth for supporting the wafer, usually from the edge of the wafer inward to a point located from the center of the wafer a distance equal to between about 25% and about 75% of the wafer's radius. Such an apparatus with its relatively long teeth is especially designed to uniformly support larger wafers, i.e., wafers having a nominal diameter greater than about 200 millimeters, such that their own weight does not cause the wafers to sag and thereby produce crystal dislocations or slip when the wafers are heated to high temperatures.