Abstract: A heater is provided with which the temperature distribution from cooling start to cooling end can be made more uniform, as well as an device provided which the same. The heater includes a heating surface for heating a heating-subject article that is placed on the heating surface or separated a fixed distance from it, a resistive heating element on a surface of or inside a base material constituting the heater, and an isothermal plate on a side opposite the heating surface. The material of the isothermal plate includes copper or a copper alloy, or alternatively aluminum or an aluminum alloy as a main component. Thus, the heater can suppress a temperature drop in the instant a cold wafer is placed on it, and can perform swift temperature recovery.

Abstract: Semiconductor-manufacturing-apparatus workpiece holder whose wafer-retaining surface is superior in temperature uniformity, 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: 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: 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: Temperature gauge, and ceramic susceptors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment utilizing the temperature gauge, in which the thermocouple may be easily replaced even if damaged, and in which heat from the temperature-gauging site is readily transmitted to the temperature-gauging contact, shortening time until the measurement temperature stabilizes. A temperature-gauging contact (12) in the tip of the thermocouple contacts, in an exposed-as-it-is state, a temperature-gauging site on a ceramic susceptor (1), and by means of a circular cylindrical-shaped retaining member (11) screwed into female threads in the ceramic susceptor (1) is detachably pressed upon and retained against the ceramic susceptor. Thermocouple lead lines (13), passing through a through-hole (14) in the retaining member (11), stretch from one end face to the other end face thereof. The retaining member may be provided with a flange having threaded holes and screwlocked into female screws in the ceramic susceptor.

Abstract: Joint formations that, in joining together joining members employed in a variety of electrical and electronic components, yield sufficiently high joint strength in the direction perpendicular to the plane in which two joining members join, and meanwhile in the direction parallel to the joint plane. First and second joining members have respective joint phases each formed with a different number of distinct yet continuous conformational faces, defining the joint phases so that neither is the matching complement of the other. A bonding agent interposed between the joint phases joins the joining members together. The difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the two joining members, and between them and the bonding agent, is 5.0×10?6/° C. or less. The joining members are a metal such as tungsten or Cu—W, or a ceramic such as AlN or Si3N4; and glass or a solder material is utilized for the bonding agent.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a susceptor with superior thermal uniformity by minimizing pores in an aluminum nitride sintered body. In an aluminum nitride sintered body according to the present invention, the tin content and sulfur content are controlled so that they are no more than a fixed amount. More specifically, in an aluminum nitride sintered body having as its main component aluminum nitride, the tin content in the aluminum nitride sintered body is no more than 50 ppm and the sulfur content is no more than 100 ppm. It would be preferable for a resistance heating body to be formed in the aluminum nitride sintered body and it would be preferable for the aluminum nitride sintered body to be used as a semiconductor heating unit.

Abstract: A heating body and a device equipped with the same provide greater uniformity in temperature distribution between the start of heating and the end of cooling. A semiconductor fabrication device heating body includes a base having a heating surface upon which an object is mounted or positioned at a fixed distance away and is heated, and a resistance heating body. All or part of the base of the heating body has a thermal capacity per unit volume of at least 2.0 J/K·cm3 and a thermal conductivity of at least 50 W/mK.

Abstract: An inexpensive workpiece holder having high reliability and a processing apparatus equipped with the workpiece holder are provided, in which damage caused by oxygen in the air is prevented. The holder comprises: a ceramic body which has an electrode and a heater circuit and which can holds a workpiece; a tubular member having an end portion connected to the ceramic body; a sealing member which is disposed inside the tubular member and which isolates a space inside the tubular member into two regions: a region on the first end portion (“sealed portion”) and a region on the opposite side (“opposite region”); and power supply conductive members which extend from the opposite region side, penetrating the sealing member to the sealed region side, and which are electrically connected to the electrode and the heater circuit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a metallized substrate that has little warping and a fine, smooth surface. In the metallized substrate of the present invention, a conductive film is formed by spraying on the surface of a ceramic substrate or a composite substrate of a ceramic and a metal. The surface roughness of the conductive film formed by the spraying is preferably Ra?1.0 ?m. The surface of the conductive film may be a machined surface. The spraying is preferably arc spraying, plasma spraying, or flame spraying.

Abstract: An inexpensive workpiece holder having high reliability and a processing apparatus equipped with the workpiece holder are provided, in which damage caused by oxygen in the air is prevented. The holder comprises: a ceramic body which has an electrode and a heater circuit and which can holds a workpiece; a tubular member having an end portion connected to the ceramic body; a sealing member which is disposed inside the tubular member and which isolates a space inside the tubular member into two regions: a region on the first end portion (“sealed portion”) and a region on the opposite side (“opposite region”); and power supply conductive members which extend from the opposite region side, penetrating the sealing member to the sealed region side, and which are electrically connected to the electrode and the heater circuit.

Abstract: In an aluminum nitride sintered body, the bismuth and chlorine contents are restricted to be no more than fixed amounts. More specifically, in an aluminum nitride sintered body having aluminum nitride as its main component, the bismuth content in the aluminum nitride sintered body is no more than 30 ppm and the chlorine content is no more than 100 ppm. It would be preferable to form a resistance heating body on the aluminum nitride sintered body, and it would be preferable for the aluminum nitride sintered body to be used as a semiconductor heating part.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heating device which is rigid with little likelihood of warping. The workpiece mounting surface has a high thermal conductivity, and there is improved heat uniformity, and rapid cooling is possible. The heating device of the present invention comprises: a mounting part for mounting the workpiece; a heating part which has a resistance heating element and which heats the mounting part; and a support part which supports the mounting part and heating part. The Young's modulus for each of the mounting part and support part is 100 GPa or greater. By having a Young's modulus of 100 GPa or greater, even if the mounting part is thin, there is little deformation when pressed by a probe card.

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: 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: 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.