Abstract: A susceptor for semiconductor manufacturing equipment obtained by laminating plural aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic substrates with a high melting point metallic layer and an adhesive layer, and in particular, the aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic substrate contains a compound of a Group 3a element in an amount of from 0.01 to 1% by weight in terms of the element, and the balance consisting essentially of aluminum nitride (AlN), in which the average particle size of an AlN crystal is from 2 to 5 &mgr;m. The susceptor is prepared by obtaining substrates from a mixture of the material powders through the steps of molding, sintering in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at 1,600 to 2,000° C. and forming into a desired substrate shape, and then laminating a plurality of the thus obtained substrate with a high melting point metallic layer and an adhesive layer inserted between the substrates, firing the laminate in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at 1,500 to 1,700° and finishing the fired laminate.

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 wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has a high heat conductivity. The wafer holder includes a sintered ceramic piece, a conductive layer such as a heater circuit pattern which can be formed with high precision on at least one surface of the sintered ceramic piece, and a protective layer formed over the conductive layer on the sintered ceramic piece so as to cover a surface of the conductive layer. The protective layer may contain a glass, a non-oxide ceramic such as aluminum nitride or silicon nitride, an oxide of ytterbium, neodymium and calcium, or an oxide of yttrium and aluminum. In a method of manufacturing the wafer holder, a paste containing metal particles is applied on a surface of the sintered ceramic piece and is fired to form a heater circuit pattern as the conductive layer. Then the protective layer is formed on the sintered ceramic piece to cover the surface of the conductive layer.

Abstract: Aluminium nitride ceramics improved in heat radiation property used as a substrate for integrated circuits and package material, comprising a sintered article consisting mainly of aluminium nitride and having a thermal conductivity higher than 100.W/m.K at room temperature and a surface layer consisting mainly of aluminium nitride or oxide glass deposited on the sintered article. A paste of aluminium nitride powder or oxide glass powder is coated on a surface of the sintered article of aluminium nitride and then is sintered to prepare a dense smooth surface layer.

Abstract: In a heating-type toner-fixing unit using a ceramic heater and a cylindrical fixing film, the shape of the fixing face-side surface of a ceramic heater 10 which comes into contact with a fixing film 3 and the shape of the portions of a heater support 12 at least adjacent to the fixing face-side surface are formed into a shape that is almost identical to a naturally deformed shape of the fixing film 3 in a static state or a traveling state where the fixing film is pressed by a pressure roller 4 at a designated nip width. It is also possible that the nip portion and portions adjacent thereto at the entrance side and exit side are formed into a flat shape and portions other than the flat portions are formed into a curved surface shape along the cylindrical shape of the fixing film 3.

Abstract: A technology that achieves a highly uniform temperature distribution on the surface of large-area semiconductor wafers and substrates for liquid crystals without prior measurement of the resistance-heating-element circuit and subsequent adjustment of the value of resistance. At least one current-receiving point 4 and at least one current-releasing point 5 are provided at the central portion of an insulating substrate 1. One or more resistance-heating-element circuits 2 are embedded in the insulating substrate spirally or pseudospirally from the central portion including the current-receiving point 4 to the peripheral portion of the insulating substrate 1. All the circuits merge with one another at the outermost portion. One or more resistance-heating-element circuits are separated at the outermost portion of the resistance-heating-element circuits and are formed spirally or pseudospirally from the outermost portion to the central portion including the current-releasing point 5.

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. Two joining members 11 and 12, each with a plurality of continuous faces as joint faces, are joined to each other by interposing a bonding agent 3 between the joint faces. The difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the two joining members 11 and 12, and between the joining members 11 and 12 and the bonding agent 3, 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: In the heater member for mounting an object of heating, at least a part of a surface other than a surface mounting a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a substrate for liquid crystal, is mirror-finished. Accordingly, power fed to the heater for heating to a prescribed temperature can be reduced, and thus, a heater member for mounting an object of heating and a substrate processing apparatus using the heater member, that can heat the object with higher efficiency, can be obtained.

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: The heater module (30) for heating an optical waveguide device (2) is provided with a ceramics heater (40) having a heating circuit (42) adapted to generate heat when energized and an AlN ceramics layer (44) stacked on the heating circuit.

Abstract: A substrate holding structure having excellent corrosion resistance and airtightness, having excellent dimensional accuracy and having sufficient durability when mechanical or thermal stress is applied thereto is obtained. A holder (1) serving as the substrate holding structure according to the present invention comprises a ceramic base (2) for holding a substrate, a protective cylinder (7) joined to the ceramic base (2) and a joining layer (8) positioned between the ceramic base (2) and the protective cylinder (7) for joining the ceramic base (2) and the protective cylinder (7) to each other. The joining layer (8) contains at least 2 mass % and not more than 70 mass % of a rare earth oxide, at least 10 mass % and not more than 78 mass % of aluminum oxide, and at least 2 mass % and not more than 50 mass % of aluminum nitride. The rare earth oxide or the aluminum oxide has the largest ratio among the aforementioned three types of components in the joining layer (8).

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: A wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has a high heat conductivity. The wafer holder includes a sintered ceramic piece, a conductive layer such as a heater circuit pattern which can be formed with high precision on at least one surface of the sintered ceramic piece, and a protective layer formed over the conductive layer on the sintered ceramic piece so as to cover a surface of the conductive layer. The protective layer may contain a glass, a non-oxide ceramic such as aluminum nitride or silicon nitride, an oxide of ytterbium, neodymium and calcium, or an oxide of yttrium and aluminum. In a method of manufacturing the wafer holder, a paste containing metal particles is applied on a surface of the sintered ceramic piece and is fired to form a heater circuit pattern as the conductive layer. Then the protective layer is formed on the sintered ceramic piece to cover the surface of the conductive layer.

Abstract: A ceramic substrate for a ceramic heater includes aluminum nitride, silicon nitride or silicon carbide as the main component for increasing mechanical strength and improving thermal shock resistance, and a proper additive for controlling thermal conductivity. A temperature gradient from a heating element to a power feeding electrode is reduced by providing a dimensional ratio of the substrate effective for preventing oxidation of a power feeding contact that contacts the electrode of the heating element formed on the surface of the ceramic substrate. The dimensional ratio A/B≧20 is satisfied, wherein A represents the distance from the contact between a circuit of the heating element and the electrode to an end of the ceramic substrate closer to the electrode, and B represents the thickness of the ceramic substrate. The thermal conductivity of the ceramic substrate is adjusted to 30 to 80 W/m·K.

Abstract: A susceptor for semiconductor manufacturing equipment obtained by laminating plural aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic substrates with a high melting point metallic layer and an adhesive layer, and in particular, the aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic substrate contains a compound of a Group 3a element in an amount of from 0.01 to 1% by weight in terms of the element, and the balance consisting essentially of aluminum nitride (AlN), in which the average particle size of an AlN crystal is from 2 to 5 &mgr;m. The susceptor is prepared by obtaining substrates from a mixture of the material powders through the steps of molding, sintering in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at 1,600 to 2,000° C. and forming into a desired substrate shape, and then laminating a plurality of the thus obtained substrate with a high melting point metallic layer and an adhesive layer inserted between the substrates, firing the laminate in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at 1,500 to 1,700° and finishing the fired laminate.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a semiconductor processing apparatus having an oxidation-free electrode member for power supply. An electrode member (11) is used for supplying electricity from an external power source to a susceptor (1), which is heated so as to heat a wafer loaded thereon. The electrode member (11) has a thermal expansion coefficient in the range of 3.0×10−6/K to 8.0×10−6/K at a temperature from room temperature to 500° C., electric resistance of 10−3 &OHgr;cm or less at room temperature. The weight increase due to oxidation is equal to or less than 0.1%/hour at 500° C. in the atmosphere.

Abstract: The invention provides a fluid heater in which the efficiency of heat transfer to a fluid is improved, downsizing of the heater itself can be achieved, and the rise time until warm water heated to a necessary temperature is supplied is shortened, which results in reduction of the power consumption. The heater includes a flat ceramic substrate (1) and a beating element formed on one surface of or in the interior of the ceramic substrate (1). The ceramic substrate (1) is made of AlN, etc. or silicon nitride, whose thermal conductivity is 50W/m·K or more. A zigzag water channel is formed by walls 6, etc., on the fluid-heating surface of the ceramic substrate (1). A plurality of fins 5 are fixed in the water channel. A heat insulating material 8 can be mounted so as to cover a surface excluding the fluid-heating surface of the ceramic substrate (1).

Abstract: In the substrate processing apparatus, a ceramic module for mounting a substrate has a flat plate portion having an electric circuitry and a ceramic base body, and as at least a part of a surface of the flat plate portion other than the surface mounting the substrate is in contact with a chamber, it is supported by the chamber. Thus, a substrate processing apparatus can be provided which improves thermal uniformity, reduces cost, is suitable for size reduction of the apparatus and which can ease restrictions in mounting a power supply conductive member or the like.

Abstract: In the heater member for mounting an object of heating, at least a part of a surface other than a surface mounting a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a substrate for liquid crystal, is mirror-finished. Accordingly, power fed to the heater for heating to a prescribed temperature can be reduced, and thus, a heater member for mounting an object of heating and a substrate processing apparatus using the heater member, that can heat the object with higher efficiency, can be obtained.

Abstract: A wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that has a high heat conductivity and includes a conductive layer such as heater circuit pattern which can be formed with a high precision pattern, a method of manufacturing the wafer holder, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having therein the wafer holder are provided. On a surface of a sintered aluminum nitride piece, paste containing metal particles is applied and fired to form a heater circuit pattern as a conductive layer. Between the surface of the sintered aluminum nitride piece having the heater circuit pattern formed thereon and another sintered aluminum nitride piece, a glass layer is provided as a joint layer to be heated for joining the sintered aluminum nitride pieces together.