An IR radiator element (1) suitable for use as a miniature infrared emitter (micro-hotplate) in a gas sensor, IR-spectrometer or electron microscope. The micro-hotplate comprises a plate (2) supported by multiple support arms (4). The plate and arms are fabricated as a MEMS device comprising a single contiguous piece of electrically-conducting refractory ceramic such as hafnium carbide (HfC) or tantalum hafnium carbide (TaHfC). Each of the arms (4), in addition to providing structural cantilever support for the plate (2), acts as a heating element for the plate (2). The plate (2) is heated by applying a voltage across the arms (4). The arms (4) may also be shaped to absorb thermomechanical stress which arises during the heating and cooling of the arms and plate. The plate, which may have an area of less than 0.05 mm.sup.2 and a thickness of between 1% and 10% of the largest dimension of the plate (2), for example, can be heated to 4,000 K or more and cooled again with a duty cycle of as little 0.5 ms, thereby permitting pulsed operation at frequencies of up to 2 kHz. Its small size (10-200 μm) and low power consumption (e.g. 10-100 mW) make the micro-hotplate suitable for use in cryogenic applications, in miniaturized devices or in battery-powered devices such as mobile phones.

A MEMS hotplate is used as a test substrate for characterizing a temperature-dependent fabrication process. According to a variant, an array of MEMS hotplates is used to provide multiple test substrates which can be simultaneously heated to different temperatures to provide multiple different temperature-dependent characterizations of the process.

An electrostatic chuck heater 10 includes a disc-shaped ceramic base 30 and a plurality of heating elements 20 embedded in the ceramic base 30. A top surface 12 of the electrostatic chuck heater 10, which serves as a wafer Mounting surface, is divided into multiple zones. The heating elements 20, which each include terminals 22 and 24, are embedded in the ceramic base 30 in the respective zones. Terminal collection regions 16 are provided on a bottom surface 14 of the electrostatic chuck heater 10. The number of terminal collection regions 16 (eight in this example) is smaller than the total number of heating elements 20. The terminals 22 and 24 of each of the heating elements 20 are connected to one of the terminal collection regions 16 through the ceramic base 30.

Provided is an electrically heated catalytic converter including at least a conductive substrate and an electrode member that is fixed to the substrate, in which a protective film is formed on a surface of at least a portion of the electrode member. In the electrically heated catalytic converter, at least a portion of the protective film is formed of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2, or a composite oxide including Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, or a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 as a major component, the protective film has an amorphous structure or a partially crystalline glass structure having a crystallization rate of 30 vol % or lower with respect to the entire portion of the protective film, and a thickness of the protective film is in a range of 100 nm to 2 μm.

Provided is an electrically heated catalytic converter including at least a conductive substrate and an electrode member that is fixed to the substrate, in which a protective film is formed on a surface of at least a portion of the electrode member. In the electrically heated catalytic converter, at least a portion of the protective film is formed of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2, or a composite oxide including Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, or a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 as a major component, the protective film has an amorphous structure or a partially crystalline glass structure having a crystallization rate of 30 vol % or lower with respect to the entire portion of the protective film, and a thickness of the protective film is in a range of 100 nm to 2 μm.

An electrical heater and method includes heating member, a cable, and a connector. A resistance heating element is within a sheath of the heating member. A proximal end of the sheath is inserted into a slot of a first fitting and welded to the first fitting with first and second leads extending into the first fitting. The second fitting is threadably engaged with the first fitting. The second fitting defines a central bore disposed about the axis. An end of a power cable extends into the second central bore. A first wire is coupled to the first lead. A second wire is coupled to the second lead.

An electrical heater and method includes heating member, a cable, and a connector. A resistance heating element is within a sheath of the heating member. A proximal end of the sheath is inserted into a slot of a first fitting and welded to the first fitting with first and second leads extending into the first fitting. The second fitting is threadably engaged with the first fitting. The second fitting defines a central bore disposed about the axis. An end of a power cable extends into the second central bore. A first wire is coupled to the first lead. A second wire is coupled to the second lead.

A heater is provided having at least one thermally sprayed resistive heating layer, the resistive heating layer comprising a first metallic component that is electrically conductive and capable of reacting with a gas to form one or more carbide, oxide, nitride, and boride derivative; one or more oxide, nitride, carbide, and boride derivative of the first metallic component that is electrically insulating; and a third component capable of stabilizing the resistivity of the resistive heating layer. In some embodiments, the third component is capable of pinning the grain boundaries of the first metallic component deposited in the resistive heating layer and/or altering the structure of aluminum oxide grains deposited in the resistive heating layer.

A heater is provided having at least one thermally sprayed resistive heating layer, the resistive heating layer comprising a first metallic component that is electrically conductive and capable of reacting with a gas to form one or more carbide, oxide, nitride, and boride derivative; one or more oxide, nitride, carbide, and boride derivative of the first metallic component that is electrically insulating; and a third component capable of stabilizing the resistivity of the resistive heating layer. In some embodiments, the third component is capable of pinning the grain boundaries of the first metallic component deposited in the resistive heating layer and/or altering the structure of aluminum oxide grains deposited in the resistive heating layer.

The invention relates to nuclear power, in particular to electric heaters in the safety systems of nuclear reactors of nuclear power plants. The object of the invention is to improve the reliability of nuclear power plants. The technical result is achieved in that the busbar unit is tubular, containing a block of tubular heaters, sealed terminal box, the connection nodes of the power wires to the output tubular heaters, which are combined in groups, the node connecting the wire supply to the output tubular heaters made in the form of a heat-resistant sealed plug bayonet connector, plug which is the output tubular heaters, pins bayonet connections are made on the body of the tubular electric heater, and the grooves of the bayonet connection are made in the form of an inclined profile surface.