A ceramic structure 10 includes a heater electrode 14 within a disk-shaped AlN ceramic substrate 12. The heater electrode 14 contains a metal filler in the main component WC. The metal filler (such as Ru or RuAl) has a lower resistivity and a higher thermal expansion coefficient than AlN. An absolute value of a difference |ΔCTE| between a thermal expansion coefficient of the AlN ceramic substrate 12 and a thermal expansion coefficient of the heater electrode 14 at a temperature in the range of 40° C. to 1000° C. is 0.35 ppm/° C. or less.

A heater assembly having a backside purge gap formed between a top plate and a heater of the heater assembly, the top plate having a top plate wall. The top plate wall having an upper portion, a middle portion and a lower portion, the middle portion forming an incline relative to the top portion.

A heating apparatus including a side wall heat insulator configured to provide an inner space for receiving a reaction tube, an upper wall heat insulator covering a top portion of the side wall heat insulator, a heat generation part in an inner surface of the side wall heat insulator, and a heat compensating part on a lower surface of the upper wall heat insulator, the heat compensating part including a reflection surface in a first region on the lower surface of the upper wall heat insulator, the first region having a first emissivity less than an emissivity of the upper wall heat insulator may be provided.

A wafer processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a heating plate through which vacuum ports are formed; a plurality of temperature sensors; a heating device configured to heat the heating plate; first and second power supplies; temperature controllers to generate first and second feedback temperature control signals for controlling power output power supplies based on measurement values generated by the temperature sensors; an electronic pressure regulator configured to provide vacuum pressure for fixing a wafer to the plurality of vacuum ports; and a wafer chucking controller configured to control the electronic pressure regulator, and generate a feedback pressure control signal for controlling the electronic pressure regulator based on the first and second feedback temperature control signals.

A wafer placement apparatus 30 includes a ceramic substrate 32 having a wafer placement surface, a heater electrode 34 embedded in the ceramic substrate 32, and feeder rods 36 and 37 made of Cu and electrically connected to the heater electrode 34 through a surface of the ceramic substrate 32 opposite the wafer placement surface. When one end and the other end of the feeder rod 36 in an unengaged state are a fixed end and a free end, respectively, and when a relationship between a stress applied to the feeder rod 36 at a position 50 mm apart from the fixed end toward the free end and a strain at the position is obtained, the stress is in a range of 5 to 10 N when the strain is 1 mm.

A heating plate for a substrate support assembly in a semiconductor plasma processing apparatus, comprises multiple independently controllable heater zones arranged in a scalable multiplexing layout, and electronics to independently control and power the heater zones. A substrate support assembly in which the heating plate is incorporated includes an electrostatic clamping electrode and a temperature controlled base plate. Methods for manufacturing the heating plate include bonding together ceramic or polymer sheets having heater zones, branch transmission lines, common transmission lines and vias. The heating plate is capable of being driven by AC current or direct current phase alternating power, which has an advantage of minimizing DC magnetic field effects above the substrate support assembly and reduce plasma non-uniformity caused by DC magnetic fields.

A method and system of igniting one or more filaments for silicon production includes applying an output voltage to the one or more filaments using a transformer connected with the one or more filaments. In addition, the method includes supplying, in combination with the application of the output voltage, a current to a primary winding of the transformer via a choke to limit the current to a first predetermined current threshold range. The combination of the supplied current and applied output voltage allows a predetermined output range to be generated from a power supply device initially required to ignite the one or more filaments.

A baking apparatus for priming a substrate is provided, which includes a chamber, a hot plate and a barrier element. The hot plate is in the chamber and configured to bake the substrate on the hot plate. The barrier element is in contact with a periphery of the substrate and the hot plate to prevent contamination on a lower surface of the substrate. Another baking apparatus for priming a substrate is also provided, which includes a chamber and a hot plate. The hot plate is in the chamber and in full contact with a lower surface of the substrate to prevent contamination thereon.

Methods and apparatus for determining the root-mean-square (RMS) voltage of an input voltage are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for determining the root-mean-square (RMS) voltage of an input voltage includes an amplifier to modify an amplitude of the input voltage signal; an amplitude detector, coupled to the amplifier, to transform the spectrum of the modified input voltage signal so that an increased portion of the signal is disposed within a desired frequency region; and a root-mean-square (RMS) converter, coupled to the amplitude detector, to determine the RMS voltage of the transformed input voltage signal, wherein a bandwidth of the RMS converter includes the desired frequency region.

There is provided a substrate fixing device. The substrate fixing device includes: a base plate; and an electrostatic chuck that is fixed to the base plate and configured to adsorb a subject by electrostatic force. The electrostatic chuck includes: an adsorptive layer configured to adsorb and retain the subject; and a heater layer that is provided between the adsorptive layer and the base plate and configured to heat the subject retrained by the adsorptive layer. A thickness of the heater layer is uniform over an entire area of the heater layer.