Described is a zone box for a differential scanning calorimeter. The zone box includes sheets of thermocouple alloy disposed between thermally conductive electrical insulator layers. A thermocouple alloy wire is electrically coupled to each one of the thermocouple alloy sheets. In addition, a pure metal wire is electrically coupled to each one of the thermocouple alloy sheets to enable remote measurement of voltage differences between the different thermocouple alloy sheets. The high thermal conductivity of the electrical insulator layers substantially reduces any thermal gradients across the sheets and maintains the connections of the thermocouple alloy wires and pure metal wires to the sheets to be at substantially the same temperature. The zone box reduces temperature difference measurement errors that result from inhomogeneity in the thermocouple alloy wires and variable temperature distributions along the length of the wires.

A temperature input unit includes a disconnection detection circuit that measures a temperature of a measurement target with at least one of a thermocouple or a temperature measurement resistor and feeds a disconnection detection current for disconnection detection to the thermocouple and a compensating wire connected to the thermocouple. A controller controls, before measuring the temperature of the measurement target with the thermocouple, a terminal switch and an input circuit switch to connect the compensating wire to a temperature measurement resistor input circuit and an A/D converter, and calculates a predicted value of a voltage drop resulting from resistance of the compensating wire occurring in response to the disconnection detection current. The controller controls the terminal switch and the input circuit switch to connect the compensating wire to a thermocouple input circuit and the A/D converter, and subtracts the predicted value from a measured value of the thermoelectromotive force detected by the thermocouple input circuit to calculate a corrected measured value of the thermoelectromotive force.

A temperature input unit includes a disconnection detection circuit that measures a temperature of a measurement target with at least one of a thermocouple or a temperature measurement resistor and feeds a disconnection detection current for disconnection detection to the thermocouple and a compensating wire connected to the thermocouple. A controller controls, before measuring the temperature of the measurement target with the thermocouple, a terminal switch and an input circuit switch to connect the compensating wire to a temperature measurement resistor input circuit and an A/D converter, and calculates a predicted value of a voltage drop resulting from resistance of the compensating wire occurring in response to the disconnection detection current. The controller controls the terminal switch and the input circuit switch to connect the compensating wire to a thermocouple input circuit and the A/D converter, and subtracts the predicted value from a measured value of the thermoelectromotive force detected by the thermocouple input circuit to calculate a corrected measured value of the thermoelectromotive force.

A circuit for determining and/or compensating for a measurement error of a sheathed sensor due to a property of a sheath of that sheathed sensor comprises a first and a second terminal for connecting to a pair of sensor signal leads of a sensor element in a sheathed sensor and a voltage measurement circuit. A switching unit controls switching an electrical connection between a first and a second state. A correction measurement circuit generates a correction signal indicative of that a measured current running from the first terminal through the switching unit. A controller receives the measurement and correction signal in both the first and second state, and calculates an error value indicative of the measurement error and/or a sensor readout value that is corrected for the measurement error by taking the measurement and correction signal into account as obtained in both the first and second state.

A circuit for determining and/or compensating for a measurement error of a sheathed sensor due to a property of a sheath of that sheathed sensor comprises a first and a second terminal for connecting to a pair of sensor signal leads of a sensor element in a sheathed sensor and a voltage measurement circuit. A switching unit controls switching an electrical connection between a first and a second state. A correction measurement circuit generates a correction signal indicative of that a measured current running from the first terminal through the switching unit. A controller receives the measurement and correction signal in both the first and second state, and calculates an error value indicative of the measurement error and/or a sensor readout value that is corrected for the measurement error by taking the measurement and correction signal into account as obtained in both the first and second state.

A thermocouple may have a first thermoelement wire formed of a first material and a first sheath covering at least part of the first thermoelement wire. The first sheath may provide thermal insulation and may be formed of a third material, different from the first material, that is subject to oxidation in response to exposure to a surrounding material. The thermocouple may further have a second sheath covering at least a first portion of the first sheath. The second sheath may act as a barrier between the first portion of the first sheath and the surrounding material and may be formed of a fourth material that is resistant to oxidation in the surrounding material. The first thermoelement wire may be joined, at a junction, with one of the first sheath, and a second thermoelement wire formed of a second material different from the first material.

A thermocouple may have a first thermoelement wire formed of a first material and a first sheath covering at least part of the first thermoelement wire. The first sheath may provide thermal insulation and may be formed of a third material, different from the first material, that is subject to oxidation in response to exposure to a surrounding material. The thermocouple may further have a second sheath covering at least a first portion of the first sheath. The second sheath may act as a barrier between the first portion of the first sheath and the surrounding material and may be formed of a fourth material that is resistant to oxidation in the surrounding material. The first thermoelement wire may be joined, at a junction, with one of the first sheath, and a second thermoelement wire formed of a second material different from the first material.

A method of forming structure includes providing a substrate in a reaction chamber, forming a first layer overlaying the substrate, and forming a second layer onto the first layer. Temperature of the first layer is controlled during the forming of the first layer using infrared electromagnetic radiation emitted by the first layer. Temperature of the second layer is controlled during the forming of the second layer using infrared electromagnetic radiation emitted by the second layer. Semiconductor device structures and semiconductor processing systems are also described.

A method of forming structure includes providing a substrate in a reaction chamber, forming a first layer overlaying the substrate, and forming a second layer onto the first layer. Temperature of the first layer is controlled during the forming of the first layer using infrared electromagnetic radiation emitted by the first layer. Temperature of the second layer is controlled during the forming of the second layer using infrared electromagnetic radiation emitted by the second layer. Semiconductor device structures and semiconductor processing systems are also described.

A temperature input unit includes a disconnection detection circuit that measures a temperature of a measurement target with at least one of a thermocouple or a temperature measurement resistor and feeds a disconnection detection current for disconnection detection to the thermocouple and a compensating wire connected to the thermocouple. A controller controls, before measuring the temperature of the measurement target with the thermocouple, a terminal switch and an input circuit switch to connect the compensating wire to a temperature measurement resistor input circuit and an A/D converter, and calculates a predicted value of a voltage drop resulting from resistance of the compensating wire occurring in response to the disconnection detection current. The controller controls the terminal switch and the input circuit switch to connect the compensating wire to a thermocouple input circuit and the A/D converter, and subtracts the predicted value from a measured value of the thermoelectromotive force detected by the thermocouple input circuit to calculate a corrected measured value of the thermoelectromotive force.