Ceramic Heater Layout for Uniform Two-Zone Wafer Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature variance occurs in the inner-peripheral-side zone of two-zone ceramic heaters due to the difficulty in wiring high-density coil-shaped resistance heating elements, leading to inconsistent heat distribution.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic heater design featuring an inner-peripheral-side resistance heating element with a two-dimensional shape, allowing for reduced line width and distance, enabling efficient wiring across the entire zone, while the outer-peripheral-side resistance heating element with a coil shape generates a large amount of heat, and both elements are disposed on the same plane parallel to the wafer placement surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If coil-shaped resistance heating elements are used in the inner-peripheral-side zone, then heat generation capability is improved, but wiring density and temperature uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different geometric configurations of resistance heating elements to different spatial zones: coil-shaped elements in the outer-peripheral-side zone and two-dimensional planar elements in the inner-peripheral-side zone. This local differentiation optimizes heat generation in the outer zone while ensuring temperature uniformity in the inner zone, resolving the contradiction between power output and temperature consistency.
2Power
If coil-shaped resistance heating elements are disposed in the inner-peripheral-side zone, then heat generation is improved, but wiring complexity and terminal disposal difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing coil-shaped heating elements in the inner-peripheral-side zone as might be intuitively expected for maximum heat generation, the patent inverts the configuration by placing two-dimensional planar elements there and coil-shaped elements in the outer-peripheral-side zone. This inversion simplifies wiring in the critical inner zone while maintaining overall heat generation effectiveness.
3Manufacturing precision
If two-dimensional shaped resistance heating elements are used in the inner-peripheral-side zone, then wiring density and temperature uniformity are improved, but heat generation capability relative to area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into two distinct functional zones with different heating element types: the inner-peripheral-side zone uses two-dimensional planar elements optimized for uniform temperature distribution, while the outer-peripheral-side zone uses coil-shaped elements optimized for high heat generation. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specialized function effectively without compromise.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively inhibits temperature variance in the inner-peripheral-side zone by allowing for precise control and uniform heating across the wafer placement surface, ensuring consistent heat distribution and efficient heat generation.
Implementation Method 1
an inner-peripheral-side resistance heating element that is disposed in the inner-peripheral-side zone and that has a two-dimensional shape, and an outer-peripheral-side resistance heating element that is disposed in the outer-peripheral-side zone and that has a coil shape
Data Source
AI summary
A ceramic heater includes a ceramic plate. The ceramic plate has a wafer placement surface and has an inner-peripheral-side zone that has a circular shape and an outer-peripheral-side zone that has an annular shape. An inner-peripheral-side resistance heating element that has a two-dimensional shape is disposed in the inner-peripheral-side zone. An outer-peripheral-side is resistance heating element that has a coil shape is disposed in the outer-peripheral-side zone. A terminal of inner-peripheral-side resistance heating element and a terminal of the outer-peripheral-side resistance heating element are disposed in the inner-peripheral-side.