IP Library Granted Patent US 12672507
Granted Patent B2
US 12672507 · App. 18/389,445 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Heating apparatus and pretreatment method for wafer

Inventors: Shang-Jr Gwo (New Taipei City, TW); Ching-Wen Chang (Kaohsiung City, TW)
Assignee: Hermes-Epitek Corporation
H10P72/0436H10P14/36H10P72/7624
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12672507
App. No.
18/389,445
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A heating apparatus includes a placement surface to place a wafer and a heating unit composed of resistance-heating elements, a first conductive component, and a second conductive component. The resistance heating elements are vertically stacked and spaced apart from each other, with each being parallel to the placement surface. In addition, the resistance heating elements are connected in parallel through the first and the second conductive components. A pretreatment method includes the steps of heating a wafer with the heating apparatus in a vacuumed chamber, and feeding a reactant gas into the chamber so that the reactant gas reacts with the surface of the wafer.

Claims (29)

1 . A heating apparatus, comprising:

a placement surface for placing a wafer; and

a heating unit comprising:

a plurality of resistance heating elements stacked vertically and spaced apart from each other, with each being parallel to the placement surface and including a first end and a second end;

a first conductive component connected to the first ends of the plurality of resistance heating elements; and

a second conductive component connected to the second ends of the plurality of resistance heating elements.

2 . The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first conductive component connects to a first electrode of a power supply, and the second conductive component connects to a second electrode of the power supply.

3 . The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first conductive component comprises a plurality of stacked first conductive blocks, and the second conductive component comprises a plurality of stacked second conductive blocks.

4 . The heating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first end of each resistance heating element is sandwiched by two of the plurality of stacked first conductive blocks, and the second end of each resistance heating element is sandwiched by two of the plurality of stacked second conductive blocks.

5 . The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an upper clamping frame and a lower clamping frame, wherein the wafer is arranged between the upper clamping frame and the lower clamping frame, and both the upper clamping frame and the lower clamping frame comprise a plurality of protrusion to release thermal stress.

6 . The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of resistance heating elements are made of tungsten.

7 . The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first conductive component and the second conductive component are made of molybdenum.

8 . The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer is heated to a temperature above 1000° C.

9 . The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus comprises two or more of the heating units.

10 . A pretreatment method, comprising:

heating a wafer with a heating apparatus in a vacuum chamber; and

feeding a reactant gas into the vacuum chamber, so that the reactant gas reacts with the surface of the wafer;

wherein the heating apparatus comprises:

a placement surface for placing the wafer; and

a heating unit comprising:

a plurality of resistance heating elements stacked vertically and spaced apart from each other, with each being parallel to the placement surface and including a first end and a second end;

a first conductive component connected to the first ends of the plurality of resistance heating elements; and

a second conductive component connected to the second ends of the plurality of resistance heating elements.

11 . The pretreatment method according to claim 10 , wherein the wafer is heated to 1000° C. or higher.

12 . The pretreatment method according to claim 10 , wherein the wafer is heated to a temperature above 1400° C.

13 . The pretreatment method according to claim 10 , wherein the wafer has an atom-stepped surface after the pretreatment.

14 . The pretreatment method according to claim 10 , wherein the heating apparatus comprises two or more of the heating units.

15 . The pretreatment method according to claim 10 , wherein the wafer comprises silicon carbide.

16 . The pretreatment method according to claim 10 , wherein the reactant gas comprises hydrogen.