Zone control heater plate for track lithography systems

1. A substrate heater comprising:

a bake plate having an upper surface, a lower surface and a peripheral side surface extending between the upper and lower surfaces, the bake plate including at least one heating element, at least one temperature sensor and a plurality of wires including at least one wire coupled to the heating element and at least one wire coupled to the temperature sensor;

a shield spaced apart from and generally surrounding the lower and peripheral side surfaces of the bake plate, the shield having an interior upper surface facing the lower surface of the bake plate, an interior side surface facing the peripheral side surface of the bake plate and a lower surface opposite the interior upper surface;

a patterned signal layer formed on the lower surface of the shield, wherein the plurality of wires are electrically coupled to a corresponding plurality of signal traces formed in the patterned signal layer; and

a connector, electrically coupled to the plurality of signal traces in the patterned signal layer, adapted to facilitate electrical connections to the plurality of wires.

2. The substrate heater set forth in claim 1 wherein the patterned signal layer is sandwiched between first and second insulation layers also formed on the lower surface of the shield.

3. The substrate heater set forth in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of support posts that extend from the lower surface of the bake plate through the shield, the plurality of support posts being adapted to create a predetermined distance between the bake plate and shield.

4. The substrate heater set forth in claim 1 further comprising a ribbon cable electrically coupled between the plurality of signal trances and the connector.

5. A substrate heater comprising:

a bake plate having an upper surface, a lower surface and a peripheral side surface extending between the upper and lower surfaces, the bake plate including a plurality of independently controllable heating zones, each zone including a heating element, a temperature sensor and a plurality of wires including at least one wire coupled to the heating element and at least one wire coupled to the temperature sensor;

a shield spaced apart from and generally surrounding the lower and peripheral side surfaces of the bake plate, the shield having an interior upper surface facing the lower surface of the bake plate, an interior side surface facing the peripheral side surface of the bake plate and a lower surface opposite the interior upper surface;

a patterned signal layer formed on the lower surface of the shield, wherein the plurality of wires associated with each independently controllable heating zone are electrically coupled to a corresponding plurality of signal traces formed in the patterned signal layer; and

a connector, electrically coupled to the plurality of signal traces in the patterned signal layer, adapted to facilitate electrical connections to the plurality of wires.

6. The substrate heater set forth in claim 5 wherein the patterned signal layer is sandwiched between first and second insulation layers also formed on the lower surface of the shield.

7. The substrate heater set forth in claim 5 further comprising a plurality of support posts that extend from the lower surface of the bake plate through the shield, the plurality of support posts being adapted to create a predetermined distance between the bake plate and shield.

8. The substrate heater set forth in claim 7 wherein the plurality of support posts extend from a portion of the bake plate associated within a single, inner most heating zone.

9. The substrate heater set forth in claim 5 further comprising a ribbon cable electrically coupled between the plurality of signal trances and the connector.