Substrate heater utilizing protective heat sinking means

Claim 1

A substrate heater comprising: a thermally conductive heater block having a working face adapted to receive thereon a substrate material and further having a pocket on the side opposite said working face; a resistive heating element brazed to said heater block in said pocket on the side opposite to said working face with a brazing material that substantially surrounds said element so as to protect said element and conduct heat from said element uniformly to said block: heat sink connector means rigidly mounted on said block, said connector means having openings therein adapted top receive and surround the end portions of said element substantially over most of the end portions that protrude from the brazing material so as to protect said end portions and conduct heat away from said end portions, said connector means comprising a pair of heat sink members, each of which has a center part with one of said openings therein and end parts on either side of said center part, said end parts having fasteners therethrough the connect the heat sink members to said heater block; first ceramic spacers between said end parts and said heater block; and radiation reflecting means positioned about all sides of said heater block except said working face so as to reflect back radiation from said heater block.