METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF A RADIANTLY HEATED OBJECT

摘要

A temperature control signal (S1) responsive to a target temperature is biquadrated (S14) to produce a power control signal. A power supply unit supplies electric power to one or more radiant heat sources on the basis of the power control signal, whereby an object such as, for example, a wafer is heated by radiant energy from the one or more radiant heat sources. The wafer temperature is proportional to the biquadrative root of the radiant energy in accordance with the well-known Stefan-Boltzmann's law, whereby the wafer temperature correctly follows a predetermined time-dependent target temperature variation over time.