Heater element of an electrical smoking article and method for making same

A permanent heater fixture for use in a smoking article for delivering to a smoker a tobacco flavor substance, the article having a removable tobacco flavor unit that has tobacco flavor medium disposed on a first surface of a carrier, the carrier having a second surface opposed to said first surface, the permanent heater fixture comprising:

• a heater base defining a first end of a cavity for receiving the removable tobacco flavor unit, said cavity having an air passageway from the first end to a second end for allowing air to pass therebetween;
• and
• a plurality of permanent electrical heaters disposed on the heater base, said heaters each having a surface adapted to be disposed adjacent the second surface of the carrier, wherein when any one of said plurality of electrical heaters is activated, a respective fraction of said tobacco flavor medium in thermal transfer relationship with said one of said electrical heaters is heated, generating a predetermined quantity of tobacco flavor substance for delivery to the smoker;
• wherein the plurality of permanent heaters are comprised of silicon semiconductor material;
• said fixture, further comprising:
• a plurality of heater support fingers disposed from the first end of the heater base for supporting the plurality of permanent heaters, wherein:
• the fingers have elongated, have an inside surface and an outside surface, and are arranged to define a surface of a cylinder, wherein the plurality of permanent heaters are mounted on the inside surface of the heater support fingers;
• wherein the plurality of permanent heaters are comprised of silicon semiconductor material;
• wherein the silicon semiconductor material is doped with phosphorous impurities to a level in the range of between about 5.times.10.sup.18 impurities/cm.sup.3 and about 5.times.10.sup.19 impurities/cm.sup.3.

A permanent heater fixture for use in a smoking article for delivering to a smoker a tobacco flavor substance, the article having a removable tobacco flavor unit that has tobacco flavor medium disposed on a first surface of a carrier, the carrier having a second surface opposed to said first surface, the permanent heater fixture comprising:

• a heater base defining a first end of a cavity for receiving the removable tobacco flavor unit, said cavity having an air passageway from the first end to a second end for allowing air to pass therebetween;
• and
• a plurality of permanent electrical heaters disposed on the heater base, said heaters each having a surface adapted to be disposed adjacent the second surface of the carrier, wherein when any one of said plurality of electrical heaters is activated, a respective fraction of said tobacco flavor medium in thermal transfer relationship with said one of said electrical heaters is heated, generating a predetermined quantity of tobacco flavor substance for delivery to the smoker;
• wherein the plurality of permanent heaters are comprised of silicon semiconductor material;
• said fixture further comprising:
• a plurality of heater support fingers disposed from the first end of the heater base for supporting the plurality of permanent heaters, wherein;
• the fingers have elongated, have an inside surface and an outside surface, and are arranged to define a surface of a cylinder, and wherein the plurality of permanent heaters are mounted on the outside surface of the heater support fingers;
• wherein the plurality of permanent heaters are comprised of silicon semiconductor material;
• wherein the silicon semiconductor material is doped with phosphorous impurities to a level in the range of between about 5.times.10.sup.18 impurities/cm.sup.3 and about 5.times.10.sup.19 impurities/cm.sup.3.