In the catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) method, a heated metal wire is often used as the catalyzer to crack the process gas molecules. Therefore, the temperature of the wafer near the catalyzer is influenced by heat from the catalyzer. Thus, a special technique is needed to control the wafer temperature. We examined this matter from the viewpoint of the apparatus. The electrostatic chuck (ESC) is employed in the wafer holder for the Cat-CVD apparatus for the first time. The effects of ESC on the temperature control of Si and GaAs wafers are studied in detail for various process conditions. A drastic improvement is obtained in the control of the wafer temperature using ESC.