Substrate carrier for parallel wafer processing reactor

• US 20050188923A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Schwartz, Peter, Nilsen, Vebjorn, Ormonde, Gabriel, Nag, Somnath, Stevens, Ronald, Paranjpe, Ajit, Tejamo, Cesar, Cook, Robert C., Patten, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/966,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20050188923A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/728
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4584 the substrate being rotated
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2001 Maintaining constant desired temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32733 Means for moving the material to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0217 the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02529 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02658 Pretreatments cleaning in general H01L21/02041
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3185 of siliconnitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67303 Vertical boat type carrier whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67309 characterized by the substrate support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67346 characterized by being specially adapted for supporting a single substrate or by comprising a stack of such individual supports
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67383 characterised by substrate supports

Abstract

A substrate carrier for a parallel wafer processing reactor supports a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier includes a plurality of susceptors, which may be thermal plates or annular rings that are arranged horizontally in a vertical stack. The substrates are mounted between pairs of susceptors on two or more supports provided around the outer periphery of the susceptors. The number of substrates mounted between each pair of susceptors may the same or different but is two or more between at least one pair of susceptors.

Claims

1. A carrier for supporting a plurality of wafers in a reactor, comprising:

a vertical stack of horizontally oriented thermal plates; and

a wafer support positioned between a pair of the thermal plates for supporting at least two wafers.

2. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the wafer support includes two spacers, each with at least two shoulders formed thereon for supporting said at least two wafers at opposite ends.

3. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the number of wafers supported between each pair of the thermal plates is the same.

4. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the number of wafers supported between each pair of the thermal plates is different.

5. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the wafer support includes three spacers, each with at least two shoulders formed thereon for supporting said at least two wafers at first, second and third ends of the wafers.

6. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the wafer support includes at least two spacers inserted between each pair of the thermal plates.

7. A carrier for supporting a plurality of wafers in a reactor, comprising:

a vertical stack of horizontally oriented annular rings; and

a wafer support positioned between a pair of the annular rings for supporting at least two wafers.

8. The carrier according to claim 7, wherein the wafer support includes two spacers, each with at least two shoulders formed thereon for supporting said at least two wafers at opposite ends.

9. The carrier according to claim 7, wherein the number of wafers supported between each pair of the annular rings is the same.

10. The carrier according to claim 7, wherein the number of wafers supported between each pair of the annular rings is different.

11. The carrier according to claim 7, wherein the wafer support includes three spacers, each with at least two shoulders formed thereon for supporting said at least two wafers at first, second and third ends of the wafers.

12. The carrier according to claim 7, wherein the wafer support includes at least two spacers inserted between each pair of the annular rings.

13. A reactor for processing substrates, comprising:

a chamber in which the substrates are processed; and

a substrate carrier having a plurality of horizontally arranged susceptors and a support for holding at least two substrates disposed between a pair of said susceptors.

14. The reactor according to claim 13, wherein the susceptors comprise thermal plates.

15. The reactor according to claim 13, wherein the susceptors comprise annular rings.

16. The reactor according to claim 13, wherein the number of substrates supported between each pair of the susceptors is the same.

17. The reactor according to claim 13, wherein the number of substrates supported between each pair of the susceptors is different.

18. The reactor according to claim 13, wherein the support includes two spacers, each with at least two shoulders formed thereon for supporting said at least two substrates at opposite ends.

19. The reactor according claim 18, wherein the spacers engage with lower recesses provided on a susceptor positioned above the spacers and has a lower opening that engages with upper posts provided on a susceptor positioned below the spacers.

20. The reactor according to claim 13, wherein the support includes three spacers, each with at least two shoulders formed thereon for supporting said at least two wafers at first, second and third ends of the wafers.