GAS TREATMENT SYSTEMS

• US 20110091648A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veeco Instruments Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Veeco Instruments Incorporated
• Inventors: Mitrovic, Bojan, Armour, Eric A., Gurary, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 9,273,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/255.23
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas

Abstract

An MOCVD reactor such as a rotating disc reactor (10) is equipped with a gas injector head having diffusers (129) disposed between adjacent gas inlets. The diffusers taper in the downstream direction. The injector head desirably has inlets (117) for a first gas such as a metal alkyl disposed in radial rows which terminate radially inward from the reactor wall to minimize deposition of the reactants on the reactor wall. The injector head desirably also has inlets (125) for a second gas such as ammonia arranged in a field between the rows of first gas inlets, and additionally has a center inlet (135) for the second gas coaxial with the axis of rotation.

Claims

1. A method of treating one or more substrates comprising:

(a) rotating the substrates about an axis while maintaining surfaces of the substrates substantially perpendicular to the axis and facing in an upstream direction along the axis; and

, during the rotating step,

(b) discharging a first gas in the downstream direction toward the substrates from a first row of inlets extending across the axis in a first radial direction perpendicular to the axis and from a second row of inlets extending perpendicular to the axis in a second radial direction perpendicular to the first radial direction; and

simultaneously;

(c) discharging a second gas in the downstream direction toward the substrates from second gas field inlets disposed around the axis between the rows of first gas inlets.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising discharging the second gas in the downstream direction toward the substrate from a center inlet disposed substantially on the axis.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising controlling the discharge of the second gas from the center inlet independently of the flow of gas from the field inlets.

4. A method of treating one or more substrates comprising:

(a) rotating a disc-like holder carrying the substrates about an axis while maintaining surfaces of the substrates substantially perpendicular to the axis and facing in an upstream direction along the axis; and

, during the rotating step,

(b) discharging a first gas in a downstream direction parallel to the axis toward the substrates as a first set of gas streams extending to a first radial distance from the axis, and simultaneously discharging a second gas in the downstream direction as a second set of gas streams extending to a second radial distance from the axis greater than the first radial distance.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first set of gas streams is disposed in one or more rows extending in one or more radial directions from the axis and the second set of gas streams is disposed in regions around the axis.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the first radial distance is less than the radius of the holder.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the rotating and discharging steps are performed within a reactor vessel having internal wall surfaces in the form of surfaces of revolution coaxial with the axis.