GOLD-COATED POLYSILICON REACTOR SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110159214A1
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GTAT Corporation (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GT Solar, Incorporated
• Inventors: Gum, Jeffrey C., Fero, Chad, Desrosier, Dan
• Application Number:
  US12/934,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20110159214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/587
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/035 by decomposition or reduction of gaseous or vaporised silicon compounds in the presence of heated filaments of silicon, carbon or a refractory metal, e.g. tantalum or tungsten, or in the presence of heated silicon rods on which the formed silicon is deposited, a silicon rod being obtained, e.g. Siemens process
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/08 Reaction chambers; Selection of materials therefor

Abstract

A reaction chamber system, and related devices and methods for use in the system, are provided in which reduced power consumption can be achieved by providing a thin layer of gold on one or more components inside a reaction chamber. The reaction chamber system can be used for chemical vapor deposition. The gold coating should be maintained to a thickness of at least about 0.1 microns, and more preferably about 0.5 to 3.0 microns, to provide a suitable emissivity inside the reaction chamber, and thus reduce heat losses.

Claims

1. A reactor system, comprising:

a reaction chamber including at least a base plate fixed within the reaction chamber and an enclosure operably connected to the base plate, at least a portion of the reaction chamber being coated with a layer of gold having a thickness of at least about 0.1 microns;

at least one filament attached to the base plate;

an electrical current source for supplying a current to the filament; and

a gas source operably connected to the reaction chamber to allow gas flow through the reaction chamber.

2. The reactor system of claim 1, wherein the current is supplied directly to the filament through an electrical feedthrough in the base plate.

3. The reactor system of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber further comprises a viewing port for viewing an internal portion of the reaction chamber.

4. The reactor system of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is coated with the layer of gold having a thickness of about 0.5 to 3.0 microns.

5. The reactor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one filament comprises silicon.

6. The reactor system of claim 1, further comprising a cooling system having at least a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet operably connected to the reactor system.

7. The reactor system of claim 1, wherein the reactor system is a chemical vapor deposition reactor system.

8. The reactor system of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber coated with the layer of gold has an emissivity of between about 0.01 and 0.03.

9. A reaction chamber for use in a chemical vapor deposition reactor, comprising:

at least a base plate fixed within the reaction chamber;

at least one filament attached to the base plate, the reaction chamber being operably connected to an electrical current source and a gas source to allow deposition of a material on the filament; and

at least a portion of the reaction chamber being coated with a layer of gold having a thickness of at least about 0.1 microns.

10. The reaction chamber of claim 9, wherein a current is supplied to the filament by the electrical current source.

11. The reaction chamber of claim 10, wherein the current is supplied directly to the filament through an electrical feedthrough in the base plate.

12. The reaction chamber of claim 9, further comprising at least a gas inlet and a gas outlet operably connected to the reaction chamber to allow gas flow through the reaction chamber.

13. The reaction chamber of claim 9, further comprising a viewing port for viewing an internal portion of the reaction chamber.

14. The reaction chamber of claim 9, wherein the at least one filament comprises silicon.

15. The reaction chamber of claim 9, wherein the reaction chamber coated with the layer of gold has an emissivity of between about 0.01 and 0.03.

16. A method for depositing a material in a reactor, comprising the steps of:

providing a reaction chamber including at least a base plate fixed within the reaction chamber and an enclosure operably connected to the base plate, at least a portion of the reaction chamber being coated with a layer of gold having a thickness of at least about 0.1 microns;

attaching at least one filament to the base plate;

connecting an electrical current source to the reaction chamber for supplying a current to the filament;

connecting a gas source to the reaction chamber to allow gas flow through the reaction chamber; and

operating the reactor to deposit the material on the filament in the reaction chamber.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the material deposited on the filament is polysilicon.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the filament comprises silicon.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the reactor is a chemical vapor deposition reactor.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

supplying the current directly to the filament through an electrical feedthrough in the base plate.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the reaction chamber is coated with the layer of gold having a thickness of about 0.5 to 3.0 microns.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the reaction chamber is coated with the layer of gold having an emissivity of between about 0.01 and 0.03.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the reaction chamber further comprises a viewing port for viewing an internal portion of the reaction chamber.