MULTI-CHANNEL GAS-DELIVERY SYSTEM

• US 20110277690A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silevo, Inc. (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Rozenzon, Yan, Trujillo, Robert T., Beese, Steven C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,441,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/723.MW
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45512 Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45514 Mixing in close vicinity to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45561 Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45578 Elongated nozzles, tubes with holes
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/14 Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a gas-delivery system for delivering reaction gas to a reactor chamber. The gas-delivery system includes a main gas-inlet port for receiving reaction gases and a gas-delivery plate that includes a plurality of gas channels. A gas channel includes a plurality of gas holes for allowing the reaction gases to enter the reactor chamber from the gas channel. The gas-delivery system further includes a plurality of sub-gas lines coupling together the main gas-inlet port and the gas-delivery plate, and a respective sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gases to a corresponding gas channel.

Claims

1. A gas-delivery system for delivering reaction gas into a reactor chamber, comprising:

a main gas-inlet port for receiving reaction gases;

a gas-delivery plate comprising a plurality of gas channels, wherein a gas channel includes a plurality of gas holes for allowing the reaction gases to enter the reactor chamber from the gas channel; and

a plurality of sub-gas lines coupling together the main gas-inlet port and the gas-delivery plate, wherein a respective sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gases to a corresponding gas channel.

2. The gas-delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a main gas line configured to deliver the reaction gases to the main-gas-inlet port.

3. The gas-delivery system of claim 2, wherein the main gas line includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter of 0.5 inch.

4. The gas-delivery system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sub-gas lines are coupled to a flow control valve configured to individually control a gas flow rate within the sub-gas lines, thereby facilitating a uniform gas flow into the reactor chamber.

5. The gas-delivery system of claim 4, wherein the flow control valve is a bellow metering valve (BMV).

6. The gas-delivery system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sub-gas lines includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter of 0.25 inch.

7. The gas-delivery system of claim 1, wherein the gas holes have a diameter of 1 mm.

8. The gas-delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a gas diffuser situated between a sub-gas line and a corresponding gas channel.

9. A reactor for material deposition, comprising:

a chamber comprising a pair of susceptors situated inside the chamber, wherein each susceptor has a front side and a back side, wherein the front side mounts a number of substrates, wherein the susceptors are positioned vertically in such a way that the front sides of the susceptors face each other, and wherein the vertical edges of the susceptors are in contact with each other, thereby forming a substantially enclosed narrow channel between the substrates mounted on different susceptors;

a gas nozzle situated above the chamber; and

a gas-delivery system situated above the gas nozzle, wherein the gas-delivery system is configured to deliver reaction gases to the chamber via the gas nozzle, and wherein the gas-delivery system comprises;

a main gas-inlet port for receiving the reaction gases;

a gas-delivery plate comprising a plurality of gas channels, wherein a gas channel includes a plurality of gas holes for allowing the reaction gases to enter the chamber from the gas channel; and

a plurality of sub-gas lines coupling together the main gas-inlet port and the gas-delivery plate, wherein a respective sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gases to a corresponding gas channel.

10. The reactor of claim 9, wherein the gas-delivery system further comprises a main gas line configured to deliver the reaction gases to the main-gas-inlet port.

11. The reactor of claim 10, wherein the main gas line includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter of 0.5 inch.

12. The reactor of claim 9, wherein at least one of the sub-gas lines are coupled to a flow control valve configured to individually control a gas flow rate within the sub-gas lines, thereby facilitating a uniform gas flow into the chamber.

13. The reactor of claim 12, wherein the flow control valve is a bellow metering valve (BMV).

14. The reactor of claim 9, wherein at least one of the sub-gas lines include a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter of 0.25 inch.

15. The reactor of claim 9, wherein the gas holes have a diameter of 1 mm.

16. The reactor of claim 9, wherein the gas-delivery system further comprises a gas diffuser situated between a sub-gas line and a corresponding gas channel.

17. The reactor of claim 9, wherein the susceptors are formed using at least one of:

SiC-coated graphite and monolithic SiC.

18. The reactor of claim 9, wherein the chamber is made of a material that comprises quartz.