High pressure MOCVD reactor system

• US 6,066,204 A
• Filed: 01/08/1997
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Masimo Semiconductor Inc. (Masimo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spire Semiconductor LLC (Masimo Corporation)
• Inventors: Haven, Victor E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KUNEMUND, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US08/780,724
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 117/89, 117/93, 117/102, 117/954, 117/957
• US Class Current: 117/89
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/455 characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45557 Pulsed pressure or control pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45591 Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/14 Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases

Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed for providing vapor-phase epitaxial growth on a substrate using a Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) process. The process is performed in a reactive chamber pressurized to greater than one atmosphere. The reactant gases to be deposited on the substrate are also pressurized to the equivalent pressure, and then introduced into the reactor chamber. By performing the MOCVD process at a pressure greater than one atmosphere, a reduced amount of reactant gas is required to complete the deposition process.

Claims

1. A method for growing an epitaxial semiconductor layer on a substrate in an MOCVD reactor chamber, the method comprising the steps of,

introducing a substrate at a top portion of the MOCVD reactor chamber,

pressurizing one or more reactant gaseous materials to a pressure above one (1) atmosphere,

injecting the pressurized reactant gaseous material from a bottom portion of the MOCVD reactor chamber into the MOCVD reactor chamber in an upward flow toward the substrate, and

heating the substrate to decompose the pressurized reactant gaseous material and to cause the reactant gaseous material to flow parallel with convective forces toward said substrate, such that the pressurized reactant gaseous material grows an epitaxial layer on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of injecting an inert gas into the reactor chamber to pressurize the reactor chamber above one atmosphere.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the step of varying the amount of reactant gaseous material injected into the reactor chamber as a function of the amount of inert gas injected into the reactor chamber.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of invertably mounting the substrate on a substrate holder for facing the injected reactant gaseous materials.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of selecting the reactant gaseous material from elements found in group V of the periodic table.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the step of selecting the reactant gaseous material from the group consisting of phosphine and arsine.

7. The method of claim 5, further including the step of selecting a further reactant gaseous material from elements found in group III of the periodic table.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressurizing step includes pressurizing one of the reactant gaseous material in the range of above one (1) to twenty (20) atmospheres.

9. The method of claim 1, further including the step of uniformly diffusing the reactant gaseous materials after introducing the gaseous material into the chamber.

10. The method of claim 1, further including the step of selecting the reactant gaseous material from elements found in group II of the periodic table.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the step of selecting an additional reactant gaseous material from elements found in group VI of the periodic table.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is heated to between 200°

C. and 500°

C. for decomposing the pressurized reactant gaseous materials.