Vapor-phase film growth apparatus and gas ejection head

• US 6,132,512 A
• Filed: 01/08/1998
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Inventors: Araki, Yuji, Murakami, Takeshi, Horie, Kuniaki, Nakada, Tsutomu, Suzuki, Hidenao, Abe, Masahito
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverman, Stanley S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLAIANNI, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/003,948
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 239/423, 239/432, 239/433, 239/434
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/14 Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases

Abstract

A vapor-phase film growth apparatus includes a substrate holder for holding a substrate, a gas ejection head, and a radiant heat shield device. The substrate holder has a substrate heater therein, and the gas ejection head has a gas injection surface for ejecting a material gas toward a substrate held by the substrate holder. The radiant heat shield device is disposed between the substrate holder and the gas injection head in confronting relationship to the gas injection surface of the gas ejection nozzle. The substantially planar radiant heat shield device is permeable to gases and has a heating capability.

Claims

1. A gas ejection head comprising:

a planar nozzle head body including a plurality of nozzle orifices, at least one of said nozzle orifices having a minimum cross-sectional area F_c (m²) satisfying the following expression;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F.sub.c ≦

m.sub.c /[{2/(k+1)}.sup.1/(k-1) {k/(k+1)}.sup.1/2 {2(p.sub.1 /v.sub.1)}.sup.1/2 ]

wherein;

m_c =the mass flow (kg/s) per orifice;

k the ratio of specific heats (a constant dependant on the gas);

p₁ =the pressure (Pa) of the gas at the gas inlet side of the orifice; and

v₁ =the specific volume (m³ /kg) of the gas at the gas inlet side of the nozzle orifice.

2. The gas ejection head of claim 1, wherein said plurality of nozzle orifices are formed so as to uniformly eject a first gas and a second gas therethrough, and said planar nozzle head body being formed such that the first gas and the second gas are mixed therein prior to ejection.

3. The gas ejection head of claim 1, wherein said plurality of nozzle orifices are formed so as to generate a flow of ejected gas such that the flow of ejected gas is perpendicular to a plane of said planar nozzle head body, said planar nozzle head body comprising a planar front nozzle body and a planar rear nozzle body, wherein an intermediate gas inlet region is formed between said planar front nozzle body and said planar rear nozzle body for introducing one of a first gas and a second gas.

4. The gas ejection head of claim 3, wherein said planar rear nozzle body includes an outer circumferential edge, said intermediate gas inlet region being formed in at least a portion of said outer circumferential edge.

5. The gas ejection head of claim 4, wherein said rear nozzle body includes diffusers.

6. The gas ejection head of claim 4, wherein said nozzle head body includes an outer circumferential surface and a gas passage, said gas passage being formed in at least a portion of said outer circumferential surface, said intermediate gas inlet region communicating with one of said outer circumferential surface and said gas passage.

7. The gas ejection head of claim 1, wherein a sum of minimum cross-sectional areas of said nozzle orifices per unit area in any section of said planar nozzle head body is substantially constant.

8. The gas ejection head of claim 1, wherein said nozzle orifices are arranged in a plurality of arrays, each of said nozzle orifices in each said arrays having a minimum cross-sectional area F_c (m²) satisfying the expression.

9. The gas ejection head of claim 1, wherein said planar nozzle head body comprises a planar front nozzle head body and a planar rear nozzle head body, a plurality of intermediate gas inlet regions being formed between said planar front nozzle head body and said planar rear nozzle body, each of said nozzle orifices of said front nozzle head body and each of said intermediate gas inlet regions having a minimum cross-sectional area F_c (m²) satisfying the expression so as to choke gas flow through said planar front nozzle head body and said intermediate gas inlet regions.