Method and device for the temperature control of surface temperatures of substrates in a CVD reactor

• US 6,983,620 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aixtron AG
• Original Assignee: Aixtron AG
• Inventors: Kaeppeler, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US11/051,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 622/592, 427/8, 427/248.1, 427/255, 118/715, 118/730, 118/725, 118/728, 219/389, 219/390, 34/92, 342/33, 342/32, 165/281, 117/89
• US Class Current: 62/259.2
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4584 the substrate being rotated
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/46 characterised by the method used for heating the substrate C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/10 Heating of the reaction chamber or the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/14 Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/16 Controlling or regulating controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/165 the flow of the reactive gases

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling the surface temperatures of substrates arranged on substrate supports borne by a substrate support carrier on dynamic gas cushions in a processing chamber of a CVD-reactor. The aim of the invention is to reduce or adjust the temperature variations. According to the invention, an average surface temperature value is calculated, being measured in a particularly optical manner, and the level of the gas cushions is regulated by varying the individually controlled gas flow producing the gas cushions in such a way that the variations of the measured surface temperatures in relation to the average value lies within a predetermined temperature window.

Claims

1. A CVD reactor having a multiplicity of substrate holders carried on dynamic gas cushions on a substrate holder carrier, characterized by a measuring device, which has at least one temperature-measuring element, for determining the surface temperatures of all the substrates located on the substrate holders, a temperature-control element and gas mass flow control means which are individually associated with each substrate holder and are actuated by the temperature-control element in such a manner that the substrate temperatures are kept within a predetermined temperature window by variation of the gas cushion height.

2. The CVD reactor according to claim 1 or characterized by substrate holders driven in rotation by the gas stream.

3. The CVD reactor according to claim 1 or characterized by a substrate holder carrier driven in rotation.

4. The CVD reactor according to claim 1 or characterized by a single temperature-measuring element disposed above an opening in the process chamber cover.

5. The CVD reactor according to claim 1 or characterized by a rotational speed-measuring element which is provided at the outer periphery of the substrate holder carrier and, through windows in the substrate holder carrier, optically scans peripheral surfaces, which are provided with index marks, of the substrate holders.

6. The CVD reactor according to claim 1 or characterized by a measured-value multiplexer which is associated with the single temperature-measuring element.