MOCVD apparatus and MOCVD method

• US 7,077,911 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Youtec Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Youtec Co., Ltd
• Inventors: Suzuki, Mitsuhiro, Kijima, Takeshi, Natori, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kackar, Ram N
• Application Number:
  US10/376,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/730, 118/720, 118/725, 156/345.33, 156/345.34
• US Class Current: 118/715
• 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 16/45508 Radial flow

Abstract

The invention provides an MOCVD apparatus and a MOCVD method which can deposit a thin film having satisfactory properties by reducing or preventing temperature decrease of a source gas. An MOCVD apparatus according to the present invention supplies a source gas, as a mixture of an MO source gas, with an oxidizing gas to a substrate to thereby form a film. The MOCVD apparatus includes a substrate holder to hold the substrate; a deposition chamber to house the substrate holder; a supply mechanism to supply the source gas to a surface of the substrate; and a heating device to heat the substrate held by the substrate holder. The deposition chamber includes a substrate housing unit to house the substrate holder holding the substrate, and a passage housing unit connected to the substrate housing unit and constituting a passage to supply the source gas to the substrate. The passage has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the area of a deposition plane of the substrate when the passage housing unit is cut in parallel with the deposition plane of the substrate.

Claims

1. An MOCVD apparatus to supply a source gas, as a mixture of an MO source gas, with an oxidizing gas to a substrate to thereby form a film, the apparatus comprising:

a substrate holder to hold the substrate;

a deposition chamber to house the substrate holder;

a supply mechanism to supply the source gas to a surface of the substrate; and

a heating device to heat the substrate held by the substrate holder;

the deposition chamber including a substrate housing unit to house the substrate holder and a passage housing unit connected to gas supply mechanism, the passage housing unit comprising a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions disposed over the substrate alternately, the first portions being formed by a slope of an upside of the deposition chamber and the substrate, and the second portions formed by a substantially or exactly horizontal surface of the deposition chamber and the substrate, the first portions allowing an area of the substrate below them to be exposed to deposition and the second portions preventing an area of the substrate under them from exposure to deposition;

the passage having a cross-sectional area that is smaller than an area of a deposition plane of the substrate when the passage housing unit is cut in parallel with the deposition plane of the substrate.

2. The MOCVD apparatus according to claim 1 the supply mechanism including an MO source container housing the MO source, a first heating mechanism to heat the MO source in the MO source container, an oxidizing gas container housing the oxidizing gas, and a second heating mechanism to heat the oxidizing gas in the oxidizing gas container, the MO source container and the oxidizing gas container being connected to the gas inlet, respectively.

3. The MOCVD apparatus according to claim 1 further including a rotating mechanism to rotate the substrate holder.

4. The MOCVD apparatus according to claim 1 further including an ultrasonic generator to apply ultrasonic vibration to at least one of the supply mechanism and the substrate holder.

5. The MOCVD apparatus according to claim 1 further including at least one of an ultraviolet irradiation device and a soft X-ray irradiation device to apply at least one of ultraviolet rays and soft X-rays to the substrate held by the substrate holder.

6. An MOCVD apparatus to supply a source gas, as a mixture of an MO source gas, with an oxidizing gas to a substrate to a substrate to thereby form a film, the apparatus comprising:

a substrate holder to hold the substrate;

a deposition chamber to house the substrate holder;

a gas inlet arranged in the deposition chamber;

a supply mechanism to supply the source gas to the gas inlet; and

a heating device to heat the substrate held by the substrate holder;

a gas passage, comprising a plurality of first portions and second portions disposed over the substrate alternately, the first portions being formed by a slope of an upside of the deposition chamber and the substrate, and the second portions being formed by a substantially or exactly horizontal surface of the deposition chamber and the substrate, the first portions allowing an area of the substrate below them to be exposed to deposition and the second portions preventing an area of the substrate below them from exposure to deposition;

the deposition chamber defining the gas passage that has a cross-sectional area 100 times or less as large as an opening area of the gas inlet, the cross-sectional area being obtained by cutting the deposition chamber in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the source gas when the supply mechanism supplies the source gas to the gas inlet to thereby supply the source gas to the substrate in the deposition chamber.

7. An MOCVD apparatus to supply a source gas, as a mixture of an MO source gas, with an oxidizing gas to a substrate to a substrate to thereby form a film, the apparatus comprising:

a substrate holder to hold the substrate;

a deposition chamber to house the substrate holder;

a gas inlet arranged in the deposition chamber;

a supply mechanism to supply the source gas to the gas inlet; and

a heating device to heat the substrate held by the substrate holder;

a gas passage, which is formed by a slope of an upside of the deposition chamber and the substrate, the gas passage comprising a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions disposed over the substrate alternately, the first portions being formed by the slope of the upside of the deposition chamber and the substrate, and the second portions being formed by a substantially or exactly horizontal surface, and the first portions allowing an area of the substrate below them to be exposed to deposition and the second portions preventing an area of the substrate below them from exposure to deposition;

the deposition chamber defining the gas passage that has a cross-sectional area 100 times or less as large as an opening area of the gas inlet, the cross-sectional area being obtained by cutting the deposition chamber in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the source gas when the supply mechanism supplies the source gas to the gas inlet to thereby supply the source gas to the substrate in the deposition chamber and reduce an adiabatic expansion of the source gas to suppress a temperature decrease of the source gas.