Multi-channel gas-delivery system

• US 9,441,295 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: SolarCity Corporation (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Rozenzon, Yan, Trujillo, Robert T., Beese, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon, Rudy
• Application Number:
  US12/952,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20110277690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 15634533-34534
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 reactor, comprising:

a chamber;

a gas nozzle positioned on a first side of the chamber; and

a gas-delivery system 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;

an elongated gas-delivery plate comprising a plurality of gas channels aligned along a length of the elongated gas-delivery plate, wherein the plurality of gas channels comprise two separate edge gas channels positioned near opposite ends of the elongated gas-delivery plate; and

a plurality of sub-gas lines respectively coupled to the plurality of gas channels, wherein the two edge gas channels are coupled to two separate sub-gas lines from the plurality of sub-gas lines, wherein each sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gases to the chamber through a plurality of gas holes belonging to a coupled gas channel, and wherein each sub-gas line is coupled to a flow control valve configured to individually control a gas flow rate within the sub-gas line, thereby facilitating the reaction gases to flow into the chamber uniformly across a horizontal plane.

2. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the main gas-inlet port includes a main gas line, which includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter substantially around 0.5 inch.

3. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the flow control valve is a bellow metering valve (BMV).

4. The reactor of claim 1, wherein a respective sub-gas line from the plurality of sub-gas lines includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter substantially around 0.25 inch.

5. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the gas holes have a diameter substantially around 1 mm.

6. The reactor of claim 1, further 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, 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, and wherein the susceptors are formed using at least one of:

SiC-coated graphite and monolithic SiC.

7. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the chamber is made of a material that comprises quartz.

8. The reactor of claim 1, further comprising a gas diffuser situated between the sub-gas line and the coupled gas channel.

9. A material-deposition system, comprising:

a chamber; and

an elongated gas-delivery plate positioned near a first side of the chamber, wherein the elongated gas-delivery plate comprises a plurality of gas channels aligned along a length of the elongated gas-delivery plate, wherein the plurality of gas channels comprise two separate edge gas channels positioned near opposite ends of the elongated gas-delivery plate;

a gas-inlet port positioned near the first side of the elongated gas- delivery plate and configured to receive reaction gases;

a plurality of sub-gas lines coupled between the plurality of gas channels and the gas-inlet port, wherein the two edge gas channels are coupled to two separate sub-gas lines from the plurality of sub-gas lines, wherein each sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gases to the chamber through a plurality of gas holes belonging to a coupled gas channel, and wherein each sub-gas line is coupled to a flow control valve configured to individually control a gas flow rate within the sub-gas line, thereby facilitating the reaction gases to flow into the chamber uniformly across a horizontal plane.

10. The material-deposition system of claim 9, further comprising a gas nozzle positioned between the chamber and the elongated gas-delivery plate, wherein the gas nozzle is configured to inject the reaction gases into the chamber.

11. The material-deposition system of claim 9, wherein the gas-inlet port includes a main gas line, which includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter substantially around 0.5 inch.

12. The material-deposition system of claim 9, wherein the flow control valve is a bellow metering valve.

13. The material-deposition system of claim 9, wherein a respective sub-gas line from the plurality of sub-gas lines includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter substantially around 0.25 inch.

14. The material-deposition system of claim 9, wherein a respective gas hole from the plurality of gas holes has a diameter substantially around 1 mm.

15. The material-deposition system of claim 9, further comprising a pair of susceptors positioned 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, 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, and wherein the susceptors are formed using at least one of:

SiC-coated graphite and monolithic SiC.

16. The material-deposition system of claim 9, wherein the chamber is made of a material that comprises quartz.

17. The material-deposition system of claim 9, further comprising a gas diffuser positioned between a sub-gas line and a corresponding gas channel.