# US 11,908,719 B2 · Rounded vertical wafer vessel rods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,719 B2 - Document ID: US11908719B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/883,597 - Filed: 2022-08-08 - Published: 2022-12-01 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-17 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ching-Wen Cheng; Xin-Kai Huang; Kuei-Hsiung Cho - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908719B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/127: {characterised by the substrate support} - C23C 16/4583: {the substrate being supported substantially horizontally} - C23C 16/46: characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence) - H10P 14/6334: {using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition (deposition by physical ablation of a target H10P14/6329)} - H10P 14/69433: {the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) ## Abstract In an embodiment, a system includes: a base; and a rod set comprising multiple rods connected to the base, wherein each rod of the rod set comprises multiple fingers disposed in a vertically-stacked relationship to each other and separated respectively from each other by respective slots, wherein each slot is configured to receive a bevel of a wafer, and wherein each of the multiple fingers comprises a rounded end at a furthest extension. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a top base having an opening therein, wherein the top base includes a slot to form a C-shape such that the top base is not completely annular; a bottom base; and a rod set comprising multiple rods connected to the bottom base, wherein each rod of the rod set comprises multiple fingers disposed in a vertically-stacked relationship to each other and separated respectively from each other by respective slots. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each rod comprises a rear rod portion that is farthest from the wafer, a middle rod portion adjacent the rear rod portion, an oblique rod portion adjacent to the middle rod portion, an oblique finger portion, and an end finger portion that comprises the multiple fingers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein each slot is configured to receive a bevel of a wafer, and wherein each of the multiple fingers comprises a rounded end at a furthest extension, and the end finger portion is configured to contact the wafer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the oblique finger portion extends from the rounded end along a straight line. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the oblique rod portion extends from the oblique finger portion along the straight line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the oblique finger portion defines two oblique lines that are from about 80 degrees to about 40 degrees apart from each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the oblique finger portion defines two oblique lines that are 53 degrees apart from each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a vertical thermal reaction chamber in which the rod set is configured to be disposed. ### Claim 9 A vertical wafer vessel comprising: a top base having an opening therein, wherein the top base includes a slot to form a C-shape such that the top base is not completely annular; a bottom base; and a rod set comprising multiple rods connected to the bottom base, wherein each rod of the rod set comprises: multiple fingers disposed in a vertically-stacked relationship to each other and separated respectively from each other by respective slots, wherein each slot is configured to receive a wafer, wherein each rod comprises a rear rod portion that is farthest from the wafer, a middle rod portion adjacent the rear rod portion, an oblique rod portion adjacent to the middle rod portion, an oblique finger portion, and an end finger portion that comprises the multiple fingers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vertical wafer vessel of claim 9, wherein each of the multiple fingers comprises a rounded end at a furthest extension, and the bottom base also comprises an opening. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vertical wafer vessel of claim 9, wherein the rod set comprises three rods. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The vertical wafer vessel of claim 9, wherein the rear rod portion extends from the middle rod portion along two oblique lines that are from about 80 degrees to about 40 degrees apart from each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The vertical wafer vessel of claim 9, wherein the rear rod portion, the middle rod portion, the oblique rod portion, the oblique finger portion, and the end finger portion extend along a central axis, and wherein the end finger portion is shorter along the central axis than the oblique finger portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The vertical wafer vessel of claim 9, wherein the rear rod portion, the middle rod portion, the oblique rod portion, the oblique finger portion, and the end finger portion extend along a central axis, and wherein the rear rod portion is shorter along the central axis than the oblique finger portion. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: inserting a wafer into a vertical wafer vessel, wherein the vertical wafer vessel comprises: a top base having an opening therein, wherein the top base includes a slot to form a C-shape such that the top base is not completely annular; a bottom base; and a rod set comprising multiple rods connected to the bottom base, wherein each rod of the rod set comprises multiple fingers disposed in a vertically-stacked relationship to each other; inserting the vertical wafer vessel into a vertical thermal reaction chamber; and heating the vertical wafer vessel within the vertical thermal reaction chamber. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising inserting the vertical wafer vessel into the vertical thermal reaction chamber via a vertical motion through a bottom portal of the vertical thermal reaction chamber. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: flowing a reactant gas horizontally over a face of the wafer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: pumping a reactant gas into the vertical thermal reaction chamber while heating the vertical wafer vessel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein each rod comprises a rear rod portion that is farthest from the wafer, a middle rod portion adjacent the rear rod portion, an oblique rod portion adjacent to the middle rod portion, an oblique finger portion, and an end finger portion that comprises the multiple fingers. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the oblique finger portion defines two oblique lines that are from about 80 degrees to about 40 degrees apart from each other.