# US 12,224,175 B2 · Apparatus and method of forming a semiconductor layer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,175 B2 - Document ID: US12224175B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/509,256 - Filed: 2021-10-25 - Published: 2022-02-17 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-13 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG - Inventors: Olaf Fiedler; Daniel Kai Simon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224175B2 ## CPC - H10P 14/3411: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium} - C23C 16/24: Deposition of silicon only - C23C 16/4481: {by evaporation using carrier gas in contact with the source material (C23C16/4486 takes precedence)} - C23C 16/4482: {by bubbling of carrier gas through liquid source material} - C23C 16/45502: {Flow conditions in reaction chamber} - C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} - C30B 25/14: Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases - C30B 25/165: {the flow of the reactive gases} - C30B 29/06: Silicon - H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD] - H10P 72/7604: {the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support} - 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) - C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR ## Abstract A method of forming a silicon layer includes introducing a source gas containing a precursor material and a carrier gas into a reactor, controlling a gas flow of the source gas through a first main flow controller unit in response to a change of a concentration of the precursor material in the source gas, introducing an auxiliary gas into the reactor, and controlling a gas flow of the auxiliary gas through a second main flow controller unit such that a total gas flow of the source gas and the auxiliary gas into the reactor is held constant when the gas flow of the source gas changes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a silicon layer, the method comprising: introducing a source gas containing a precursor material and a carrier gas into a reactor; controlling a gas flow of the source gas through a first main flow controller unit in response to a change of a concentration of the precursor material in the source gas; introducing an auxiliary gas into the reactor; and controlling a gas flow of the auxiliary gas through a second main flow controller unit such that a total gas flow of the source gas and the auxiliary gas into the reactor made up of the source gas flow and the auxiliary gas flow is held constant when the gas flow of the source gas changes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source gas is combined with the auxiliary gas to form a main gas mixture, and wherein the main gas mixture is introduced into the reactor through at least one main inlet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the source gas is combined with the auxiliary gas to form a cross-flow gas mixture, wherein the cross-flow gas mixture is introduced into the reactor through at least one cross-flow inlet, and wherein a ratio of a gas flow of the main gas mixture to a gas flow of the cross-flow gas mixture is held constant when the gas flow of the source gas changes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein a portion of the source gas in the main gas mixture differs from a portion of the source gas in the cross-flow gas mixture. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein a flow direction of the cross-flow gas mixture at an opening of the cross-flow inlet into the reactor is tilted to a flow direction of the main gas mixture at an opening of the main inlet into the reactor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the precursor material is liquid at a temperature of 30° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the precursor material contains at least one of trichlorosilane and tetrachlorosilane. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier gas contains hydrogen gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary gas contains hydrogen gas. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the processor unit responds to the change in concentration of the precursor material in the source gas by controlling the first main flow controller to change the gas flow of the source gas such that the amount of precursor material introduced into the reactor per time unit is held constant while the concentration of the precursor material in the source gas changes, and wherein the processor unit compensates for the change of the gas flow of the source gas by controlling the second main flow controller to change the auxiliary gas flow such that the total gas flow of the source gas and the auxiliary gas into the reactor is held constant when the gas flow of the source gas changes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the processor unit responds to an increase in concentration of the precursor material in the source gas by controlling the first main flow controller to decrease the gas flow of the source gas such that the amount of precursor material introduced into the reactor per time unit is held constant while the concentration of the precursor material in the source gas increases, and wherein the processor unit compensates for the decrease of the gas flow of the source gas by controlling the second main flow controller to increase the auxiliary gas flow such that the total gas flow into the reactor is held constant per time unit.