Susceptorless reactor for growing epitaxial layers on wafers by chemical vapor deposition

A wafer carrier for supporting and transporting at least one wafer in a CVD reactor having a rotatable spindle, said wafer carrier comprising:

• a top surface having at least one cavity for retaining said at least one wafer and a bottom surface having a central recess adapted for detachably inserting an upper end of said rotatable spindle;
• said central recess comprising a recess wall and a flat end surface, said recess wall extending from said bottom surface of said wafer carrier to said flat end surface, the area of a recess opening defined by said recess wall in said bottom surface of said apparatus and coplanar therewith being greater than the area of said flat end surface;
• said flat end surface being located at a first distance from said bottom surface of said wafer carrier and at a second distance from said top surface of said wafer carrier, said first distance being greater than said second distance;
• said wafer carrier having a center of gravity located below said flat end surface of said central recess;
• wherein said apparatus is transportable, in the normal course of operation of the CVD reactor, between a position in which said spindle is inserted into said central recess and a position detached from said spindle.

A wafer-supporting assembly of a CVD reactor comprising:

• a. a rotatable spindle having an upper end;
• and
• b. a wafer carrier for transporting and providing support for at least one wafer;
• said wafer carrier comprising a top surface having at least one cavity for retaining said at least one wafer and a bottom surface having a central recess adapted for detachably inserting said upper end of said spindle;
• wherein said wafer carrier is transportable, in the normal course of operation of the CVD reactor, between a position in which said upper end of said spindle is inserted into said central recess of said wafer carrier for rotation therewith and a position detached from said upper end of said spindle.