Restricted radiated heating assembly for high temperature processing
AssigneeCree, Inc.
InventorsDavid Emerson, Robert Garner, Michael Bergmann, Keenan Brown, Michael Pennington, Thomas Coleman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vapor deposition reactor and associated method are disclosed that increase the lifetime and productivity of a filament-based resistive-heated vapor deposition system. The reactor and method provide for heating the filament while permitting the filament to move as it expands under the effect of increasing temperature while limiting the expanding movement of the filament to an amount that prevents the expanding movement of the filament from creating undesired contact with any portions of the reactor.
Claims57
A conductive filament for resistive heating in vapor deposition, said filament comprising:
- a cathode contact and an anode contact;
- a plurality of adjacent arc-shaped portions between said contacts that define corresponding arc-shaped openings therebetween;
- a plurality of respective turns connecting pairs of said arc-shaped portions;
- and
- at least one of said turns having a width across the filament at said turn that is less than the width across said adjacent arc-shaped portions for reducing the difference in resistance between the inner and outer edges of said turn as current flows through said filament between said contacts.
A conductive filament for resistive heating in vapor deposition said filament comprising:
- a cathode contact and an anode contact;
- an annular metal portion between said contacts that forms most of a continuous circle while defining a small gap along the circumference of said circle that separates said contacts from one another and provides a current path between said contacts when a voltage is applied to said filament;
- a plurality of non-circular closed plane curved openings along said continuous circle for receiving pin supports therethrough and for permitting said filament to move against but not beyond said pins as said filament expands and contracts.
A resistive-heated vapor deposition reactor comprising:
- a reaction chamber;
- a gas inlet into said chamber and a gas outlet from said chamber;
- and
- at least one conductive filament in said chamber;
- said filament being shaped for preventing said conductive filament from unrestricted expansion and from contacting undesired portions of said reactor when said filament expands and contracts under the influence of applied current and resulting temperature changes.
A method of increasing the lifetime and productivity of a filament-based resistive-heated vapor deposition system, the method comprising:
- heating the filament;
- permitting the heated filament to move as it expands under the effect of increasing temperature;
- and
- limiting the expanding movement of the heated filament to an amount that prevents the expanding movement of the filament from creating undesired contact with any portions of the reactor or with itself.
A conductive filament for resistance heating in vapor deposition said filament comprising:
- a cathode contact and an anode contact;
- a rotational symmetry of order n, where n is at least 2 for minimizing the number of shapes the filament presents to current flowing therethrough during resistance heating.
A resistive heated vapor deposition reactor comprising:
- a reaction chamber;
- at least one conductive filament in said chamber;
- a pair of electrodes in said chamber and in electrical contact with said conductive filament;
- and
- insulating protective covers on portions of said electrodes for preventing deposition reactants and products from undesirably contacting said electrodes.
A resistive-heated vapor deposition reactor comprising:
- a reaction chamber;
- at least one conductive filament in said chamber;
- at least one heat shield between said filament and the floor of said reaction chamber for reducing heating away from the growth area of said chamber, said heat shield being thermally and chemically inert with respect to the other materials in the reactor;
- and
- a plurality of heat shield supports fixed to the floor of said reaction chamber and to said heat shield for limiting the temperature-induced expansion movement of the heat shield in any manner that prevents the heat shield from coming into undesired contact with the filament or other portions of the reactor.
A conductive filament for resistance heating in vapor deposition said filament comprising an a cathode contact and an anode contact and mirror plane symmetry perpendicular to the plane of said filament
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.