Silicon gas injector and method of making
OwnerRaanan Zehavi, Reese Reynoldsinventors
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Abstract
A gas injector tube usable in a batch thermal treatment oven including two silicon shells joined together with an adhesive formed of a fine silicon powder and a curable silica-forming agent, such as a spin-on glass, which is ultrasonically homogenized. The tube may have a gas outlet on its distal end or be sealed with a silicon cap and have side outlet holes formed along its side. The silicon injector tube may be used in combination with a silicon tower and a silicon liner so that all bulk parts within the furnace hot zone are formed of silicon.
Claims24
A silicon gas injector comprising an injector tube formed of two shells comprising substantially pure silicon bonded together with an adhesive formed of silicon powder and a silica-forming agent and forming a first central bore therebetween.
A method of assembling a gas injector, comprising the steps of:
- providing two shells comprising substantially pure silicon and forming an axial bore therebetween when assembled together;
- applying an adhesive comprising silicon powder and a curable silica-forming agent to at least some mating faces of the two shells;
- assembling the two shells by juxtaposing respective mating faces of the two shells;
- and
- annealing the assembled shells at a temperature of at a temperature sufficient to glassify adhesive.
A method of bonding together two silicon parts, comprising the steps of:
- mixing together silicon powder and a silica-forming agent;
- ultrasonically agitating the mixture;
- applying the agitated mixture to at least one of two mating surface of two respective silicon members;
- and
- joining the silicon members along the two mating surfaces with the agitated mixture therebetween.
A method of thermally treating silicon wafers, comprising:
- supporting silicon production wafers on a silicon tower;
- disposing the silicon tower and the wafers supported thereupon in a furnace including a silicon liner surrounding the tower;
- and
- flowing a process gas through at least one silicon injector having an outlet disposed between the tower and the liner to treat the production wafers in a hot zone of the furnace within the liner;
- wherein all bulk portions of the tower, the liner, and the injector disposed within the hot zone are substantially free of material other than silicon and excluding any lead-based adhesive for the injector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.