Wafer carrier having retention pockets with compound radii for chemical vapor deposition systems

A method for constructing a wafer carrier for use in a system for growing epitaxial layers on one or more wafers by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the method comprising:

• forming a body symmetrically about a central axis to include a generally planar top surface that is perpendicular to the central axis;
• forming a plurality of wafer retention pockets recessed in the body from the top surface, each of the wafer retention pockets including:
• a floor surface generally parallel to the top surface;
• and
• a peripheral wall surface surrounding the floor surface and defining a periphery of that wafer retention pocket,
• wherein in forming the plurality of wafer retention pockets, each wafer retention pocket is formed to have a pocket center situated along a corresponding wafer carrier radial axis that is perpendicular to the central axis;
• and
• each wafer retention pocket has a periphery having a shape defined by at least a first arc having a first radius of curvature situated around a first arc center and a second arc having a second radius of curvature situated around a second arc center, wherein the second arc is different from the first arc by at least one of:
• the first radius of curvature being different from the second radius of curvature;
• or
• the first arc center being different from the second arc center.