Susceptor assembly

In a radiant heated reactor for affecting a chemical vapor film deposition reaction on heated substrates positioned therein and heated thereby which includes

• A. a radiant heat source, for producing and transmitting radiant heat energy,
• B. means defining a reaction chamber, for receiving therein the substrates to be coated, adjacent said heat source and generally surrounded by the same, said chamber being formed from a material which is transparent to radiant heat energy produced by said radiant heat source,
• C. conduit means for introducing gaseous reactants into said reaction chamber and for withdrawing spent gaseous reactants from said chamber, and
• D. a susceptor assembly for supporting a plurality of disc-like substrates for high temperature vapor deposition, said assembly comprising:
• geometrically similar top and bottom plates, means for supporting said top plate in a horizontal position in symmetrical relationship to a central vertical axis, a plurality of vertically elongate discrete side plates having interior and exterior side surfaces and upper and lower ends, first means for suspending said side plates from said top plate around the outer periphery thereof, there being means on said side plates for mounting a plurality of substrate discs on the exterior side surface thereof, the improvement wherein said side plates each having a first longitudinal side edge and a second opposed longitudinal side edge of a configuration complementary to said first side edge such that when said side plates are all suspended from said top plate, the first side edge of each side plate is in face to face abutting contact with the second side edge of an adjacent side plate whereby said side plates define an enclosure with an interior surrounding said central axis, and second means is provided at the lower ends of said side plates cooperatively supporting said bottom plate within the interior of said enclosure.

A method of disassembling a susceptor assembly having a side plate for supporting a plurality of disc-like substrates for high temperature vapor deposition, said assembly comprising geometrically similar top and bottom plates of graphite having upper and lower surfaces and side edges defining outer peripheries;

• the top plate being supported in a generally horizontal position in symmetrical relationship to a central vertical axis about which it can be rotated, the top plate having an upwardly opening groove in its top surface spaced inwardly from its perimeter;
• a plurality of vertically elongate discrete graphite side plates individually releasably suspended from said top plate around the outer periphery thereof, said side plates having horizontally inwardly extending webs with downwardly projecting flanges thereon releasably received in said groove, said side plates also each comprising angularly disposed faces and having a first longitudinal side edge and a second opposed longitudinal side edge of a configuration complementary to said first side edge such that, when said side plates are all suspended from said top plate, the first side edge of each side plate is in face to face contact with the second side edge of an adjacent side plate whereby said side plates define an enclosure with an interior surrounding said central axis, the bottom plate having a downwardly opening groove in its lower surface spaced inwardly from its perimeter and the side plates having generally horizontally inwardly extending webs with upwardly projecting flanges thereon received in said downwardly opening groove to releasably cooperatively support said bottom plate within the interior of said enclosure, and each side plate mounting a plurality of substrate discs on the exterior side surface thereof;
• the steps of:
• lifting the bottom plate at one side thereof to disengage the flange on the adjacent side plate from the groove;
• raising the said side plate to lift the upper flange on the side plate from the groove in the top plate;
• and
• removing the substrate discs from the side plate.