Liquid phase epitaxy apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus and method for performing liquid phase epitaxy, mercury containment, substrate leveling, in situ annealing/doping and gas flushing in a liquid phase epitaxy growth of HgCdTe. The apparatus is a self contained unit comprising a transparent cover for providing access to the interior of the apparatus and for forming a gas impermeable seal between the apparatus and the cover. The apparatus also contains a leveling apparatus, a gas flushing apparatus, and an apparatus for the in situ doping/quench annealing of HgCdTe epitaxial films. The leveling apparatus comprises channels and leveling balls that travel therein which align themselves between scribe marks when the apparatus is in a level position. The gas flushing apparatus is comprised of a gaseous purge ball valve that opens and seals a flushing channel that leads from the interior of the invention to the external environment. The in situ doping/quench annealing apparatus is accomplished via a stabilization chamber ball valve which operates independently with respect to the gaseous purge ball valve, thereby allowing in situ doping leveling without effecting the atmospheric integrity of the vessel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.