US 5,071,670 AGranted

Method for chemical vapor deposition under a single reactor vessel divided into separate reaction chambers each with its own depositing and exhausting means

OwnerMichael A. Kellyinventor

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Abstract

A method provides a sequential continuous vapor deposition process comprising a plurality of steps for depositing a predetermined material upon a surface of a substrate mounted for relative movement within a reactor vessel between each of a plurality of gas emitters disposed within the vessel for separately and continuously emitting predetermined gases, each gas emitter having an exhaust port associated therewith for exhausting the said gas emitted by the said gas emitter from the reactor vessel, the method comprising the steps of: separating each of the plurality of gases within the reactor vessel by establishing pressure differences at each of said gas emitters, moving the substrate to pass immediately adjacent to a first one of said plurality of gas emitters for exposing the substrate to a first one of said gases in order to carry out a first step of the vapor deposition process and, moving the substrate to pass immediately adjacent to a second one of said plurality of gas emitters for exposing the substrate to a second one of said gases to carry out a second step of the vapor deposition process, so that the steps of the vapor deposition process are carried out sequentially by moving the substrate among the plurality of gas emitters.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for a sequential continuous vapor deposition process comprising a plurality of steps for depositing a predetermined material upon a surface of a substrate mounted for relative movement within a single reactor vessel means between each of a plurality of spaced apart gas emitting means disposed within the single vessel means for separately and continuously emitting predetermined gases at discrete regions of the single reactor vessel means, each region being associated with a said gas emitting means and each gas emitting means communicating with separate exhaust port means for continuously exhausting the said gas emitted by the said gas emitting means from the reactor vessel means, the method comprising the steps of:

isolating each of the plurality of gases within the reactor vessel means by establishing a higher pressure at the region of each of said emission means relative to pressure at the separate exhaust port means such that substantially all the gas flows from each of said emission means to the separate exhaust port means without flowing from a region of one of said emission means to the region of another of said emission means,
moving the substrate to pass through a said region of a first one of said plurality of gas emission means for exposing the substrate to a first one of said gases in order to carry out a first step of said vapor deposition process, and
moving the substrate to pass through a said region of a second one of said plurality of gas emission means for exposing the substrate to a second one of said gases to carry out a second step of said vapor deposition process,
so that said steps of said vapor deposition process are carried out sequentially by moving the substrate among the regions of the plurality of gas emission means.

1 more element

A method for a sequential continuous vapor deposition process comprising a plurality of steps for depositing a predetermined homogeneous material upon a surface of a substrate mounted for relative movement within a single reactor vessel means without any solid material boundaries between each of a plurality of gas emitting means, each disposed at a spatially separated region within the single reactor vessel means for separately and continuously emitting predetermined gases at said separated regions of the single vessel means, the single vessel means including separate exhaust port means for continuously exhausting the said gases emitted by each of the said gas emitting means from the reactor vessel means, the method comprising the steps of:

isolating each of the plurality of gases within the single reactor vessel means by establishing a higher pressure at each region of said emission means relative to pressure at said separate exhaust port means such that substantially all of the gas flows from each of said emission means to the separate exhaust port means without flowing from a said region of one of the emission means to a said region of another of the emission means, and
repetitively moving the substrate to pass through the regions of said gas emission means including:
`passing through the region of a first one of said plurality of gas emission means for exposing the substrate to a first one of said gases in order to carry out a first step of said vapor deposition process, and
passing through the region of a second one of said plurality of gas emission means for exposing the substrate to a second one of said gases to carry out a second step of said vapor deposition process,
so that said steps of said vapor deposition process are carried out sequentially and continuously by repetitively exposing the substrate to the gas in the region of each one of the plurality of gas emission means at a repetition rate faster than one exposure per second.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.