Hot filament chemical vapor deposition reactor
AssigneeDiamonex, Incorporated
InventorsDiwakar Garg, Wilman Tsai, Robert L. Iampietro, Fred M. Kimock, C. Michael Kelly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) reactor is disclosed comprising a gas dispersion system, a filament network and an apertured support plate for the substrate. The apertures in the support plate provide for counteracting the natural pressure and temperature gradients which arise within the reactor so that a uniform deposit or material can be coated over the entire surface of multiple small pieces simultaneously. Specifically, the apertured support plate substantially reduces the extent of radial (stagnation point) gas flow adjacent to the substrate which significantly improves coating uniformity.
Claims28
An improved hot filament chemical vapor deposition apparatus for deposition of material on a plurality of substrates comprising:
- reactor wall means defining a reactor chamber;
- support means for supporting the plurality of substrates within said reactor chamber;
- inlet conduit means for introducing reactant gases into said reactor chamber on the upstream side of said support means;
- outlet conduit means for extracting said gases from said reactor chamber on the downstream side of said support means;
- dispersion means operatively connected to said inlet conduit means;
- said dispersion means and said support means defining a reaction zone therebetween;
- and
- heater means interposed between said dispersion means and said support means for heating and activating said reactant gases;
- said dispersion means having a configuration to introduce reactant gases to said reaction zone with a substantially uniform velocity;
- said support means having a configuration and position to substantially reduce stagnation point flow of said reactant gases adjacent to the substrates supported within said reaction zone;
- said support means comprising an apertured plate interposed between said dispersion means and said outlet conduit means;
- said apertured plate comprising a plurality of uniform apertures configured and positioned in relationship to said dispersion means and heater means to substantially reduce stagnation point flow of said reactant gases adjacent to the substrates;
- and
- said support means thereby reducing the radial flow of said gases to provide substantially uniform coating of the substrates.
An improved hot filament chemical vapor deposition apparatus for deposition of material on a plurality of substrates comprising:
- reactor wall means defining a reactor chamber;
- support means for supporting the plurality of substrates within said reactor chamber;
- inlet conduit means for introducing reactant gases into said reactor chamber on the upstream side of said support means;
- outlet conduit means for extracting said gases from said reactor chamber on the downstream side of said support means;
- dispersion means operatively connected to said inlet conduit means;
- said dispersion means and said support means defining a reaction zone therebetween;
- heater means interposed between said dispersion means and said support means for heating and activating said reactant gases comprising a filament network of predetermined shape and configuration and comprised of resistively heatable wire;
- said dispersion means having a configuration to introduce reactant gases to said reaction zone with a substantially uniform velocity comprising an apertured housing operatively connected to said inlet conduit means to introduce said reactant gases to said reaction zone with a substantially uniform axial velocity;
- said apertured housing comprising a plurality of uniform apertures on the downstream surface of said housing and extending transversely in said reactor chamber and oriented within said reactor chamber such that the apertured surface of said housing is perpendicular to the axis of the gas flow through said reaction zone;
- and
- said support means having a configuration and position to substantially reduce stagnation point flow of said reactant gases adjacent to the substrates supported within said reaction zone comprising an apertured plate interposed between said dispersion means and said outlet conduit means;
- said apertured plate comprising a plurality of apertures configured and positioned to substantially reduce stagnation point flow of said reactant gases adjacent to the substrates thereby reducing the radial flow of said gases to provide substantially uniform coating of the substrates;
- and
- substrate heater means operably mounted on the downstream side of said support means for assisting in the control of the temperature of the substrates;
- said substrate heater means having apertures axially aligned with said apertures in said apertured plate of said support means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.