Process chamber with inner support

A reduced pressure chamber able to withstand external forces on the chamber which occur when the exterior pressure is greater than the interior chamber pressure comprising:

• a quartz upper wall;
• a quartz lower wall spaced from the upper wall, each wall having a convex outer surface and a concave interior surface, said walls having a generally rectangular vertical projection;
• generally straight side rails joining side edges of said walls creating a chamber space within said walls, said chamber space having a maximum interior height which is less than the maximum interior width;
• a support plate within the chamber affixed to and extending between said rails to resist outward deformation of said rails and flattening deformation of said walls when the chamber is subjected to an external pressure greater than the pressure within the chamber, said plate being positioned to divide said chamber into an upper region and a lower region, said plate having an opening in which to position a susceptor for supporting a semiconductor wafer so that said wafer is within the upper region;
• and
• an inlet flange secured over a first longitudinal end of the chamber and having an inlet gas flow slot open to the upper region and an outlet flange secured over a second longitudinal end of said chamber and having an exhaust gas flow slot open to said upper region;
• said inlet flange including a second inlet gas flow slot open to said lower region and the outlet flange having a second exhaust gas flow slot open to the lower region, wherein the upper region defines a wafer processing zone above the support plate and the lower region defines a zone below the support plate in which no wafer processing is done.

A reduced pressure chamber able to withstand external forces on the chamber which occur when the exterior pressure is greater than the interior chamber pressure comprising:

• a quartz upper wall;
• a quartz lower wall spaced from the upper wall, each wall having a convex outer surface and a concave interior surface, said walls having a generally rectangular vertical projection;
• generally straight side rails joining side edges of said walls creating a chamber space within said walls, said chamber space having a maximum interior height which is less than the maximum interior width;
• a support plate within the chamber affixed to and extending between said rails to resist outward deformation of said rails and flattening deformation of said walls when the chamber is subjected to an external pressure greater than the pressure within the chamber, said plate being positioned to divide said chamber into an upper region and a lower region, said plate having an opening in which to position a susceptor for supporting a semiconductor wafer so that said wafer is within the upper region;
• an outlet flange secured over a longitudinal end of said chamber and having an exhaust gas flow slot open to said upper region;
• and
• a tube depending from said lower wall below said opening for passage of a drive shaft to rotate the susceptor, said tube being sized to provide a space surrounding the shaft for passage of purge gas into said lower region, and said outlet flange including a second slot open to said lower region for exhausting said purge gas.

A reduced pressure chamber able to withstand external forces on the chamber which occur when the exterior pressure is greater than the interior chamber pressure comprising:

• a quartz upper wall;
• a quartz lower wall spaced from the upper wall, each wall having a convex outer surface and a concave interior surface;
• side rails joining side edges of said walls creating a chamber space within said walls, said chamber space having a maximum interior height which is less than the maximum interior width;
• a plate within the chamber affixed to and extending between said rails to resist outward deformation of said rails and flattening deformation of said walls when the chamber is subjected to an external pressure greater than the pressure within the chamber, said plate having a generally rectangular opening;
• a susceptor positioned in said opening;
• and
• a temperature compensation ring having a circular interior edge closely surrounding the susceptor and a generally rectangular exterior edge closely positioned to the edges of said plate defining said opening.

A quartz chamber for processing semiconductor wafers having a gas inlet end and a gas exhaust end, and having a longitudinal direction defined between said ends, said chamber comprising:

• outwardly convex upper and lower walls;
• reinforced side rails attached to lateral edges of said walls to define a generally lenticular outer shape perpendicular to said longitudinal direction with the shape having a substantially uniform cross section throughout its length between said ends, said shape having a major dimension across said side rails and a minor dimension across apexes of said upper and lower walls;
• and
• one or more supports positioned entirely within said chamber and connected to restrict said convex walls from flattening during reduced-pressure processing within said chamber.

A quartz chamber for processing semiconductor wafers having a gas inlet end and a gas exhaust end and having a longitudinal direction defined between said end, said chamber comprising:

• outwardly convex upper and lower walls;
• reinforced side rails attached to lateral edges of said walls to define a generally lenticular outer shape perpendicular to said longitudinal direction having a major dimension across said side rails and a minor dimension across apexes of said upper and lower walls;
• and
• one or more supports positioned entirely within said chamber and connected to restrict said convex walls from flattening during reduced pressure processing within said chamber, said one or more supports comprising a plate attached to said side rails dividing an interior space of said chamber into an upper and at lower region, said plate being attached to said side rails at locations such that said upper and lower regions are symmetric,
• each of said side rails including short laterally extending stub walls extending longitudinally from said inlet end to said exhaust end, one of each said stub walls being attached to said upper and lower walls and one being attached to said plate, each of said side rails including rounded recesses between said stub walls defining lateral boundaries of said upper and lower regions.

A quartz chamber for processing semiconductor wafers having a gas inlet end and a gas exhaust end, and having a longitudinal direction defined between said end, said chamber comprising:

• outwardly convex upper and lower walls;
• reinforced side rails attached to lateral edges of said walls to define a generally lenticular outer shape perpendicular to said longitudinal direction having a major dimension across said side rails and a minor dimension across apexes of said upper and lower walls;
• and
• one or more supports positioned entirely within said chamber and connected to restrict said convex walls from flattening during reduced-pressure processing within said chamber, said one or more supports comprising a plate attached to said side rails dividing an interior space of said chamber into an upper and a lower region;
• said gas inlet end comprising a flange having a gas inlet slot open to said lower region, wherein said lower region defines a zone below the support plate in which no wafer processing is done.

A quartz chamber for processing semiconductor wafers having a gas inlet end and a gas exhaust end and having a longitudinal direction defined between said ends, said chamber comprising:

• outwardly convex upper and lower walls;
• reinforced side rails attached to lateral edges of said walls to define a generally lenticular outer shape perpendicular to said longitudinal direction having a major dimension across said side rails and a minor dimension across apexes of said upper and lower walls;
• and
• one or more supports positioned entirely within said chamber and connected to restrict said convex walls from flattening during reduced-pressure processing within said chamber, said one or more supports comprising a plate attached to said side rails dividing an interior space of said chamber into an upper and a lower region,
• said gas exhaust end comprising a flange having a first gas exhaust slot open to said upper region and a second gas exhaust slot open to said lower region.

A system for processing semiconductors, comprising:

• a lenticular quartz chamber having a longitudinal axis;
• upper and lower outwardly convex walls creating a substantially uniform cross section about said axis, and an internal central support plate positioned across said chamber and constructed to resist flattening of said walls when the chamber is subjected to an internal pressure less than external pressures;
• an opening formed in said plate side to receive a susceptor for supporting a semiconductor wafer;
• a tube depending from said lower wall below said opening;
• a rotation shaft extending through said tube and having an upper end adapted to support said susceptor;
• a plurality of radiant heating lamps positioned above and below said chamber for heating said susceptor;
• a gas inlet into said chamber above said plate at one end of said chamber;
• and
• a gas outlet from said chamber above said plate and located on the opposite side of said susceptor from said inlet.

A system for processing semiconductors, comprising

• a lenticular quartz chamber having upper and lower outwardly convex walls and an internal central plate positioned and constructed to resist flattening of said walls when the chamber is subjected to an internal pressure less than external pressures;
• an opening formed in said plate sized to receive a susceptor for supporting a semiconductor wafer;
• a tube depending from said lower wall below said opening;
• a rotation shaft extending through said tube and having an upper end adapted to support said susceptor;
• a plurality of radiant heating lamps positioned above and below said chamber for heating said susceptor;
• a gas inlet into said chamber above said plate;
• a gas outlet from said chamber above said plate and located on the opposite side of said susceptor from said inlet;
• a plurality of support fingers attached to said plate and extending beneath said opening;
• and
• a separate ring sized to fit within said opening and sized to received and surround said susceptor, said ring being supported by said fingers,
• said opening being rectangular with rounded corners.

A system for processing semiconductors, comprising

• a lenticular quartz chamber having upper and lower outwardly convex walls and an internal central plate positioned and constructed to resist flattening of said walls when the chamber is subjected to an internal pressure less than external pressures;
• an opening formed in said plate sized to receive a susceptor for supporting a semiconductor wafer;
• a tube depending from said lower wall below said opening;
• a rotation shaft extending through said tube and having an upper end adapted to support said susceptor;
• a plurality of radiant heating lamps positioned above and below said chamber creating said susceptor;
• a gas inlet into said chamber above said plate;
• a gas outlet from said chamber above said plate and located on the opposite side of said susceptor from said inlet;
• and
• a purge gas inlet into said chamber below said plate and a purge gas outlet from said chamber below said plate.

An apparatus for chemical vapor deposition, comprising:

• walls defining a deposition chamber having a chamber gas inlet on an upstream end and a gas outlet on a downstream end;
• a generally horizontal quartz inlet wall extending from said inlet to a downstream edge defining part of an opening for receiving a susceptor;
• a generally circular susceptor horizontally positioned in said opening for receiving a semiconductor substrate for vapor deposition purposes;
• a sacrificial quartz plate having a horizontal portion and a vertical lip extending into said opening closely adjacent to said inlet wall downstream edge to minimize vapor deposition on and devitrification of said downstream edge;
• a portion of said opening defined by said downstream edge being curved and said vertical lip being similarly curved and sized to protect one portion of said downstream edge;
• and
• a second sacrificial quartz plate which is a mirror image of the first mentioned sacrificial quartz plate to protect a second portion of said downstream edge.

An apparatus for chemical vapor deposition, comprising:

• walls defining a deposition chamber having a chamber gas inlet on an upstream end and a gas outlet on a downstream end;
• a generally horizontal quartz inlet wall extending from said inlet to a downstream edge defining part of an opening for receiving a susceptor;
• a generally circular susceptor horizontally positioned in said opening for receiving a semiconductor substrate for vapor deposition purposes;
• a sacrificial quartz plate having a horizontal portion and a vertical lip extending into said opening closely adjacent to said inlet wall downstream edge to minimize vapor deposition on and devitrification of said downstream edge;
• and
• said sacrificial plate being supported beneath that wall and its vertical lip extending upwardly adjacent the downstream edge of said inlet wall.

An apparatus for chemical vapor deposition, comprising:

• walls defining a deposition chamber having a chamber gas inlet on an upstream end and a gas outlet on a downstream end;
• a generally horizontal quartz inlet wall extending from said inlet to a downstream edge defining part of an opening for receiving a susceptor;
• a generally circular susceptor horizontally positioned in said opening for receiving a semiconductor substrate for vapor deposition purposes;
• a sacrificial quartz plate having a horizontal portion and a vertical lip extending into said opening closely adjacent to said inlet wall downstream edge to minimize vapor deposition;
• and
• the horizontal portion of said sacrificial plate being in the form of a tray that extends beneath the susceptor and having a central hole for receiving a shaft rotatably supporting the susceptor.

An apparatus for chemical vapor deposition, comprising:

• walls defining a deposition chamber having a chamber gas inlet on an upstream end and a gas outlet on a downstream end;
• a generally horizontal quartz inlet wall extending from said inlet to a downstream edge defining part of an opening for receiving a susceptor;
• a generally circular susceptor horizontally positioned in said opening for receiving a semiconductor substrate for vapor deposition purposes;
• a sacrificial quartz plate having a horizontal portion and a vertical lip extending into said opening closely adjacent to said inlet wall downstream edge to minimize vapor deposition on and devitrification of said downstream edge;
• and
• a temperature compensation ring in said opening surrounding the susceptor with a slight gap between the exterior of the ring and the downstream edge of the inlet wall forming said opening, said sacrificial plate vertical lip extending into said gap.

An apparatus for chemical vapor deposition, comprising:

• walls defining a deposition chamber having a chamber gas inlet on an upstream end and a gas outlet on a downstream end;
• a generally horizontal quartz inlet wall extending from said inlet to a downstream edge defining part of an opening for receiving a susceptor;
• a generally horizontal quartz outlet wall extending from said outlet to an upstream edge defining part of said opening for receiving said susceptor;
• a generally circular susceptor horizontally positioned in said opening for receiving a semiconductor substrate for vapor deposition purposes;
• a sacrificial quartz plate surrounding the susceptor and positioned adjacent both the downstream and upstream edges, the opening having a rounded rectangular shape and the plate having an outer shape which closely conforms to the opening with a minimum of clearance therebetween.

An apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates, comprising:

• a pair of curved walls each having a convex exterior surface and a concave interior surface with the concave surfaces facing each other;
• connector walls joining edges of said curved walls to create an interior space;
• an inlet for inserting a substrate into said space;
• and
• a generally rectangular plate extending between and affixed to said connector walls to resist flattening deformation of said curved walls when the inlet is closed and the curved walls are subjected to an external pressure greater than pressure within the space, said plate dividing the space into an upper region and an lower region and having a hole in it sized to receive a support for the substrate.