# US 8,465,587 B2 · Modern hydride vapor-phase epitaxy system and methods

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,465,587 B2
- Document ID: US8465587B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/649,937
- Filed: 2009-12-30
- Published: 2011-06-30
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2009-12-30
- Assignees: CBL Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Glenn S. Solomon; David J. Miller
- Inventors: Glenn S. Solomon; David J. Miller
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465587B2

## CPC

- C30B 29/406: {Gallium nitride}
- C30B 25/08: Reaction chambers; Selection of materials therefor
- C30B 25/10: Heating of the reaction chamber or the substrate
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR

## Abstract

Hydride vapor-phase deposition (HVPE) systems are disclosed. An HVPE hydride vapor-phase deposition system may include a reactant source chamber and a growth chamber containing a susceptor coupled to the reactant source chamber. The reactant source chamber may be configured to create a reactant gas through a chemical reaction between a solid or liquid precursor and a different precursor gas. The reactant source chamber can be configured to operate at a temperature T(M) significantly above room temperature. The reactant gas can be chemically unstable at or near room temperature. The susceptor is configured to receive a substrate and maintain the substrate at a substrate temperature T(S). The growth chamber includes walls can be configured to operate at a temperature T(C) such that T(M), T(S) are greater than T(C).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hydride vapor-phase deposition system comprising:
a. a reactant source chamber configured to create a first reactant gas (R(M)) through a chemical reaction between a solid or liquid precursor M and a different precursor gas (PG(M)), wherein the reactant source chamber operates at a temperature T(M) which is significantly above room temperature, and where the first reactant gas R(M) is chemically unstable at or near room temperature;
b. a susceptor configured to receive a substrate and maintain the substrate at or near the susceptor temperature T(S);
c. and a growth chamber coupled to the reactant source chamber, wherein the growth chamber contains the susceptor, wherein the growth chamber includes growth chamber walls configured to operate at a temperature T(C) such that T(M), T(S) are always greater than T(C).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1, further comprising an internal heating source configured to control T(S), and an external heating or cooling source configured to control T(C) independent of T(S).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the reactant source chamber is external to the growth chamber, physically separated from the growth chamber, and coupled to the growth chamber by an orifice having a diameter substantially smaller than a diameter of the growth chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the reactant source chamber temperature T(M) is controlled and maintained independently of the substrate temperature T(S).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 1 wherein the growth chamber is configured to contain a separate gas flow isolating portions or the entirety of the growth chamber walls from the first reactant gas.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the reactant source chamber is configured to be serviced and maintained without entering or opening the growth chamber to air.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the precursor M includes one or more elements from column II, III or IV of the periodic table.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the precursor M includes a metal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the substrate includes sapphire, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, lithium aluminate, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, silicon, germanium, or lithium gallate, and/or related materials and compounds.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the precursor gas (PG(M)) reacts with the precursor M to form the first reactant gas (R(M)).

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the precursor gas (PG(M)) is a halide or halide compound.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The deposition system of claim 1 wherein the precursor gas (PG(M)) is HF, HBr, HI, HCl, F2, Br2, I2, or Cl2.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to limit an interaction between a reactant gas stream containing the first reactant gas and the growth chamber walls upstream from the substrate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 1 wherein the growth chamber is configured to receive a second reactant gas, wherein the second reactant gas is a hydride of the form Xn,Hm, where X is any element of the periodic table, and n and m are integers greater than or equal to 1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 14 wherein the second reactant gas is NH3, AsH3, PH3, SbH3, or BH3.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 14 wherein the second reactant gas does not enter or pass through the reactant source chamber.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 14 wherein the first reactant gas R(M) and the second reactant gas enter the growth chamber through separate orifices.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 14 wherein the growth chamber is configured to contain a separate carrier gas flow isolating portions or the entirety of the growth chamber walls from the first and/or second reactant gases.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 14 further comprising a diffuser plate, wherein said diffuser plate is configured to spatially separate flows of the first and second reactant gas species to prevent them from mixing as they flow toward the susceptor.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 19 in which the diffuser plate is configured to provide a desired spatial distribution of a flow of a carrier gas.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 19 wherein the diffuser plate is configured to provide a carrier gas flow distribution that isolates the growth chamber walls from the first and second reactant gases.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 21 wherein the growth chamber is made of a metal.

### Claim 23 (depends on 14)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 14 further comprising a carrier gas injector configured to separately inject a flow of carrier gas to aid in the spatial separation of the first and second reactant gases.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 1 wherein the growth chamber is configured to operate at an operating pressure between 1 torr and 1500 torr.

### Claim 25

A hydride vapor-phase deposition system comprising:
a growth chamber containing a susceptor;
a reactant source chamber;
a hydride reactant gas source connected to the growth chamber;
a diffuser plate configured to separate a flow of reactant gas species from the hydride reactant gas source from one or more other reactant gas species and further configured to provide a desired gas flow distribution toward the susceptor; and
a load-lock loading system attached to the growth chamber that isolates the environment of the growth chamber from the external environment while allowing the passing-through of substrate materials.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 25 in which a zone of elevated temperature is provided between the reactant source chamber and the growth chamber, wherein the zone of elevated temperature is configured to inhibit decomposition of one or more of the reactant gas species.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 25 in which the substrate heater, growth chamber walls and diffuser plate are shielded or exposed to maintain a target temperature regime in a transition region between the reactant source chamber and the growth chamber, and/or the growth chamber.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 25, further comprising an external reactant source chamber configured to permit consumable precursor materials to be added to the external reactant source chamber without the removal of the reactant source chamber from the growth chamber.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 28 wherein the external reactant source chamber contains metallic precursor material.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The hydride vapor-phase deposition system of claim 29 in which the metallic precursor material includes one or more metals from the group of chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, gallium, indium, aluminum, carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, or lead.

### Claim 31

A deposition method comprising:
a. creating a first reactant gas (R(M)) in a reactant source chamber through a chemical reaction between a solid or liquid precursor M and a different precursor gas (PG(M)), wherein the reactant source chamber operates at a temperature T(M) which is significantly above room temperature, and where the first reactant gas R(M) is chemically unstable at or near room temperature;
b. delivering the first reactant gas to a growth chamber coupled to the reactant source chamber, wherein the growth chamber contains a susceptor;
c. maintaining a substrate on the susceptor at or near a susceptor temperature T(S);
d. operating walls of the growth chamber at a temperature T(C) such that T(M), T(S) are always greater than T(C).

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 wherein the precursor M includes one or more elements from column II, III or IV of the periodic table.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 wherein the precursor M includes a metal.

### Claim 34 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 wherein the substrate includes sapphire, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, lithium aluminate, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, silicon, germanium, or lithium gallate, and/or related materials and compounds.

### Claim 35 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 wherein the precursor gas (PG(M)) reacts with the precursor M to form the first reactant gas (R(M)).

### Claim 36 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 wherein the precursor gas (PG(M)) is a halide or halide compound.

### Claim 37 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 wherein the precursor gas (PG(M)) is HF, HBr, HI, HCl, F2, Br2, I2, or Cl2.

### Claim 38 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 further comprising limiting an interaction between a reactant gas stream containing the first reactant gas and the growth chamber walls upstream from the substrate.

### Claim 39 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 further comprising delivering a second reactant gas to the growth chamber, wherein the second reactant gas is a hydride of the form XnHm, where X is any element of the periodic table, and n and m are integers greater than or equal to 1.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39 wherein the second reactant gas is NH3, AsH3, PH3, SbH3, BH3.

### Claim 41 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39 wherein the second reactant gas does not enter or pass through the reactant source chamber.

### Claim 42 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39 wherein the first reactant gas R(M) and the second reactant gas enter the growth chamber through separate orifices.

### Claim 43 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39 further comprising flowing a carrier gas flow isolating portions or the entirety of the chamber walls from the first and/or second reactant gases.

### Claim 44 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39 further spatially separating flows of the first and second reactant gas species to prevent them from mixing as they flow toward the susceptor.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The method of claim 44 further comprising providing a carrier gas flow distribution that isolates the growth chamber walls from the first and second reactant gases.