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US 8,998,606 B2Granted
Apparatus and method utilizing forced convection for uniform thermal treatment of thin film devices
AssigneeStion Corporation
InventorsPaul Alexander, Steven Aragon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for uniform reactive thermal treatment of thin-film materials includes a chamber enclosing a tube shaped space filled with a work gas and heaters disposed outside the chamber. The apparatus further includes a loading configuration for subjecting a plurality of planar substrates to the work gas in the tube shaped space. Baffles are disposed above and below the loading configuration.
Claims23
An apparatus for uniform thermal reactive treatment of thin-film materials, the apparatus comprising:
- a chamber enclosing a tube shaped space extended horizontally in an axial direction from a first end region to a vicinity of a second end region, the tube shaped space being filled with a work gas;
- at least one heater disposed at a peripheral outside of the chamber to provide thermal energy for heating the chamber;
- a loading configuration for subjecting a plurality of substrates to the work gas in the tube shaped space, each of the plurality of substrates being spatially arranged with a separation to each neighbor;
- a first baffle member disposed above the loading configuration;
- a second baffle member disposed under the loading configuration, the second baffle member being at a distance below the first baffle member;
- a third baffle member disposed near the first end region in front of the loading configuration;
- and
- a blower disposed between the third baffle member and the loading configuration, the blower facing the axial direction and having a radial dimension substantially equal to the distance between the first baffle member and the second baffle member.
5 more elements
A method for uniformly treating thin film devices utilizing a forced convection of a work gas, the method comprising:
- providing a furnace having a tube shape extended horizontally along an axial direction from a first end region to a second end region;
- loading a plurality of substrates into the furnace;
- disposing a first baffle member above the plurality of substrates and a second baffle member under the plurality of substrates;
- disposing a third baffle member near the first end region in front of the plurality of substrates;
- filling the furnace with a work gas;
- providing thermal energy to heat the furnace and the work gas from one or more heaters placed surrounding the furnace;
- and
- operating a flow driver disposed between the third baffle member and the plurality of substrates to create a forced convection current of the work gas flowing through the plurality of substrates between the first baffle member and the second baffle member.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.