# US 9,518,339 B2 · Epitaxial growth method

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- Number: US 9,518,339 B2
- Document ID: US9518339B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/582,675
- Filed: 2014-12-24
- Published: 2015-04-30
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2001-12-21
- Assignees: Sumco Corporation
- Applicants: Sumco Corporation
- Inventors: Masayuki Ishibashi; John F. Krueger; Takayuki Dohi; Daizo Horie; Takashi Fujikawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518339B2

## CPC

- C30B 25/12: Substrate holders or susceptors
- C23C 16/45519: {Inert gas curtains}
- C23C 16/45521: {the gas, other than thermal contact gas, being introduced the rear of the substrate to flow around its periphery}
- C23C 16/4585: {Devices at or outside the perimeter of the substrate support, e.g. clamping rings, shrouds}
- H10P 14/20: of semiconductor materials
- H10P 32/15: {from the substrate during epitaxy, e.g. autodoping; Preventing or using autodoping}
- H10P 72/7611: {characterised by edge profile or support profile}
- H10P 72/7624: {characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support}
- C23C 14/50: Substrate holders
- C23C 14/54: Controlling or regulating the coating process
- C23C 16/4583: {the substrate being supported substantially horizontally}
- C23C 16/4584: {the substrate being rotated}
- C30B 29/06: Silicon
- H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- H10P 14/2905: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium}
- H10P 14/3411: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium}
- H10P 14/3444: {P-type}
- 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
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method for growing an epitaxial film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer by mounting the wafer within a susceptor pocket and supplying source gas and carrier gas to the upper surface side of the susceptor and supplying carrier gas to the lower surface side of the susceptor. The susceptor includes a substantially circular bottom wall and a sidewall encompassing the bottom wall to form a pocket for mounting the wafer, wherein a plurality of circular through-holes are formed in the bottom wall in an outer peripheral region a distance of up to about ½ the radius toward the center of the bottom wall. The total opening surface area of the through-holes is 0.05 to 55% of the surface area of the bottom wall, the opening surface area of each through-hole is 0.2 to 3.2 mm2 and the density of the through-holes is 0.25 to 25 per cm2.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An epitaxial growth method for growing an epitaxial film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer by mounting the semiconductor wafer within a susceptor pocket of a susceptor, the susceptor comprising a substantially circular bottom wall having an upper surface and a lower surface that forms a back surface of the susceptor and a sidewall encompassing the bottom wall to form a pocket for mounting the semiconductor wafer, wherein a plurality of through-holes that pass through said bottom wall and form circular or polygonal openings in the upper surface and the lower surface of said bottom wall, each of the through-holes having a linear axis extending from the upper surface to the lower surface of said bottom wall, are provided in the bottom wall within a region of up to approximately half the radius of the bottom wall from the outer periphery to the center, in a radial direction, with the through-holes being included within at least the region of the bottom wall on which the semiconductor wafer is mounted; flowing source gas and a first carrier gas on an upper surface side of the susceptor; and flowing a second carrier gas on a lower surface side of the susceptor to create a negative pressure on the lower side of the susceptor and cause a part of the source gas flowing on the upper surface side of the susceptor to flow down to the lower side of the susceptor via the through-holes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 1, further provided with a support unit at the bottom wall or sidewall for supporting the semiconductor wafer through surface contact, line contact or point contact with only the outer periphery of the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 1, wherein a SiC film is adhered to a surface of the susceptor and to the inner wall surfaces of each of the through-holes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the bottom wall that includes the through-holes is made of a solid SiC material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 1, wherein the carrier gas flowing on the lower surface side of the susceptor is hydrogen-containing gas supplied to the lower surface side of the susceptor at between 3 to 100 liters per minute.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 1, wherein the through-holes are inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the bottom wall.

### Claim 7

An epitaxial growth method for growing an epitaxial film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer by mounting the semiconductor wafer within a pocket of a susceptor, the susceptor comprising a substantially circular bottom wall having an upper surface and a lower surface that forms a back surface of the susceptor and a sidewall encompassing the bottom wall to form a pocket for mounting the semiconductor wafer, wherein a plurality of through-holes that pass through said bottom wall and form circular or polygonal openings in the upper surface and the lower surface of said bottom wall, each of the through-holes having a linear axis extending from the upper surface to the lower surface of said bottom wall, are provided in the bottom wall within a region of up to approximately half the radius of the bottom wall from the outer periphery to the center, in a radial direction, with the through-holes being included within at least the region of the bottom wall on which the semiconductor wafer is mounted; and the opening surface area of each through-hole is taken to be between 0.2 to 3.2 mm2, and the density of the through-holes is taken to be between 0.25 to 25 per cm2; flowing source gas and a first carrier gas on an upper surface side of the susceptor; and flowing a second carrier as on a lower surface side of the susceptor to create a negative pressure on the lower side of the susceptor and cause a part of the source gas flowing on the upper surface side of the susceptor to flow down to the lower side of the susceptor via the through-holes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 7, further provided with a support unit at the bottom wall or sidewall for supporting the semiconductor wafer through surface contact, line contact or point contact with only the outer periphery of the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 7, wherein a SiC film is adhered to a surface of the susceptor and to the inner wall surfaces of each of the through-holes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the bottom wall that includes the through-holes is made of a solid sic material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 7, wherein the carrier gas flowing on the lower surface side of the susceptor is hydrogen-containing gas supplied to the lower surface side of the susceptor at between 3 to 100 liters per minute.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The epitaxial growth method of claim 7, wherein the through-holes are inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the bottom wall.