Method and/or system for synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10407315-B2
Application number	US-201615099580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

Briefly, embodiments of systems and/or methods for synthesis of zinc oxide are described, including a chamber enclosure, a wafer substrate holder, a fluid handling system, and sequences for implementation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising: a sequence of operations in a fluid handling system (FHS) for a relatively low temperature aqueous solution zinc oxide growth system (ZGS), wherein the FHS comprises an interconnected network of fluid lines, fluid valves, one or more process parameter sensors, one or more pressure vessels, one or more fluid pumps, one or more fluid sources and one or more fluid drains forming a programmable closed fluid handling system, to perform pre-growth operations to prepare a ZGS at least for execution of a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation, wherein the zinc oxide is deposited on at least two substrates contained within a fluid sealable chamber enclosure that is filled with a heated aqueous solution, the sequence of operations in a FHS comprising:
executing a sequence of operations to verify adequate fluid sealing of a fluid sealable chamber enclosure including pressurizing the fluid sealable chamber and measuring the resulting pressure;
executing a sequence of operations to fill an unpressured, empty vessel to a fill level with zinc oxide growth solution and to pressurize the vessel after containing zinc oxide growth solution; and
executing a sequence of operations to transfer the zinc oxide growth solution from the vessel containing zinc oxide growth solution to the chamber enclosure for zinc oxide growth/synthesis.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the executing operations to verify adequate fluid sealing of a fluid sealable chamber enclosure comprises pressurizing the chamber enclosure and confirming that the pressure within the chamber enclosure remains stable.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the executing operations to fill an unpressured, empty vessel with zinc oxide growth solution comprises employing optical sensors to measure fill level of the zinc oxide growth solution for the vessel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the executing operations to transfer the zinc oxide growth solution from the vessel to the chamber enclosure for zinc oxide growth/synthesis comprises utilizing a pressure differential between the chamber enclosure and the vessel containing zinc oxide growth solution to drive growth solution to flow from the pressure vessel to the chamber enclosure.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the executing operations to transfer the zinc oxide growth solution from the vessel to the chamber enclosure for zinc oxide growth/synthesis further comprises directing fluid flow along a path to the chamber enclosure to bypass portions of the FHS that have more limited fluid flow due at least in part to an integrated flow controller within those portions.

6. A method comprising: a sequence of operations in a fluid handling system (FHS), wherein the FHS comprises an interconnected network of fluid lines, fluid valves, one or more process parameter sensors, one or more pressure vessels, one or more fluid pumps, one or more fluid sources and one or more fluid drains forming a programmable closed fluid handling system, for a relatively low temperature aqueous solution zinc oxide growth system (ZGS) at least to execute a zinc oxide growth process formulation and perform post-growth operations so that the FHS is placed in a state to begin pre-growth operations for another zinc oxide growth cycle using the FHS, wherein the zinc oxide is deposited on at least two substrates contained within a fluid sealable chamber enclosure that is filled with a heated aqueous solution, the sequence of operations in a FHS comprising:
executing a sequence of FHS operations to implement a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation, which includes relative rotation of wafer substrates held within a chamber enclosure in which the wafer substrates are rotated about an axis at least approximately normal to flat surfaces formed by the wafer substrates held within the chamber enclosure and passing at least approximately through centers of the wafer substrates;
executing a sequence of operations to drain the chamber enclosure of zinc oxide growth solution after completing the chamber enclosure operations for the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation; and
executing a sequence of operations of post-growth operations to place the FHS in a state to begin pre-growth operations for another zinc oxide growth cycle using the FHS, the sequence of post-growth operations comprising:
executing a sequence of operations to gas purge portions of the FHS;
executing a sequence of operations to rinse portions of the FHS, including the chamber enclosure; and
executing a sequence of operations to clean the chamber enclosure.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the executing of FHS operations to implement a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation includes locking access to the chamber enclosure via a control system at least during implementation of the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the executing of FHS operations to implement a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation includes heating the growth solution using a particular temperature signature via a control system during implementation of the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the executing of FHS operations to implement a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation includes adjusting pressure within the chamber enclosure using a particular pressure signature via a control system during implementation of the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the executing of FHS operations to implement a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation includes adjusting flow rate of growth solution to the chamber enclosure using a particular flow rate signature via a control system during implementation of the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluid handling system includes a wafer substrate holder and/or chamber enclosure to engage with a drive mechanism to rotate one relative to the other; and wherein the executing of chamber enclosure operations to implement a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation for a fluid sealed chamber enclosure containing zinc oxide growth solution includes using a particular speed of relative rotation via a control system during implementation of the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation.

Assignees

• Seoul Semiconductor Co Ltd
• Solution Deposition Systems Inc

Inventors

• Richardson Jacob J
• O'Hara Evan C

Classifications

• B01J19/00

  Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus · CPC title

• C01G9/02 Primary

  Oxides; Hydroxides · CPC title