Injector configured for arrangement within a reactor of a vertical furnace and vertical furnace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12410518-B2
Application number	US-202117230047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2021
Priority date	Apr 17, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

An injector configured for arrangement within a reactor of a vertical furnace to inject gas in the reactor is provided. The injector is made substantial elongated and configured with an internal gas conduction channel to transport gas from a first end of the injector to a second end of the injector. An outer sidewall of the injector may be tapered towards the second end over at least 10%, preferably 30% and most preferably 50% of the length of the injector to increase tolerances for fitting the injector in the tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An injector configured for arrangement within a reaction chamber of a vertical furnace to inject gas in the reaction chamber, the injector is:
substantially elongated and configured to transport gas through an internal gas conduction channel from a first end of the injector to a second end of the injector, wherein the first end and the second end are on opposite ends of a length of the injector, wherein an outer side wall of the injector is tapered towards the second end of the injector over at least 10% of the length such that a cross sectional area at the second end is 3 to 40% smaller than a cross sectional area at the first end, and wherein the outer side wall is substantially straight along a bottom portion extending from the first end and tapers along a top portion extending from the bottom portion to the second end, and
wherein the injector is provided with a series of openings extending in the elongated direction along the length of the injector to transport gas out of the internal gas conduction channel into the reaction chamber, wherein a portion of the series of openings are provided in the bottom portion of the injector.

2. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the openings are configured such that gas is injected in two different directions, wherein the angle between the two different directions is about 90 degrees.

3. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the openings are configured such that gas is injected in two different directions, and wherein the openings are provided pair-wise at unequal lengths along the length of the injector.

4. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between the openings of the series of openings decreases when going from the first end to the second end of the injector.

5. The injector according to claim 4 , wherein the openings are configured such that gas is injected in at least two different directions substantially perpendicular to the elongated direction of the injector, and wherein the openings are provided pair-wise at unequal lengths along the length of the injector.

6. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening has a concave shape from the inside to the outside of the injector.

7. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the inner cross-sectional area of the internal gas conduction channel inside the injector is between 300 and 1000 mm 2 .

8. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the injector comprises one single opening at the second end of the injector to transport gas out of the internal gas conduction channel into the reaction chamber.

9. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the injector is manufactured from ceramics.

10. The injector according to claim 9 wherein the ceramics are selected from siliconcarbide (SiC), siliconoxide (SiOx), Silicon, or aluminiumoxide (AlOx).

11. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion is 30 to 40 cm long starting from the first end.

12. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the injector has a cross sectional area at the second end that is 4 to 20% smaller than the cross sectional area at the first end.

13. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the injector has a wall thickness from the outer side wall of the injector to the internal conduction channel at the second end that is 2 to 50% smaller than the wall thickness from the outer side wall of the injector to the internal conduction channel at the first end.

14. A vertical furnace comprising:
a process tube provided with an opening with a closeable door to form a reaction chamber;
a heater configured to heat the reaction chamber of the process tube; and,
a wafer boat that is configured to move substrates in the reaction chamber in a vertical direction,
wherein an injector is provided in the reaction chamber, wherein the injector is substantially elongated and configured to transport gas through an internal gas conduction channel from a first end of the injector to a second end of the injector, wherein the first end and the second end are on opposite ends of a length of the injector, wherein an outer side wall of the injector is tapered towards the second end of the injector over at least 10% of the length such that a cross sectional area at the second end is 3 to 40% smaller than a cross sectional area at the first end, and wherein the outer side wall is substantially straight along a bottom portion extending from the first end and tapers along a top portion extending from the bottom portion to the second end,
wherein the injector is provided with a series of openings extending in the elongated direction along the length of the injector to transport gas out of the internal gas conduction channel into the reaction chamber, wherein a portion of the series of openings are provided in the bottom portion of the injector and,
wherein the injector is supported at the first end near the opening and is directed with the second end extending along the vertical direction into the reaction chamber.

15. The vertical furnace according to claim 14 , wherein a liner is provided along the inside surface of the process tube.

16. The vertical furnace according to claim 15 , wherein the liner is provided with a bulge creating space on the inside of the liner for the injector.

17. The injector according to claim 1 , further comprising a connection pipe connected to the first end.

18. The injector according to claim 1 , wherein the injector has a wall thickness from the outer side wall of the injector to the internal conduction channel at the second end that is 10 to 20% smaller than the wall thickness from the outer side wall of the injector to the internal conduction channel at the first end.

19. The injector according to claim 12 , wherein the injector has a wall thickness from the outer side wall of the injector to the internal conduction channel at the second end that is 10 to 20% smaller than the wall thickness from the outer side wall of the injector to the internal conduction channel at the first end.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• De Ridder Christianus G M

Classifications

• H10P72/0434 Primary

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/14

  Vertical carrier comprising wall type elements whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising sidewalls · CPC title

• H10P72/12

  Vertical boat type carrier whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements · CPC title

• H10P72/0608

  of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0436

  mainly by radiation · CPC title