METHOD AND/OR SYSTEM FOR SYNTHESIS OF ZINC OXIDE (ZnO)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017297921-A1
Application number	US-201615099575-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2016
Publication date	Oct 19, 2017
Grant date	—

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

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a fluid handling system (FHS) for a relatively low temperature aqueous solution zinc oxide growth system (ZGS); the FHS comprising: 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 (FHS), the interconnected network connecting to at least one inlet port and connecting from at least one outlet port of a fluid sealable chamber enclosure for zinc oxide growth.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more process parameter sensors comprise at least one of the following: a fluid flow sensor, a fluid pressure sensor, a fluid temperature sensor, an optical sensor; a fluid pH sensor; a fluid conductivity sensor; or any combinations thereof.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the programmable closed fluid handling system (FHS) is capable of being programmed in advance via a control system.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the control system capable of programming in advance the programmable FHS at least comprises: a processor and a non-transitory memory mutually connected via a communications bus, the non-transitory memory to store executable instructions to be fetched and executed by the processor.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control system is further to store executable instructions, the instructions to execute a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF).

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF) to specify zinc oxide synthesis process parameters to be employed in the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF) while the growth solution is to be contained within the chamber enclosure for the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF).

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a specified zinc oxide synthesis process parameter comprises rate of flow of growth solution through the chamber enclosure.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF) comprises a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation to specify fluid flow along a path within the FHS under particular circumstances during execution of the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF).

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF) to specify fluid flow along a path within the FHS under particular circumstances during execution of the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF) comprises a particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF) to specify fluid flow along a path within the FHS at particular times during execution of the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation (GPF).

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the specified fluid flow along a path within the FHS to include specified fluid flow along a path within the FHS from the one or more fluid sources and to include specified fluid flow along a path within the FHS to the one or more fluid drains.

11 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation to include specification of a temperature signature and/or of a pressure signature for the zinc oxide growth solution while the growth solution is to be contained within the chamber enclosure for the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation.

12 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the particular zinc oxide growth process formulation to specify at least relative rotation speed and time period thereof for the zinc oxide growth solution while the zinc oxide growth solution is to be contained within the chamber enclosure.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the programmable closed fluid handling system (FHS) including features to alert operators during FHS operation regarding the state of the FHS, progress of particular process sequences being implement within the FHS, and/or potential hazards related to ZGS operation.

14 . A method of managing flow of fluid for a relatively low temperature zinc oxide aqueous solution synthesis process via a fluid handling system, the fluid handling system comprising a closed interconnected network and a control system to drive components of the interconnected network, the method comprising:
directing flow of growth solution, rinsing fluid, purging gas and/or cleaning fluid; and implementing a particular growth process formulation (GPF) within the FHS to grow zinc oxide; wherein the manner of directing flow and implementing a particular GPF to affect particular properties of the zinc oxide grown.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the manner of directing flow and implementing a particular GPF to affect particular properties comprises directing flow of growth solution, rinsing fluid, purging gas and/or cleaning fluid to substantially maintain chemical composition of the growth solution.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the directing flow and implementing a particular GPF to substantially maintain chemical composition of the growth solution comprises employing particular sequencing of operations for selected processes to substantially maintain chemical composition of the growth solution.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the particular sequencing of operations comprises: measuring at least fluid flow, pressure and/or temperature and regulating fluid flow based at least in part on the measurements obtained.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the regulating fluid flow comprises regulating fluid flow of at least one of the following: growth solution, rinsing fluid, purging gas and/or cleaning fluid.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the implementing a particular growth process formulation to grow zinc oxide comprises implementing a particular temperature signature with respect to the growth solution, a particular pressure signature with respect to the growth solution, and/or a particular rate of fluid flow within the FHS with respect to the growth solution.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the fluid handling system includes a wafer substrate holder and/or a chamber enclosure to engage with a drive mechanism to rotate one relative to the other; and wherein the implementing a particular growth process formulation to grow zinc oxide further includes specifying a particular speed of relative rotation.

21 . An article comprising: a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions capable of being executed by at least one computing device, the at least one computing device including at least one processor and at least one memory; the at least one computing device to execute instructions on the at least one processor; the instructions to be executed having been fetched from the at least one memory for execution on the at least one processor, and the at least one computing device to store in the at least one memory of the at least one computing device any results to be generated from the execution on the at least one processor of the to be executed instructions;
the instructions to be executed comprise instructions for execution of flow management of a fluid handling system (FHS) for a relatively low temperature zinc oxide aqueous solution synthesis process, the FHS comprising a closed interconnected network and a control system to drive components of the interconnected network, the control system comprising the at least one comp

Assignees

• Seoul Semiconductor Co Ltd
• Solution Deposition Systems Inc

Inventors

• Richardson Jacob J
• O'Hara Evan C

Classifications

• C01G9/02 Primary

  Oxides; Hydroxides · CPC title

• C30B29/16

  Oxides · CPC title

• C30B7/14

  the crystallising materials being formed by chemical reactions in the solution · CPC title

• C30B7/10

  by application of pressure, e.g. hydrothermal processes · CPC title

• B01J19/06

  Solidifying liquids (making microcapsules B01J13/02) · CPC title