Multi-channel gas-delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9441295-B2
Application number	US-95212710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2010
Priority date	May 14, 2010
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a gas-delivery system for delivering reaction gas to a reactor chamber. The gas-delivery system includes a main gas-inlet port for receiving reaction gases and a gas-delivery plate that includes a plurality of gas channels. A gas channel includes a plurality of gas holes for allowing the reaction gases to enter the reactor chamber from the gas channel. The gas-delivery system further includes a plurality of sub-gas lines coupling together the main gas-inlet port and the gas-delivery plate, and a respective sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gases to a corresponding gas channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reactor, comprising:
a chamber;
a gas nozzle positioned on a first side of the chamber; and

a gas-delivery system configured to deliver reaction gases to the chamber via the gas nozzle, and wherein the gas-delivery system comprises:
a main gas-inlet port for receiving the reaction gases;
an elongated gas-delivery plate comprising a plurality of gas channels aligned along a length of the elongated gas-delivery plate, wherein the plurality of gas channels comprise two separate edge gas channels positioned near opposite ends of the elongated gas-delivery plate; and
a plurality of sub-gas lines respectively coupled to the plurality of gas channels, wherein the two edge gas channels are coupled to two separate sub-gas lines from the plurality of sub-gas lines, wherein each sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gases to the chamber through a plurality of gas holes belonging to a coupled gas channel, and wherein each sub-gas line is coupled to a flow control valve configured to individually control a gas flow rate within the sub-gas line, thereby facilitating the reaction gases to flow into the chamber uniformly across a horizontal plane.

2. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the main gas-inlet port includes a main gas line, which includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter substantially around 0.5 inch.

3. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the flow control valve is a bellow metering valve (BMV).

4. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein a respective sub-gas line from the plurality of sub-gas lines includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter substantially around 0.25 inch.

5. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the gas holes have a diameter substantially around 1 mm.

6. The reactor of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of susceptors situated inside the chamber, wherein each susceptor has a front side and a back side, wherein the front side mounts a number of substrates, wherein the susceptors are positioned vertically in such a way that the front sides of the susceptors face each other, wherein the vertical edges of the susceptors are in contact with each other, thereby forming a substantially enclosed narrow channel between the substrates mounted on different susceptors, and wherein the susceptors are formed using at least one of: SiC-coated graphite and monolithic SiC.

7. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is made of a material that comprises quartz.

8. The reactor of claim 1 , further comprising a gas diffuser situated between the sub-gas line and the coupled gas channel.

9. A material-deposition system, comprising:
a chamber; and
an elongated gas-delivery plate positioned near a first side of the chamber, wherein the elongated gas-delivery plate comprises a plurality of gas channels aligned along a length of the elongated gas-delivery plate, wherein the plurality of gas channels comprise two separate edge gas channels positioned near opposite ends of the elongated gas-delivery plate;
a gas-inlet port positioned near the first side of the elongated gas- delivery plate and configured to receive reaction gases;
a plurality of sub-gas lines coupled between the plurality of gas channels and the gas-inlet port, wherein the two edge gas channels are coupled to two separate sub-gas lines from the plurality of sub-gas lines, wherein each sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gases to the chamber through a plurality of gas holes belonging to a coupled gas channel, and wherein each sub-gas line is coupled to a flow control valve configured to individually control a gas flow rate within the sub-gas line, thereby facilitating the reaction gases to flow into the chamber uniformly across a horizontal plane.

10. The material-deposition system of claim 9 , further comprising a gas nozzle positioned between the chamber and the elongated gas-delivery plate, wherein the gas nozzle is configured to inject the reaction gases into the chamber.

11. The material-deposition system of claim 9 , wherein the gas-inlet port includes a main gas line, which includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter substantially around 0.5 inch.

12. The material-deposition system of claim 9 , wherein the flow control valve is a bellow metering valve.

13. The material-deposition system of claim 9 , wherein a respective sub-gas line from the plurality of sub-gas lines includes a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter substantially around 0.25 inch.

14. The material-deposition system of claim 9 , wherein a respective gas hole from the plurality of gas holes has a diameter substantially around 1 mm.

15. The material-deposition system of claim 9 , further comprising a pair of susceptors positioned inside the chamber, wherein each susceptor has a front side and a back side, wherein the front side mounts a number of substrates, wherein the susceptors are positioned vertically in such a way that the front sides of the susceptors face each other, wherein the vertical edges of the susceptors are in contact with each other, thereby forming a substantially enclosed narrow channel between the substrates mounted on different susceptors, and wherein the susceptors are formed using at least one of: SiC-coated graphite and monolithic SiC.

16. The material-deposition system of claim 9 , wherein the chamber is made of a material that comprises quartz.

17. The material-deposition system of claim 9 , further comprising a gas diffuser positioned between a sub-gas line and a corresponding gas channel.

Assignees

• Rozenzon Yan
• Trujillo Robert T
• Beese Steven C
• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Rozenzon Yan
• Trujillo Robert T
• Beese Steven C

Classifications

• Y10T137/8158

  With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means · CPC title

• C23C16/45512

  Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber · CPC title

• C23C16/45563

  Gas nozzles · CPC title

• C30B25/14

  Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases · CPC title

• C23C16/45565 Primary

  Shower nozzles · CPC title