US 12,305,282 B2
Susceptor of a CVD reactor
Wilhelm Josef Thomas Krücken, Aachen (DE); and Peter Sebald Lauffer, Aachen (DE)
Assigned to AIXTRON SE, Herzogenrath (DE)
Appl. No. 17/311,599
Filed by AIXTRON SE, Herzogenrath (DE)
PCT Filed Dec. 6, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/083925
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 7, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/120298, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 131 751 (DE), filed on Dec. 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0074047 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. C23C 16/455 (2006.01); C23C 16/458 (2006.01); C30B 25/12 (2006.01); C30B 25/14 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/4584 (2013.01) [C23C 16/45508 (2013.01); C23C 16/4586 (2013.01); C30B 25/12 (2013.01); C30B 25/14 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A susceptor (1), comprising:
a circular disc-shaped substrate holder (2); and
a bearing surface (7) with a circular outline, for supporting the circular disc-shaped substrate holder (2),
wherein the bearing surface (7) has a first radial zone (11), in which at least one gas distribution channel (4) fluidly coupled to a gas supply line (3) extends, a second radial zone (12), which is radially offset from the first radial zone (11) with respect to a center (Z) of the bearing surface (7), and which forms a gas discharge system with one or more discharge channels (6), and a third radial zone (13), which surrounds the first radial zone (11) and the second radial zone (12), and forms a gap (9) between the bearing surface (7) and a lower face (2′) of the substrate holder (2), which gap (9) is directly adjacent to a radially outer edge of the bearing surface (7), wherein the first, second and third radial zones (11, 12, 13) are configured such that a gas flow fed into the first radial zone (11) through the gas supply line (3) (i) generates a pressure in a volume between the bearing surface (7) and the lower face (2′) of the substrate holder (2), which pressure holds the substrate holder (2) in a floating state, (ii) rotates the circular disc-shaped substrate holder (2) about the center (Z), and (iii) leaves the volume through the gas discharge system and through the gap (9),
wherein a height of the gap (9) defines a volumetric flow rate of a gas flow (Qs) through the gap (9) and is configured to be varied in a range between 50 μm and 300 μm by means of a variation of the gas flow fed into the first radial zone (11),
wherein a cross-sectional area of the one or more discharge channels (6) and a radial length of the gap (9) are dimensioned such that a maximum of 10% of the gas flow leaves through the gap (9) with a gap height of 300 μm,
wherein the third radial zone (13) is formed by an annular surface (10) with a radial length of at least 4 mm, which in a radially inward direction is adjacent to a gas collection channel (5) formed by a recess,
wherein the annular surface (10) forms a radially outer edge of the bearing surface (7), and
wherein the discharge channels (6) comprise at least four bores that open into the gas collection channel (5) away from the bearing surface (7), and have respective diameters of at least 2 mm.