US 12,084,768 B2
Method for using shield plate in a CVD reactor
Adam Boyd, Kelmis (BE); Wilhelm Josef Thomas Krücken, Aachen (DE); Honggen Jiang, Cornwall (GB); and Fred Michael Andrew Crawley, Hertfordshire (GB)
Assigned to AIXTRON SE, Herzogenrath (DE)
Filed by AIXTRON SE, Herzogenrath (DE)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/355,224.
Application 18/355,224 is a continuation of application No. 17/309,108, granted, now 11,746,419, previously published as PCT/EP2019/078738, filed on Oct. 22, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 126 617.0 (DE), filed on Oct. 25, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0357928 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C23C 16/455 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/45565 (2013.01) [C23C 16/4557 (2013.01); C23C 16/45572 (2013.01); H01J 37/3244 (2013.01); H01J 37/32449 (2013.01); H01J 2237/3321 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for heat treating a substrate (9) in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor, the method comprising:
using a susceptor (3) and a shield plate (10) in a process chamber (11) of the CVD reactor,
wherein a radially outermost edge of the susceptor (3) defines a cylindrical shell surface boundary (L),
wherein a gas inlet member (2) has a first circular outline and a ceiling panel (8) facing towards the process chamber (11), and
wherein the ceiling panel (8) has outlet openings (12′),
placing the substrate (9) on the susceptor (3);
heating the susceptor (3) with a heating device (4) and cooling the ceiling panel (8) so as to generate a heat flow from the susceptor (3) to the ceiling panel (8),
wherein the shield plate (10) has a second circular outline, a central zone, an annular zone (18) surrounding the central zone, a rear face (16) facing towards the ceiling panel (8), and a first gas outlet surface (14),
wherein the first gas outlet surface (14) is planar,
wherein the rear face (16) in the central zone defines a rear plane extending parallel to the first gas outlet surface (14),
wherein in the annular zone (18), a material thickness (d) of the shield plate (10) continuously decreases in a radial direction pointing away from a center of the shield plate (10),
wherein the shield plate (10) is located adjacent to the ceiling panel (8) such that the first gas outlet surface (14) faces towards the process chamber (11) into which gas passageways (15) of the shield plate (10) lead,
wherein the shield plate (10) is spaced apart from a second gas outlet surface (8′) formed by the ceiling panel (8) by a gap (17), and
wherein the cylindrical shell surface boundary (L) intersects the annular zone (18) such that a radially inner region (F) of the annular zone (18) extends radially inwards from the cylindrical shell surface boundary (L) towards the center of the shield plate (10).