Asm America, Inc.

Michael J Meyer

Ivo Johannes Raaijmakers

Loren R Jacobs

Eric Alan Barrett

Matthew G Goodman

Franciscus B M Van Bilsen

John F Wengert

Mike Halpin

Eric R Wood

Matt G Goodman

Frank Van Bilsen

Blake Samuels

Improvements in the design of a low mass wafer holder are disclosed. The improvements include the use of peripherally located, integral lips to space a wafer or other substrate above the base plate of the wafer holder. A uniform gap is thus provided between the wafer and the base plate, such as will temper rapid heat exchanges, allow gas to flow between the wafer and wafer holder during wafer pick-up, and keep the wafer holder thermally coupled with the wafer. At the same time, thermal disturbance from lip contact with the wafer is reduced. Gas flow during pick-up can be provided through radial channels in a wafer holder upper surface, or through backside gas passages. A thicker ring is provided at the wafer holder perimeter, and is provided in some embodiments as an independent piece to accommodate stresses accompanying thermal gradients. Self-centering mechanisms are provided to keep the wafer holder centered relative to a spider which is subject to differential thermal expansion.

Self-centering wafer support system

Low mass wafer support system

A generally horizontally-oriented quartz CVD chamber is disclosed with front and rear chamber divider plates adjacent a centrally positioned susceptor and surrounding temperature control ring which divide the chamber into upper and lower regions. Improvement to the lifetime of CVD process components and related throughput improvements are disclosed. A getter plate for attracting some of the unused reactant gas is positioned downstream from the susceptor extending generally parallel to and spaced between the divider plate and the upper chamber wall. This getter plate also minimizes deposition on the chamber walls and improves the efficiency of a cleaning step. Reradiating elements are also located adjacent side walls of the chamber to heat cooler chamber wall areas. The getter plate and the reradiating elements plus the susceptor and surrounding ring are all made of solid chemical vapor deposited SiC to improve the life of the chamber. Also, thermocouples adjacent the susceptor are provided with SiC sheaths to enable the thermocouples to withstand more process cycles than that of quartz sheaths. SiC shields may be provided on quartz components throughout the chamber to protect the quartz from devitrification. Throughput is improved by both reducing down time and reducing the cleaning step time of the process cycle.

Long life high temperature process chamber

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Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Michael J Meyer