Emcore Corporation

Wilfried R Wagner

Craig Royden Nelson

Richard A Stall

Norman E Schumaker

Substrates such as semiconductor wafers are treated with a gas by advancing the substrate along a path, preferably a circular path through the gas while maintaining a face of the substrate transverse, preferably oblique, to the path so that the gas contacts be exposed from the face of the substrate. Preferably, a plurality of substrates are treated simultaneously, and the substrates serve as vanes to impel the gas into rotational motion, thereby pumping the gas through the process chamber. Preferably, the substrates are carried on susceptors having generally planar faces, the susceptors also serving as vanes impelling the gas into rotational motion. The gas may be a depositing gas for forming epitaxial layers on the faces of the substrates, or an etching gas.

Gas treatment apparatus and method

Substrates such as semiconductor wafers are treated with a gas by advancing the substrate along a path, preferably a circular path through the gas while maintaining a face of the substrate transverse, preferably oblique, to the path so taht the gas contacts be exposed from the face of the substrate. Preferably, a plurality of substrates are treated simultaneously, and the substrates serve as vanes to impel the gas into rotational motion, thereby pumping the gas through the process chamber. Preferably, the substrates are carried on susceptors having generally planar faces, the susceptors also serving as vanes impelling the gas into rotational motion. The gas may be a depositing gas for forming epitaxial layers on the faces of the substrates, or an etching gas.

Apparatus for handling gaseous streams comprising modular flow block means, including a plurality of gas flow paths extending through said modular flow block means so as to provide a plurality of port members on respective surfaces of said modular flow block means, a plurality of valve passages extending into said modular flow block means so as to intercept said gas flow paths at predetermined locations throughout said modular flow block means, each of said plurality of valve passages including an entrance aperture on a respective surface of said modular flow block means, a plurality of valve flange members, each of said valve flange members being adapted to mount a high vacuum valve on said modular flow block means at one of said entrance apertures without the need to apply rotational force to said valve flange members, so as to removably, hermetically seal said high vacuum valve onto said modular flow block means, and each of said plurality of port members including port member mounting means whereby conduits can be removably, hermetically sealed to said respective plurality of port members.

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Basking Ridge, NJ, United States of America

Wilfried R Wagner