US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

William A Guiterrez

Herbert L Wilson

A process of high pressure close-space epitaxy in the semi-confined atmosre of a reusable demountable ampule in a furnace growth chamber. The ampule has a substrate and source materials placed therein whereupon the ampule is then loaded in the pressure furnace and the furnace is sealed air tight. Alternate steps of high pressure gas scrubbing and evacuating the interior of the furnace growth chamber including the interior of the ampule through small vents are first used to purify the growth environment. The source materials are then epitaxially grown on the substrate at a high pressure within the ampule. The ampule may be repeatedly used without having to be destroyed after each growth.

Close space epitaxy process

A high pressure furnace and reusable demountable containment means for setive in situ information of epitaxial layers on a semiconductor substrate while under gas overpressure. The containment means has vent means therein for allowing the inert and reducing or reactive gases in an inner chamber of the furnace to enter into the interior of the containment means to equalize pressures on each side of the housing and to semi-confine the vapor from the epitaxial growth source materials in the interior of the containment means. The containment means has a removable, i.e. demountable, form-fittedly sealed plug which is removed to insert the substrate and growth source elements, which are mounted in a close-space relationship on a support structure, therein. The support structure is inserted back into the containment means and the plug is form fittedly sealed thereto for performing the epitaxial layering.

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Woodbridge, VA, United States of America

William A Guiterrez