Movable liner assembly for a deposition zone in a cvd reactor

Abstract

A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor comprises a deposition zone, a substrate carrier and a liner assembly. The deposition zone is constructed so as to have a positive pressure reactant gases fixed showerhead introducing reactant gas supporting thin film CVD deposition. The substrate carrier movably supports a substrate and the liner assembly within the deposition zone and is heated so as to be subjected to a CVD process. The liner assembly partly encloses selected portions of the deposition zone, particularly portions of the substrate carrier and thereby enclose a hot zone surrounding a substrate to be processed so as to retain heat in that zone but allows gas flow radially outwardly toward walls of a surrounding cold-wall reactor with exhaust ports surrounding the deposition zone that exhaust spent reactant gases. The liner assembly is a sink for solid reaction byproducts while gaseous reaction byproducts are pumped out at the exhaust ports. The liner assembly is linearly movable away from the fixed showerhead.