Method and apparatus for producing free-standing silicon carbide articles

Abstract

A process of producing relatively large, dense, free-standing silicon carbide articles by chemical vapor deposition is enabled by the provision of specially designed isolation devices. These devices segregate silicon carbide deposits on the intended portions of substrates, thereby alleviating the need to fracture heavy silicon carbide deposits in order to remove, or otherwise move, the substrate, with the heavy deposit thereon, from the deposition furnace. The isolation devices enable the use of more efficient vertically extended vacuum furnaces. The isolation devices also enable the commercial production of relatively dense, large, thin-walled, silicon carbide shells.

Description

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention[0002] Silicon carbide's unique combination of properties make it a particularly suitable material for a variety of applications in the semiconductor, optical, electronic and chemical processing fields. Moreover, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques have been widely used to provide thin films and coatings of a variety of materials on various articles. Silicon carbide articles produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processing are recognized to exhibit superior mechanical, thermal, physical and optical properties. This invention is directed to improvements in a CVD process of producing free standing, self-supporting silicon carbide articles, and is particularly adapted to the production of hollow shells of cylindrical, frustoconical or other shapes. Such shells can be used in x-ray telescopes, semiconductor processing furnaces, heat exchangers, laser tubes and chemical process equipment.[0003] 2. Description of Related Art[0004] The advantage...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Fracturing of the deposit often results in the formation of cracks which propagate through the deposit from the point of fracture.

Such cracks are not acceptable in the intended applications of the silicon carbide articles, and usually result in the article being rejected.

The prevalence of propagated cracks in relatively thick chemical vapor deposits of silicon carbide have limited the size of articles that can be produced commercially by this method.

Moreover, recognition of the potential capacity of CVD silicon carbide deposits to bridge any joints between adjacent stacked mandrels and the subsequent difficulty of separating and removing individual mandrels from such a stack has prevented the use of stacked mandrels in the commercial production of silicon carbide articles.

This, however, has not been done in the past, at least in part because of the difficulty in segregating, or isolating, the deposit on one mandrel from the deposit produced on an adjoining mandrel.

Removal of the mandrel required fracturing this relatively thick deposit which created cracks, which, in turn, could propagate from the point of fracture throughout the deposit, in many cases precluding the use of the silicon carbide article for its intended use.

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