Chemical vapor deposition apparatus and method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a chemical vapor deposition apparatus and a method thereof, the apparatus includes a reaction chamber having an inlet and an outlet, in which a susceptor for placing a substrate is installed, an outer housing installed outside the reaction chamber, and a storage space is formed between the inner wall of the outer housing and the outer wall of the reaction chamber, a plurality of radiant heat sources installed in the storage space for heating the substrate through the outer wall of the reaction chamber, and an air pressure regulator for independently regulating and controlling the air pressure in the storage space and the reaction chamber. The advantage is that the air pressure in the storage space of the apparatus is lower than atmospheric pressure, which reduces the pressure on the wall of the reaction chamber and improves the uniformity of heating the reaction area in the reaction chamber without affecting the heat transfer efficiency of the radiant heat source, thereby ensuring the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate and improving the yield of substrate production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and specifically to a chemical vapor deposition apparatus and a method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, generally, process methods such as plasma etching, physical vapor deposition (abbreviated as PVD), and chemical vapor deposition (abbreviated as CVD) are used to perform microfabrication of semiconductor process components and substrates such as manufacturing flexible display screens, flat panel displays, light emitting diodes, solar cells, etc. Microfabrication includes various processes and steps, among which the chemical vapor deposition process is widely used, and various materials including a wide range of insulating materials, most metal materials, and metal alloy materials can be deposited using this process. This process is usually carried out in a high-vacuum reaction chamber.

[0003] As the size of semiconductor devices shrinks and the device integration density increases, the requirements for the uniformity of thin films formed by chemical vapor deposition are increasing more and more. Although the performance of chemical vapor deposition apparatuses has been significantly improved through repeated improvements, there are still many drawbacks in the uniformity of thin film deposition. Especially as the size of the substrate increases day by day, it has become difficult for conventional vapor deposition methods and apparatuses to meet the requirements for the uniformity of thin films.

[0004] In the thin film deposition process, various process conditions, such as the flow direction and distribution of the reaction gas, the heating temperature field of the substrate, and the pressure distribution in the reaction chamber, affect the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate surface. If the process environments in the reaction regions within the reaction chamber do not exactly match, defects such as non-uniform thickness, non-uniform composition, and non-uniform physical properties will occur in the thin film deposited on the substrate surface, thereby reducing the yield of substrate production. Therefore, in order to improve the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate, it is necessary to improve the conventional chemical vapor deposition apparatus. Also, in the epitaxial growth process of silicon or silicon germanium materials, since these epitaxial materials are usually the bottom layer of semiconductor devices, the critical dimension (CD) is very small, usually only a few nanometers, and they cannot withstand high temperatures for a long time. If heated for a long time, the semiconductor device will be damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to heat the substrate to a temperature sufficient for epitaxial growth of silicon materials, for example, 600 - 700 degrees, in a very short time. Due to such strict heating requirements, in the silicon epitaxial process, usually a high-power heating lamp is used to heat the substrate located in the reaction chamber through a transparent quartz reaction chamber. Since the air pressure in the reaction chamber is much lower than the atmospheric pressure outside the quartz reaction chamber, in order to prevent deformation and damage of the reaction chamber structure due to the large pressure difference inside and outside the cavity, it is necessary to design a pressure-resistant structure for the cavity. For example, a plurality of reinforcing ribs are installed around the reaction chamber with flat upper and lower quartz walls so that it can withstand atmospheric pressure, or the upper and lower quartz walls are designed in a dome shape. These quartz outer walls usually have a wall thickness of 6 - 8 mm so that while withstanding atmospheric pressure, as much radiant energy as possible can penetrate into the interior of the reaction chamber. Each of these two types of structures has its own advantages and disadvantages. In the case of a flat cavity, a stable distribution of the gas flow throughout the cavity can be ensured. However, since there are a large number of reinforcing ribs (more than 10) on the upper part, the radiant light for heating is blocked, resulting in a non-uniform temperature distribution. In the case of a dome-shaped reaction chamber, the temperature distribution is more uniform. However, when the gas flow flows into the dome-shaped reaction region, a large amount of disordered turbulent flow occurs, making it difficult to adjust and control the distribution of the gas flow.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a chemical vapor deposition apparatus and a method thereof. The apparatus combines a reaction chamber, an external housing, a pressure adjustment device, etc. In the process, the pressure adjustment device reduces the pressure in the accommodation space between the reaction chamber and the external housing below atmospheric pressure, reduces the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the reaction chamber, and relaxes the pressure applied to the reaction chamber. Therefore, it is not necessary to install many pressure-resistant bars on the wall of the reaction chamber, ensuring the uniformity of heat transfer by the radiant heat source and the heating of the reaction region in the reaction chamber, improving the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate, and improving the yield of substrate production.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention uses the following technical solutions.

[0007] A reaction chamber having an air supply port and an exhaust port, and inside which a susceptor for placing a substrate is installed, An external housing installed outside the reaction chamber, with an accommodation space formed between its inner wall and the outer wall of the reaction chamber, A plurality of radiant heat sources installed in the accommodation space for heating the substrate through the outer wall of the reaction chamber, A chemical vapor deposition apparatus including a pressure adjustment device for independently adjusting and controlling the pressure in the reaction chamber and the accommodation space.

[0008] It may further include a gas driving device for promoting the flow of gas in the accommodation space.

[0009] The gas driving device is installed in the accommodation space and drives the gas to flow around the outer wall of the reaction chamber and the inner wall of the external housing in the accommodation space. A first heat exchange device may be further installed in the external housing.

[0010] The reaction chamber includes a gas supply region corresponding to the gas supply port, an exhaust region corresponding to the exhaust port, and a reaction region located between the gas supply region and the exhaust region. A plurality of reinforcing ribs are further installed on the outer wall of the reaction chamber, and the density of the reinforcing ribs located on the outer wall of the reaction region may be smaller than the density of the reinforcing ribs located on the outer walls of the air supply regions or the exhaust regions on both sides.

[0011] The reaction chamber includes an air supply region corresponding to the air supply port, an exhaust region corresponding to the exhaust port, and a reaction region located between the air supply region and the exhaust region. One reaction region reinforcing rib is installed on the outer wall of the reaction region, the downward projection of the reaction region reinforcing rib penetrates the center of the substrate, and the reinforcing ribs adjacent to the reaction region reinforcing rib may be located on the outer wall of the reaction chamber corresponding to the air supply region or the exhaust region.

[0012] Both the reinforcing rib and the reaction chamber may be made of quartz.

[0013] The bottom of the reaction chamber includes an extension pipe extending downward, a rotating shaft is installed in the extension pipe, and the top of the rotating shaft may be used to support and drive the susceptor so that the substrate rotates in the reaction chamber.

[0014] The reaction chamber includes a dome-shaped top wall, the height from the edge of the substrate to the top wall is H1, the height from the center of the substrate to the top wall is H2, and H2 < 1.05 * H1 may be satisfied.

[0015] Both ends of the reaction chamber include a first flange and a second flange, and the first flange and the second flange may be respectively in close contact with a first fixture and a second fixture in the external housing.

[0016] The external housing includes a top plate, a bottom plate and side walls, and the top plate, the bottom plate and the side walls may form an accommodation space together with the outer wall of the reaction chamber, the first fixture and the second fixture.

[0017] The external housing may be made of aluminum, and the first fixture and the second fixture may be made of stainless steel.

[0018] A coolant pipe may be installed inside the external housing, the first fastener, and the second fastener.

[0019] It may further include a temperature control circuit that forms a closed circuit in communication with the accommodation space, and inside the closed circuit, there may be included the gas driving device that drives the gas to flow into the closed circuit and a second heat exchange device for cooling the gas in the closed circuit.

[0020] The gas in the temperature control circuit may flow into the accommodation space from the top and / or bottom of the accommodation space, and the gas in the accommodation space may flow out of the accommodation space through both sides of the accommodation space.

[0021] The gas may be air, helium gas, nitrogen gas, or a mixture of nitrogen and helium.

[0022] It may further include a temperature control sub-circuit in communication with the temperature control circuit, and the temperature control sub-circuit may include a first container with an internal air pressure higher than the air pressure in the accommodation space and a second container with an internal air pressure lower than the air pressure in the accommodation space.

[0023] The exhaust end of the external housing includes an external housing end plate, there is a gap between the external housing end plate and the first fastener, and at least one pressure device that applies a pressing force to the first fastener may be installed inside the gap or outside the external housing.

[0024] The deposition method using the chemical vapor deposition apparatus is as follows: introducing a substrate onto a susceptor in a reaction chamber; adjusting and controlling the air pressure in the accommodation space using an air pressure adjusting device so that the air pressure in the accommodation space is lower than the atmospheric pressure; performing a chemical vapor deposition process in the reaction chamber; and driving the gas in the accommodation space to flow using a gas driving device.

[0025] The air pressure in the accommodation space may be set to 0.1 to 0.6 atmospheres using an air pressure adjustment device.

[0026] An epitaxial growth processing apparatus, A reaction chamber having air supply ports and exhaust ports installed at both ends, and a susceptor for placing a substrate therein installed inside. The reaction chamber includes an air supply region corresponding to the air supply port, an exhaust region corresponding to the exhaust port, and a reaction region located between the air supply region and the exhaust region. The air supply port and the exhaust port are used to form a reaction gas flow parallel to the susceptor. An external housing installed outside the reaction chamber, with an accommodation space formed between its inner wall and the outer wall of the reaction chamber. The accommodation space is connected to the first air pressure adjustment device. A processing apparatus may include a plurality of radiant heat sources installed in the accommodation space, each of which is installed outside the reaction chamber to heat the substrate.

[0027] The reaction chamber may further include a plurality of reinforcing ribs installed on its outer wall, and the density of the reinforcing ribs located on the outer wall of the reaction region may be smaller than the density of the reinforcing ribs located on the outer walls of the air supply regions or exhaust regions on both sides.

[0028] The bottom of the reaction chamber may include an extension pipe extending downward, with a rotating shaft installed inside the extension pipe. The top of the rotating shaft may be used to support and drive the susceptor so that the susceptor rotates in the reaction chamber.

[0029] The apparatus may further include a temperature control circuit that communicates with the accommodation space to form a closed circuit. Inside the closed circuit, a gas driving device for driving gas to flow in the closed circuit and a heat exchange device for cooling the gas may be included.

[0030] Further comprising a second pressure adjusting device communicating with the reaction chamber, the first pressure adjusting device and the second pressure adjusting device may be independently controlled such that when epitaxial growth is performed, the pressure in the accommodation space is lower than atmospheric pressure and higher than the pressure in the reaction chamber.

[0031] It may further include a gas driving device for promoting the flow of gas in the accommodation space.

[0032] A vacuum processing apparatus, Having an air inlet and an exhaust port, inside which there is a vacuum processing chamber where a susceptor for placing a substrate is installed, and An external housing installed outside the vacuum processing chamber, with an accommodation space formed between its inner wall and the outer wall of the vacuum processing chamber, and A plurality of radiant heat sources installed in the accommodation space for heating the substrate through the outer wall of the vacuum processing chamber, and Including a pressure adjusting device for independently adjusting and controlling the pressures in the vacuum processing chamber and the accommodation space, Both ends of the vacuum processing chamber include a first flange and a second flange, and the first flange and the second flange are respectively in close contact with a first fixture and a second fixture in the external housing, The exhaust end of the external housing includes an external housing end plate, and there is a gap between the external housing end plate and the second fixture. At least one pressure device may be installed in the gap or outside the external housing to apply a pressing force to the second fixture. It may be a vacuum processing apparatus.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages. In the chemical vapor deposition apparatus and method of the present invention, the apparatus is combined with a reaction chamber, an external housing, a radiant heat source, and a pressure adjustment device. In the process, the pressure adjustment device reduces the pressure in the accommodation space between the reaction chamber and the external housing below atmospheric pressure. The apparatus ensures the heating uniformity of the reaction region in the reaction chamber, reduces the pressure applied to the wall of the reaction chamber while ensuring the normal progress of the thin film deposition process of the substrate in the reaction chamber, improves the heat supply efficiency of the radiant heat source and the uniformity of the gas flow in the reaction chamber, and ensures the deposition effect of the substrate thin film.

[0034] Furthermore, the apparatus further includes a temperature control circuit that forms a closed circuit together with the accommodation space, and realizes the flow and heat exchange of the cooling gas in the closed circuit through a second gas driving device and a second heat exchange device, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the reaction chamber.

[0035] Furthermore, the apparatus further includes a temperature control sub-circuit including a first container and a second container having a pressure difference from the accommodation space, realizes rapid cooling of the reaction chamber within a short period, achieves a desired process effect, realizes the adjustment and control of the thin film deposition process, and can ensure the etching quality of the substrate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0036]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3a

Figure 3b

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0038] In addition, in this specification, the terms "include", "contain", "have", or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or terminal device containing a series of elements includes not only these elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or terminal device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." or "containing..." does not exclude the existence of additional elements in the process, method, article, or terminal device containing the said element.

[0039] Note that all the attached drawings are in a very simplified form and are shown at inaccurate ratios, and are only used to easily and clearly explain an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic diagrams of a chemical vapor deposition apparatus (CVD) according to the present invention. The apparatus includes a reaction chamber 110 in which a processing space is formed inside. Inside the processing space, a susceptor 120 for placing one or more substrates W is installed so as to execute a chemical vapor deposition process including depositing a material on the upper surface of the substrate W. The reaction cavity of the reaction chamber 110 has an upper wall 111 located at the top end, a lower wall 112 located at the bottom end, and side walls 113 extending on both sides between the upper wall 111 and the lower wall 112. The upper wall 111 and the lower wall 112 are made of an optically transparent or translucent material (for example, a quartz material transparent to a specific infrared band) that can transmit thermal radiation, but are not limited thereto. Figure 3a and Referring to FIG. 4, at one end of the reaction chamber 110, an air supply port 117 corresponding to an air supply region is provided, and at the other end, an exhaust port 118 corresponding to an exhaust region and a reaction region located between the air supply region and the exhaust region are provided. The substrate W is located within the reaction region, and a reaction gas for deposition flows into the reaction chamber 110 from the air supply port 117 , a chemical vapor deposition process is executed in the reaction region, and flows out of the reaction chamber 110 through the exhaust port 118 .

[0041] Furthermore, the apparatus further includes a plurality of radiant heat sources 130 that provide thermal energy to the reaction chamber 110 and the substrate W, and each radiant heat source 130 is installed outside the reaction chamber 110 to heat the reaction chamber 110 and the substrate W therein. The radiant heat source 130 is, but not limited to, a high-intensity tungsten wire lamp including a transparent quartz housing and a halogen gas such as iodine. Only a very small part of the radiant heat energy generated by the high-intensity tungsten wire lamp is absorbed by the upper wall 111 or the lower wall 112, thereby ensuring that the thermal energy generated by each radiant heat source 130 reaches the substrate W and the susceptor 120 in the reaction chamber 110 to the maximum extent. During the process, each radiant heat source 130 heats the inside of the reaction chamber 110 of the chemical vapor deposition apparatus and the substrate W to the required process temperature, as a result, decomposes the reaction gas in the reaction chamber 110, and deposits a thin film material on the upper surface of the substrate W. The thin film material to be deposited is a semiconductor material such as silicon or germanium, but is not limited thereto, and can include other doped materials such as group III, IV, and / or V materials.

[0042] Most chemical vapor deposition processes usually need to be carried out under high-temperature and high-vacuum conditions. However, the reaction chamber 110 is usually heated to a relatively high temperature, and the air pressure in the reaction chamber 110 is much lower than the atmospheric pressure. The pressure difference between the inside and outside of the reaction chamber 110 is relatively large, and the pressure on the wall is also very large. If the pressure resistance of the reaction chamber 110 is improved by increasing the wall thickness of the reaction chamber 110, the wall of the reaction chamber 110 will be too thick, absorbing a lot of thermal radiation, thereby reducing the transfer efficiency of thermal energy from the radiant heat source 130 to the substrate in the reaction chamber 110, and increasing the power required for the substrate to reach the process temperature. On the other hand, if a plurality of pressure-resistant bars are uniformly added outside the reaction chamber 110 to increase the mechanical strength of the reaction chamber 110 in order to improve the pressure resistance, the pressure-resistant bars installed at intervals will block the thermal energy transmitted from the radiant heat source 130 to the reaction chamber 110. As a result, the thermal distribution on the substrate W in the reaction chamber 110 will become non-uniform, affecting the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate W.

[0043] Based on the above problems, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus of the present invention further includes an external housing 140. Specifically, the external housing 140 is installed outside the reaction chamber 110, and the inner wall of the external housing 140 146 and the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 119 form an accommodation space 150 therebetween. The accommodation space 150 and the reaction chamber 110 are connected to a pressure adjustment device 160 and the pressure adjustment device 160 is used to independently adjust and control the air pressures in the accommodation space 150 and the reaction chamber 110. The pressure adjustment device 160 may be a vacuum pump, which is connected to the reaction chamber 110 and the accommodation space 150 respectively through two pipes, and at least one pipe is provided with an adjustable resistance device, whereby the air pressures in the reaction chamber 110 and the accommodation space 150 do not interfere with each other. In some other embodiments, the pressure adjustment device 160 may include two vacuum pumps respectively connected to the reaction chamber 110 and the accommodation space 150, namely, a first vacuum pump and a second vacuum pump, and the air pressures in the reaction chamber 110 and the accommodation space 150 can be independently adjusted to different values. For example, when performing a chemical vapor deposition process, the air pressure in the accommodation space 150 is lower than the atmospheric pressure and higher than the air pressure in the reaction chamber 110. A plurality of radiant heat sources 130 are installed inside the accommodation space 150.

[0044] As can be seen from the above, in the process, the air pressure in the accommodation space 150 between the external housing 140 and the reaction chamber 110 is lower than the atmospheric pressure, the inside of the reaction chamber 110 is in a high vacuum state, and the absolute value of the pressure difference between the inside of the reaction chamber 110 and the accommodation space 150 is smaller than the absolute value of the pressure difference between the inside of the reaction chamber 110 and the atmospheric environment. The accommodation space 150 reduces the pressure that the wall of the reaction chamber 110 needs to withstand. Therefore, it is not necessary to install many pressure-resistant bars on the wall of the reaction chamber 110, the uniformity of heat energy transfer by the radiant heat source 130 is ensured, and the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate W is improved.

[0045] In some embodiments, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus further includes a first gas driving device 161 for promoting the gas flow in the accommodation space 150. The installation position of the first gas driving device 161 is not particularly limited as long as it can adjust and control the gas flow state in the accommodation space 150.

[0046] The first gas driving device 161 accelerates the gas flow in the accommodation space 150, converts the gas that freely performs thermal motion in the accommodation space 150 into a collective gas flow, and the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 119 to lower the temperature within a certain range, and the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 119 to make the temperature lower than the limit temperature, thereby preventing the reaction gas from depositing on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 110 to form and drop contaminated particles, and reducing the possibility of the substrate W being contaminated.

[0047] The chemical vapor deposition apparatus is a processing apparatus for epitaxial growth, but is not limited thereto. The air inlet 117 and the exhaust port 118 of the reaction chamber 110 of the apparatus form a reaction gas flow parallel to the susceptor 120, thereby making the gas flow above the substrate W uniform and further ensuring the uniformity of epitaxial growth. Example 1

[0048] FIGS. 1 to 4 are schematic diagrams of a chemical vapor deposition apparatus (CVD) according to this embodiment. The apparatus includes a reaction chamber 110 (see FIG. 4) having a rectangular gas flow space, and the reaction chamber 110 is used to process one or more substrates W. Inside the reaction chamber 110, there are an air supply region provided with an air inlet 117 , an exhaust region provided with an exhaust port 118 , and a reaction region located between the air supply region and the exhaust region. The gas in the process flows horizontally into the reaction chamber 110 (see FIG. 3a) from the air inlet 117 according to the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure, and the exhaust gas is discharged from the exhaust port 118It is discharged from. The reaction chamber 110 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped structure, and the gas in the process flows horizontally in the reaction chamber 110, ensuring the uniformity of the gas flow in the reaction chamber 110, thereby ensuring the stability of the thin film deposition process. During the execution of the process, the pressure adjustment device 160 independently adjusts and controls the air pressures in the reaction chamber 110 and the accommodation space 150, makes the air pressure in the accommodation space 150 lower than the atmospheric pressure, and the radiation heat source 130 provides thermal energy to the substrate W.

[0049] As can be seen from the above, during the execution of the process, the accommodation space 150 between the external housing 140 and the reaction chamber 110 of the chemical vapor deposition device is in a low-pressure state, and the pressure difference between it and the reaction chamber is smaller than the pressure difference between the reaction chamber 110 and the atmospheric environment. While ensuring the normal progress of the thin film deposition process of the substrate W in the reaction chamber 110, the accommodation space 150 reduces the pressure applied to the wall of the reaction chamber 110. Therefore, in order to ensure the pressure resistance ability, it is not necessary to increase the wall thickness of the reaction chamber or add a plurality of pressure-resistant bars. The thermal energy transfer efficiency of the radiation heat source 130 is ensured, the waste of thermal energy is avoided, and furthermore, the uniformity of thermal energy transfer is ensured. At the same time, since each cross-section through which the reaction gas flows in the rectangular reaction chamber 110 always maintains a rectangular shape, the reaction gas is in a horizontal flow state in the reaction chamber 110, ensuring the uniformity of the gas flow in the reaction chamber 110. The uniform thermal energy provided by the radiation heat source 130 is applied to the uniformly flowing reaction gas, thereby further ensuring the uniformity of the thin film deposition on the substrate W and improving the yield of substrate production.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first gas driving device 161 is installed in the accommodation space 150 to drive the gas to flow around the outer wall 119 of the reaction chamber 110 and the inner wall 146 of the external housing in the accommodation space 150. The gas flowing in the accommodation space 150 is the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 119Absorb heat from it to achieve cooling of the reaction chamber 110 and prevent contaminants from adhering to the inner wall of the reaction chamber 110. The first gas driving device 161 is a fan. In order to promote the flow of the gas in the accommodation space 150, the first gas driving device 161 is installed on both sides of the reaction chamber 110 respectively, but it is not limited thereto.

[0051] To further improve the temperature control effect of the accommodation space 150, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus further includes a first heat exchanger 162. Both the first heat exchanger 162 and the first gas driving device 161 are installed inside the accommodation space 150. The first heat exchanger 162 exchanges heat with the gas flowing in the accommodation space 150 so that the temperature of the gas flowing in the accommodation space 150 is always lower than the temperature of the reaction chamber 110. The first gas driving device 161 drives the gas in the accommodation space 150 to flow through the circuit formed by the reaction chamber 110 and the external housing, 119 lower the temperature of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110, prevent contaminants from depositing on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 110, and at the same time the gas flows around the reaction chamber 110, 119 lower the temperature of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 in all directions, and ensure the uniformity of heating of the reaction chamber 110.

[0052] The first heat exchanger 162 is a heat conduction fin, but it is not limited thereto. Preferably, the fan is integrated with the heat conduction fin. Of course, the types and installation methods of the first heat exchanger 162 and the first gas driving device 161 are not limited to the above, and other structures having the same function may be used, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3a, in this embodiment, the bottom wall of the reaction chamber 110 includes an extension pipe 121 extending downward, a rotating shaft is installed in the extension pipe 121, and the top of the rotating shaft 122 includes a plurality of support rods for supporting and driving the susceptor 120. Thereby, the substrate W placed on the susceptor 120 rotates in the reaction chamber 110, and the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate W is ensured. To reduce the risk of contamination by particles, the rotating shaft 122 can be made of quartz, but is not limited thereto. Further, the bottom of the extension pipe 121 and the rotating shaft 122 are sealed with a magnetic fluid to ensure the vacuum environment in the reaction chamber 110, reduce the possibility of contamination, and the magnetic fluid does not cause resistance to the rotation of the rotating shaft 122, further ensuring the stability of the process.

[0054] In this embodiment, the radiant heat source 130 in the accommodation space 150 provides thermal energy to the reaction region of the reaction chamber 110 to ensure the uniformity of heating in the reaction region. Further, in order to ensure the utilization rate of the radiant heat energy of the radiant heat source 130, a temperature control reflector 131 is additionally provided on the side of the radiant heat source 130 away from the wall of the reaction chamber 110, and the temperature control reflector 131 reflects the thermal energy emitted by the radiant heat source 130 in the direction of the reaction chamber 110. Thereby, the thermal energy generated by the radiant heat source 130 is transmitted into the reaction chamber 110 to the maximum extent. A coolant pipe can also be installed in the temperature control reflector 131, thereby ensuring that the temperature of the temperature control reflector 131 does not become too high and cause deformation, or ensuring the normal operation of the lower radiant heat source 130, that is, the heating lamp. The temperature control reflector 131 is a gold reflection coating, an aluminum oxide coating, a titanium oxide coating, or other infrared reflection coatings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0055] Figure 3b is a schematic diagram of a chemical vapor deposition reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention. Compared with the embodiment shown in Figure 3a, the design of the external housing and the exhaust region of the reaction chamber is improved. As shown in Figure 3b, the external housing end plate 343 is closely connected to the top plate 141 and the bottom plate 142 of the external housing, realizing the airtightness between the accommodation space 150' and the atmospheric environment. The first fastener 344 is closely connected to the first flange 115 of the reaction chamber 110 to achieve airtightness with the external accommodation space. At least one pressure rod 345 is located between the external housing end plate 343 and the first fastener 344. As a result, the first fastener 344 is firmly pressed against the first flange 115, realizing the sealing of the space of the reaction chamber 110. The pressure rod 345 penetrates the external housing end plate 343 and extends to the atmospheric space outside the external housing, and a pressing force is applied to the pressure rod 345 through the pressure device 346. The pressure device 346 may be a cylinder whose one end is sealed by the outer wall of the external housing end plate 343, and the drive shaft in the cylinder drives the pressure rod 345 to move horizontally. The pressure device 346 may also be an airtight bellows surrounding the pressure rod 345. One end of the bellows may be airtightly fixed to the external housing end plate, and a connecting member airtightly fixed to one end of the pressure rod 345 may be provided at the other end. The bellows and the connecting member form a horizontally movable airtight space. A driving device in the external atmospheric environment of the external housing, such as a cylinder or a motor, drives the connecting member to drive the pressure rod 345 to firmly press the first fastener 344 against the first flange 115. With such a design, the sealing of the reaction chamber 110 and the sealing structure of the external housing 140 can be made independent of each other, reducing the difficulty of the structural design of the first fastener 344 and the external housing 140. Since the cavity of the reaction chamber 110 undergoes a temperature change of several hundred degrees during the process of changing from room temperature to a stable process temperature, the volume of the cavity expands greatly. However, since the cavity is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, the volume expands along the longitudinal direction of the cavity with the maximum width.The first fastener 344 of the present invention is driven by a compressible cylinder and can adapt to the size change due to the expansion of the cavity of the reaction chamber 110 while maintaining the pressing force, so that excessive stress is applied and the cavity of the reaction chamber 110 is deformed or damaged. In addition to the position and structure of the pressure device 346 described in the above embodiment, the present invention can also install the pressure device 346 between the external housing end plate 343 and the first fastener 344, and the pressure device 346 applies pressure to the first fastener 344 through the pressure rod 345 so that the cavity of the reaction chamber 110 is airtight. The pressure device 346 can be installed inside the external housing 140 to directly apply pressure to the first fastener 344 to realize the airtightness of the cavity of the reaction chamber 110.

[0056] The first fastener 344 further includes a reaction chamber sealing cover and an exhaust gas discharge pipe (310), and the exhaust gas is discharged to the outside through the bottom plate 142 along the exhaust gas discharge pipe 310 Thereby being discharged to the outside through the bottom plate 142 along the exhaust gas discharge pipe.

[0057] Above the cavity of the reaction chamber 110, a top radiant heat source 130a for heating the upper surface of the substrate W in the reaction chamber is installed, and the bottom radiant heat source 130b below the cavity of the reaction chamber 110 is used to heat the susceptor 120, whereby both the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W can be heated simultaneously.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 3a and 4, in order to further ensure the mechanical strength of the reaction chamber 110, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 114 can be added to the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110. 119 The density of the reinforcing ribs 114 on the outer wall of the reaction region of the reaction chamber 110 is smaller than, but not limited to, the density of the reinforcing ribs 114 on the outer walls of the air supply regions or exhaust regions on both sides. In this embodiment, the outer wall of the reaction region of the reaction chamber 110 119 is not provided with the reinforcing ribs 114, and the outer walls of the intake region and the exhaust region 119 is smaller than the density of the reinforcing ribs 114 on the outer walls of the air supply regions or exhaust regions on both sides, but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the outer wall of the reaction region of the reaction chamber 110 119 is not provided with the reinforcing ribs 114, and the outer walls of the intake region and the exhaust region 119Reinforcing ribs 114 are provided only here, thereby improving the mechanical strength of the reaction chamber 110 and its pressure resistance. The outer wall of the reaction region 119 is not provided with reinforcing ribs 114, so the uniformity of heat radiation from the heat radiation source 130 to the reaction region in the reaction chamber 110 is further ensured, and the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate W is further ensured. Optimally, when the air pressure in the accommodation space inside the housing is 0.5 atmospheres, the wall thickness of the reaction chamber can be slightly increased to 8 - 12 mm, whereby the structure of the reaction chamber can be maintained without providing reinforcing ribs in the reaction region. Further, when the air pressure in the accommodation space is reduced to 0.3 atmospheres, the wall thickness of the reaction chamber can be made thinner. As the air pressure decreases, the heat conduction efficiency between the wall of the reaction chamber in the accommodation space 150 and the external housing decreases, so a heat conduction gas such as H2 or helium gas having a higher heat conduction performance than air can be selected.

[0059] In another embodiment, one reinforcing rib 114 can be installed on the outer wall of the reaction region 119 and the downward projection of the reinforcing rib 114 penetrates the center of the substrate W to be processed below, and the outer walls of the air supply region and the exhaust region 119Reinforcing ribs 114 may not be installed, or one or more reinforcing ribs 114 can be installed. Since the present invention adopts a double-chamber structure, the pressure applied to the quartz outer wall of the reaction chamber is significantly reduced to less than half of that in the prior art. By simply installing one reinforcing rib 114 in the reaction region, the stability of the reaction chamber in a long-term vacuum treatment process can be achieved. Such a design of installing one reinforcing rib 114 in the reaction region can reduce the wall thickness of the reaction chamber to a level close to that of the prior art, such as 6 - 8 mm. This slightly affects the temperature uniformity inside the reaction chamber but improves the heating efficiency of the entire reaction chamber to a certain extent. From the overall effect, it can still far exceed the design scheme of the prior art that installs multiple reinforcing ribs 114 in the reaction region. When one reinforcing rib 114 is installed in the reaction chamber, the reinforcing rib 114 will fuse with the extension tube 121 when extending downward to the bottom wall of the reaction chamber. The thickness and shape of the extension tube 121 are only designed such that the rotation axis 122 is surrounded within the vacuum cylindrical extension tube. Since it cannot withstand the large stress exerted by the atmospheric pressure of the entire cavity on the reinforcing rib 114, it is necessary to install a transition part between the rotation axis and the single reinforcing rib 114. The transition part is installed on the bottom wall of the reaction chamber and extends downward. Its thickness is larger than that of the bottom wall of the reaction chamber, and its area is much larger than the cross-sectional area of the extension tube 121. The transition part is connected to the outer wall of the extension tube 121 and can be connected to the two endpoints of the two reinforcing ribs 114 on both sides. Finally, the reinforcing rib 114 corresponding to the center of the substrate, together with the extension tube 121 and the transition part, forms a stress annular structure, enabling the quartz reaction chamber 110 to withstand the reduced pressure difference in the present invention.

[0060] In this embodiment, both the reinforcing rib 114 and the reaction chamber 110 are made of quartz. Since the quartz material is a light-transmissive material, the quartz reaction chamber 110 and the reinforcing rib 114 can reduce the loss during the transmission of thermal energy generated by the radiant heat source and improve the transmission efficiency of thermal energy. Furthermore, the reinforcing rib 114 and the reaction chamber 110 are made of the same material, thereby reducing the difficulty of device processing, further ensuring the airtightness of the combination of the two, and improving its pressure resistance capacity.

[0061] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3a, the external housing 140 installed outside the reaction chamber 110 includes a top plate 141, a bottom plate 142, and a side wall 143. A first fixture 144 and a second fixture 145 are installed inside the external housing 140. The top plate 141, the bottom plate 142, and the side wall 143 are the outer walls of the reaction chamber 110 119 , together with the first fixture 144 and the second fixture 145, form an accommodation space 150. In this embodiment, the external housing 140 is made of aluminum, and the first fixture 144 and the second fixture 145 are made of stainless steel.

[0062] Furthermore, both ends of the reaction chamber 110 include a first flange 115 and a second flange 116. The first flange 115 and the second flange 116 are respectively in close contact with the first fixture 144 and the second fixture 145 in the external housing 140, and fix the reaction chamber 110 inside the external housing 140. The first flange 115 and the second flange 116 are connected to the first fixture 144 and the second fixture 145 by a bolt assembly. It should be noted that the connection method between the reaction chamber 110 and the external housing 140 is not limited to the above. As long as an airtight connection between the reaction chamber 110 and the external housing 140 is realized, other connection methods may also be used, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0063] In order to further improve the cooling effect of the gas flowing in the accommodation space 150, in this embodiment, heat exchange is performed on the flowing gas, and the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 119To improve the cooling effect, a coolant pipe 170 is installed in any of the external housing 140, the first fastener 144, and the second fastener 145. The coolant is water, cooling oil, or other cooling media, but is not limited thereto.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in order to further improve the temperature control efficiency of the accommodation space 150, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus of the present invention further includes a temperature control circuit 180. The temperature control circuit 180 is a sealed gas flow pipe that communicates with the accommodation space 150 to form a sealed gas flow circuit. Specifically, inside the temperature control circuit 180, there are included a second gas driving device 181 that drives the gas to flow in a closed circuit, and a second heat exchange device 182 that performs heat exchange on the gas and cools the gas. Thereby, the gas in the closed circuit is kept at a low temperature, and the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 119 is cooled to prevent contaminants from depositing on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 110. Only one gas driving device is installed in the closed circuit formed by the temperature control circuit 180 and the accommodation space 150, but it is not limited thereto. The present invention does not limit the number of gas driving devices as long as the flow of the gas in the circuit can be promoted.

[0065] The gas in the temperature control circuit 180 flows into the accommodation space 150 from the top and / or bottom of the accommodation space 150. The gas in the accommodation space 150 flows out of the accommodation space 150 through both sides of the accommodation space 150, but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the gases in the temperature control circuit 180 respectively flow into the accommodation space 150 from the top and bottom of the accommodation space 150, equalize the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the reaction chamber 110, ensure the uniformity of the temperature in the reaction chamber 110, and ensure the uniformity of the thin film deposition on the substrate W.

[0066] In this embodiment, the cooling gas flows out from both sides of the accommodation space 150 and then passes through the second heat exchanger 182 and the second gas driving device 181 of the temperature control circuit 180 in this order. In the process state, usually, the reaction chamber 110 is in a high-temperature state, the temperature of the accommodation space 150 outside the reaction chamber 110 is also high, and the temperature of the gas flowing out from the accommodation space 150 is slightly higher than a predetermined cooling temperature. In this embodiment, the gas flowing out from the accommodation space 150 first passes through the second heat exchanger 182 and is cooled by heat exchange, and then continues to flow through the second gas driving device 181 to perform gas circulation. Therefore, it is avoided that the second gas driving device 181 is damaged due to the direct contact between the overheated gas and the second gas driving device 181. Accordingly, the service life of the second gas driving device 181 is extended, and the maintenance cost of the device is reduced.

[0067] The cooling gas is air, helium gas, nitrogen gas, or a mixture of nitrogen and helium, which realizes an optimal thermal conductivity and fluid mass flow rate, but is not limited thereto. Naturally, the type of the gas is not limited to the above, and other gases with a cooling effect may also be used.

[0068] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the temperature control circuit 180 adjusts and controls the flow rate of the cooling gas, and is connected to the second gas driving device 181 in order to accurately adjust and control the cooling of the cooling gas, and further includes a controller 183 for controlling the second gas driving device 181. Generally, in the closed circuit formed by the accommodation space 150 and the temperature control circuit 180, the faster the cooling gas flows, the more remarkable the cooling effect and the higher the cooling efficiency.

[0069] During actual use, for some processes, rapid short-term cooling of the reaction chamber 110 is required to achieve the desired effect of the process. Based on this, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus of the present invention further includes a temperature control sub-circuit 190. The temperature control sub-circuit 190 shown in FIG. 7 communicates with the temperature control circuit 180 and the accommodation space 150, and a gate can be installed between each circuit and communicate as needed. The temperature control sub-circuit 190 includes at least two containers having a pressure difference. In this embodiment, it includes a first container 191 with an internal pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure in the accommodation space, and a second container 192 with an internal pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure in the accommodation space.

[0070] When it is necessary to rapidly cool the reaction chamber 110, the second gas driving device 181 of the temperature control circuit 180 stops operating, the first container 191 and the second container 192 of the temperature control sub-circuit 190 are opened, and due to the pressure difference among the first container 191, the second container 192, and the accommodation space 150, the gas in the closed circuit formed by the accommodation space 150, the temperature control circuit 180, and the temperature control sub-circuit 190 rapidly flows in a short time, 119 robbing the heat of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 rapidly from around the reaction chamber 110 and rapidly lowering the temperature of the reaction chamber 110. At the same time, the path of the closed circuit formed by the above three components is relatively long, providing sufficient time and path length for the heat exchange of the cooling gas, and rapid cooling of the reaction chamber 110 can be realized.

[0071] Furthermore, the temperature control sub-circuit 190 of the present invention further includes a pressure control device connected to each container to adjust the atmospheric pressure in the container. As described above, after opening the first container 191 and the second container 192 in the temperature control sub-circuit 190 to realize rapid cooling of the reaction chamber 110, when the atmospheric pressures in the first container 191 and the second container 192 become the same as the atmospheric pressure in the accommodation space 150, for use in the next rapid cooling process, the pressure control device is used to adjust the atmospheric pressures in the first container 191 and the second container 192, thereby generating a certain pressure difference between each container and the accommodation space 150. The pressure control device includes, but is not limited to, a vacuum pump, and can also include other pressure adjustment devices.

[0072] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention further provides a deposition method using the chemical vapor deposition apparatus. The method includes the steps of introducing a substrate W onto a susceptor 120 in a reaction chamber 110, and using a pressure adjustment device to adjust and control the pressure in an accommodation space 150 such that the pressure in the accommodation space 150 is lower than atmospheric pressure. 160 The method further includes the steps of performing a chemical vapor deposition process in the reaction chamber 110, and driving the gas in the accommodation space 150 to flow using a first gas driving device 161. This method not only reduces the pressure applied to the wall of the reaction chamber 110 and avoids impairing the uniformity of the thin film deposition process in the reaction chamber 110, but also serves to cool the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110. The gas flowing in the accommodation space 150 takes away the heat of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 from the outer surface of the reaction chamber 110, preventing contaminants from adhering to the inner wall of the reaction chamber 110. 119 119

[0073] The pressure adjustment device 160 is used to set the pressure in the accommodation space 150 to 0.1 to 0.6 atmospheres, reducing the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the reaction chamber 110 and weakening the pressure applied thereto, but not limited thereto. Of course, the pressure range in the accommodation space 150 is not limited to the above range and can be adjusted according to actual process requirements, and the present invention is not limited thereto. If the pressure in the accommodation space 150 is too low (<0.1 atmospheres), there are too few gas molecules in the accommodation space 150, so that the first gas driving device 161 cannot drive a large number of gas molecules to move and collide between the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 and the external housing. As a result, the heat dissipation capacity of the reaction chamber 110 is significantly reduced, inevitably generating a large amount of deposits on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 110, causing a non-uniform temperature distribution and leading to device failure due to particle drop. If the pressure is too high, the effect of the present invention of reducing the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the reaction chamber cannot be clearly obtained, and it is still necessary to install a large number of reinforcing ribs 114 on the outer wall of the cavity so that the cavity can withstand the large pressure difference on both sides. 119 119

[0074] ​​​​Furthermore, the method further includes driving, by the second gas driving device 181 of the temperature control circuit 180, a gas to flow within a closed circuit formed by the temperature control circuit 180 and the accommodation space 150, performing heat exchange on the gas within the closed circuit by the second heat exchange device 182 to keep the gas in a low temperature state, and improving the cooling effect on the reaction chamber 110.

[0075] Furthermore, when rapid cooling of the reaction chamber 110 is required for a short period in the process, the second gas driving device 181 of the temperature control circuit 180 stops operating, the first container 191 and the second container 192 of the temperature control sub-circuit 190 are opened, and the gas within the temperature control circuit 180, the temperature control sub-circuit 190, and the accommodation space 150 flows rapidly, 119 rapidly taking away the heat of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110, 119 and the method further includes the step of lowering the temperature of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110.

[0076] Based on the above method, after opening the first container 191 and the second container 192 of the temperature control sub-circuit 190, the method further includes adjusting the internal air pressure of the first container 191 and the second container 192 using a pressure control device, thereby maintaining a certain pressure difference between the first container 191 and the second container 192 and the accommodation space 150. Example 2

[0077] FIG. 8 shows a chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to this embodiment. The reaction chamber 210 of the chemical vapor deposition apparatus includes a dome-shaped top wall 211. In this embodiment, both the top wall 211 and the bottom wall 212 of the reaction chamber 210 are dome-shaped. The height from the edge of the substrate W to the top wall 211 is H1, the height from the center of the substrate W to the top wall 211 is H2, and H2 < 1.05 * H1. An external housing 240 is installed outside the reaction chamber 210. When performing the deposition process, a pressure adjustment device 260 is used to adjust the air pressure in the accommodation space 250 between the two to be lower than the atmospheric pressure, and a plurality of radiant heat sources 230 are installed inside the accommodation space 250 to provide thermal energy.

[0078] In this embodiment, in addition to the air pressure in the accommodation space 250 being lower than the atmospheric pressure, the top wall 211 and the bottom wall 212 of the reaction chamber 210 have a dome structure with a smaller arc, and the ability to withstand the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the reaction chamber 210 is stronger. Therefore, without adding reinforcing ribs to the walls of the reaction chamber 210, the reaction chamber 210 can achieve a greater pressure resistance. At the same time, since the curvature of the dome of the reaction chamber 210 is small, the general problem of irregular gas flow distribution in the dome structure is avoided, and the horizontal flow state of the reaction gas can still be maintained within the reaction region of the reaction chamber 210. The double-chamber structure of this embodiment reduces the pressure difference that the dome-shaped reaction chamber 210 needs to withstand, lowers the height of the dome, and prevents large-scale vertical diffusion of the gas flow in the reaction chamber 210. This structure improves the uniformity of the gas flow in the reaction chamber 210, improves the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate W, and ensures the yield of substrate W production.

[0079] Similar to Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus further includes components such as a gas driving device, a temperature control circuit, and a temperature control sub-circuit. The gas in the temperature control circuit flows into the space between the external housing 240 and the reaction chamber 210 from the top of the accommodation space 250 and flows out from the bottom of the accommodation space 250, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, for the other structures of this embodiment and the connection and operation methods of each component, they can all be the same as those in Embodiment 1, and no further explanation and limitation will be provided here.

[0080] As described above, in the chemical vapor deposition apparatus and its method of the present invention, the apparatus combines a reaction chamber 110, an external housing 140, and a pressure adjustment device 160 and the like. In the process, the pressure adjustment device 160By doing so, the air pressure in the accommodation space 150 between the reaction chamber 110 and the external housing 140 is made lower than the atmospheric pressure, thereby not only reducing the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the reaction chamber 110 and relaxing the pressure applied to the reaction chamber 110, but also further ensuring the uniformity of the gas flow and heating uniformity in the reaction chamber 110, improving the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate W, and improving the yield of substrate W production.

[0081] Furthermore, the apparatus further includes a first gas driving device that promotes the flow of gas in the accommodation space 150, and the gas flow takes heat from the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 119 and reduces the temperature of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 within a certain range, realizing uniform cooling of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110, preventing the deposition of contaminants on the reaction chamber 110, and ensuring the cleanliness of the vacuum environment. 119 from the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110 119 and realizes uniform cooling of the outer wall of the reaction chamber 110, preventing the deposition of contaminants on the reaction chamber 110, and ensuring the cleanliness of the vacuum environment.

[0082] Furthermore, the apparatus further includes a temperature control circuit 180 that forms a closed circuit with the accommodation space 150, and realizes the flow and heat exchange of the cooling gas in the closed circuit through the second gas driving device 181 and the second heat exchange device 182, improving the cooling efficiency of the reaction chamber 110.

[0083] Furthermore, the apparatus includes a temperature control sub-circuit 190 including a first container 191 and a second container 192 having a pressure difference with the accommodation space 150, realizes rapid cooling of the reaction chamber 110 in a short period of time, realizes a desired cooling effect, realizes the adjustment and control of the process, and ensures the thin film deposition effect on the substrate W.

[0084] Furthermore, the reaction chamber 110 in the apparatus may have a dome-shaped structure. The height from the edge of the substrate W to the top wall is H1, and the height from the center of the substrate W to the top wall is H2, where H2 < 1.05 * H1. The dome-shaped reaction chamber 110 has a stronger pressure resistance capacity, eliminating the need to add structures such as reinforcing ribs 114, enabling a greater pressure resistance capacity to be achieved without affecting the heat transfer efficiency of the radiant heat source. Also, the curvature of the dome structure of the reaction chamber 110 is small, and no large-scale vertically diffusing gas flow occurs in the gas flow within the reaction chamber 110. Therefore, this structure improves the uniformity of the gas flow distribution within the reaction chamber 110, enhances the uniformity of thin film deposition on the substrate W, and ensures the yield of substrate W production.

[0085] In some embodiments, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus is an epitaxial growth processing apparatus used for homoepitaxial processes such as silicon epitaxy. In this epitaxial growth processing apparatus, since the gas flow needs to flow uniformly along a direction parallel to the susceptor 120, the gas supply port 117 and the exhaust port 118 are installed at both ends of the reaction chamber 110, thereby forming an elongated gas flow path inside the reaction chamber 110.

[0086] In addition to being used in the above chemical vapor deposition reactor or epitaxial growth processing apparatus, the present invention can also be used in other vacuum processing apparatuses such as rapid thermal processing (RTP) apparatuses. The substrate is directly placed into a rapid thermal processing apparatus equipped with a processing gas, and the substrate is rapidly heated by a heating lamp assembly installed above and below the processing apparatus to process the surface of the substrate, but the processing gas does not react to form a new thin film on the substrate. A vacuum state is also required inside the rapid thermal processing reactor, and since the lamp assembly and the internal space of the reactor are separated by a transparent reaction chamber wall, the present invention can also be applied to this use, and the designed thickness of the reaction chamber wall can be reduced. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to any vacuum reaction chamber that requires heating of the lamp assembly.

[0087] As described above, the content of the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above description. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the present invention based on the above content. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A reaction chamber having an air supply port and an exhaust port, and inside which a susceptor for placing a substrate is installed, An external housing installed outside the reaction chamber, with an accommodation space formed between its inner wall and the outer wall of the reaction chamber, A plurality of radiant heat sources installed in the accommodation space for heating the substrate through the outer wall of the reaction chamber, When performing epitaxial growth, an air pressure adjustment device for independently adjusting and controlling the air pressures in the reaction chamber and the accommodation space so that the air pressure in the accommodation space is lower than atmospheric pressure and higher than the air pressure in the reaction chamber. A chemical vapor deposition apparatus characterized by including this.

2. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gas driving device for promoting the flow of gas in the accommodation space.

3. The gas driving device is installed in the accommodation space and drives the gas to flow around the outer wall of the reaction chamber and the inner wall of the external housing in the accommodation space, and a first heat exchange device is further installed in the external housing. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by this.

4. The reaction chamber includes an air supply region corresponding to the air supply port, an exhaust region corresponding to the exhaust port, and a reaction region located between the air supply region and the exhaust region, A plurality of reinforcing ribs are further installed on the outer wall of the reaction chamber, and the density of the reinforcing ribs located on the outer wall of the reaction region is smaller than the density of the reinforcing ribs located on the outer walls of the air supply regions or the exhaust regions on both sides. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by this.

5. The reaction chamber includes an air supply region corresponding to the air supply port, an exhaust region corresponding to the exhaust port, and a reaction region located between the air supply region and the exhaust region, One reaction region reinforcing rib is installed on the outer wall of the reaction region, the downward projection of the reaction region reinforcing rib penetrates the center of the substrate, and the reinforcing rib adjacent to the reaction region reinforcing rib is located on the outer wall of the reaction chamber corresponding to the air supply region or the exhaust region. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by this.

6. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that both the reinforcing rib and the reaction chamber are made of quartz.

7. The bottom of the reaction chamber includes an extension pipe extending downward, a rotation axis is installed in the extension pipe, and the top of the rotation axis is used to support and drive the susceptor so that the substrate rotates in the reaction chamber. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

8. The reaction chamber includes a dome-shaped top wall, the height from the edge of the substrate to the top wall is H1, the height from the center of the substrate to the top wall is H2, and H2 < 1.05 * H1. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

9. Both ends of the reaction chamber include a first flange and a second flange, and the first flange and the second flange are respectively in close contact with a first fixture and a second fixture in the external housing. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

10. The external housing includes a top plate, a bottom plate and a side wall, and the top plate, the bottom plate and the side wall form an accommodation space together with the outer wall of the reaction chamber, the first fixture and the second fixture. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that.

11. The external housing is made of aluminum, and the first fixture and the second fixture are made of stainless steel. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that.

12. A coolant pipe is installed inside the external housing, the first fixture and the second fixture. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that.

13. It further includes a temperature control circuit that communicates with the accommodation space to form a closed circuit, and inside the closed circuit, there are included the gas driving device that drives the gas to flow into the closed circuit and a second heat exchange device for cooling the gas in the closed circuit. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that.

14. The gas in the temperature control circuit flows into the accommodation space from the top and / or bottom of the accommodation space, and the gas in the accommodation space flows out of the accommodation space through both sides of the accommodation space. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that.

15. The gas is air, helium gas, nitrogen gas, or a mixture of nitrogen and helium. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that.

16. It further includes a temperature control sub-circuit communicating with the temperature control circuit, and the temperature control sub-circuit includes a first container with an internal air pressure higher than the air pressure in the accommodation space and a second container with an internal air pressure lower than the air pressure in the accommodation space. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 13 is characterized by this.

17. The exhaust end of the external housing includes an external housing end plate, there is a gap between the external housing end plate and the first fastener, and at least one pressure device applying a pressing force to the first fastener is installed in the gap or outside the external housing. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 9 is characterized by this.

18. The step of introducing a substrate into a susceptor in a reaction chamber; The step of adjusting and controlling the air pressure in the accommodation space using an air pressure adjustment device so that the air pressure in the accommodation space becomes smaller than atmospheric pressure; The step of performing a chemical vapor deposition process in the reaction chamber; The deposition method using the chemical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 2, including the step of driving the gas in the accommodation space to flow using a gas driving device.

19. The deposition method according to claim 18, characterized in that the air pressure in the accommodation space is set to 0.1 to 0.6 atmospheres using an air pressure adjustment device.

20. An epitaxial growth processing device, A reaction chamber with an air supply port and an exhaust port installed at both ends and a susceptor for placing a substrate installed inside it. The reaction chamber includes an air supply region corresponding to the air supply port, an exhaust region corresponding to the exhaust port, and a reaction region located between the air supply region and the exhaust region. The air supply port and the exhaust port are used to form a reaction gas flow parallel to the susceptor. The reaction chamber; An external housing installed outside the reaction chamber, with an accommodation space formed between its inner wall and the outer wall of the reaction chamber. The accommodation space is connected to a first air pressure adjustment device. The external housing; A plurality of radiant heat sources installed in the accommodation space and each installed outside the reaction chamber to heat the substrate; A second air pressure adjustment device communicating with the reaction chamber; The first air pressure adjustment device and the second air pressure adjustment device are independently controlled so that the air pressure in the accommodation space is lower than atmospheric pressure and higher than the air pressure in the reaction chamber when performing epitaxial growth. The processing device is characterized by this.

21. The reaction chamber further includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs installed on its outer wall, and the density of the reinforcing ribs located on the outer wall of the reaction region is smaller than the density of the reinforcing ribs located on the outer walls of the air supply regions or the exhaust regions on both sides. The processing apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that.

22. The bottom of the reaction chamber includes an extension pipe extending downward, a rotating shaft is installed in the extension pipe, and the top of the rotating shaft is used to support and drive the susceptor so that the susceptor rotates in the reaction chamber. The processing apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that.

23. The processing apparatus further includes a temperature control circuit that communicates with the accommodation space to form a closed circuit. Inside the closed circuit, there are included a gas driving device for driving the gas to flow in the closed circuit and a heat exchange device for cooling the gas. The processing apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that.

24. The processing apparatus according to claim 20, further including a gas driving device for promoting the flow of the gas in the accommodation space.

25. A vacuum processing chamber having an air supply port and an exhaust port, and inside which a susceptor for placing a substrate is installed, An external housing installed outside the vacuum processing chamber, and an accommodation space is formed between its inner wall and the outer wall of the vacuum processing chamber, A plurality of radiant heat sources installed in the accommodation space for heating the substrate through the outer wall of the vacuum processing chamber, An air pressure adjustment device for independently adjusting and controlling the air pressures inside the vacuum processing chamber and inside the accommodation space, Both ends of the vacuum processing chamber include a first flange and a second flange, and the first flange and the second flange are respectively in close contact with a first fixture and a second fixture in the external housing, The exhaust end of the external housing includes an external housing end plate, and there is a gap between the external housing end plate and the second fixture. At least one pressure device is installed in the gap or outside the external housing to apply a pressing force to the second fixture. A vacuum processing apparatus, characterized in that.

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