Method and System for Manufacturing Composite Crystal

The multi-cavity growth apparatus addresses the challenge of producing uniformly sized and thick semiconductor crystals by integrating substrate and target crystals within the composite crystals through vapor phase growth, eliminating the need for further processing.

JP7699220B2Active Publication Date: 2025-06-26MEISHAN BOYA ADVANCED MATERIALS CO LTD
View PDF 17 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023561027
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-04-02
Publication Date
2025-06-26
Estimated Expiration
2041-04-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The demand for semiconductor crystals with precise size and thickness uniformity is increasing, but existing crystal cutting and polishing processes often fail to meet these requirements, necessitating a method for manufacturing composite crystals that do not require additional processing.

Method used

A multi-cavity growth apparatus is used to sequentially transport and process substrates through various cavities, including in-situ etching, carbonization, growth, and buffer cavities, to grow target crystals via vapor phase growth, resulting in composite crystals with the substrate and target crystal integrated.

Benefits of technology

This method enables the production of composite crystals with controlled basal plane dislocation density, achieving the desired size and thickness uniformity without the need for additional processing steps, thus meeting the stringent requirements of semiconductor crystals.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 0007699220000001
    Figure 0007699220000001
  • Figure 0007699220000002
    Figure 0007699220000002
  • Figure 0007699220000003
    Figure 0007699220000003
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

An embodiment of the present specification discloses a method for producing a composite crystal in a multi-cavity growth apparatus (200) including multiple cavities, the method including the steps of sequentially transferring and processing a substrate between the multiple cavities, and growing a crystal in one of the multiple cavities by a vapor phase epitaxy method to obtain a composite crystal including the substrate and a target crystal.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the technical field of crystal manufacturing, and particularly to a method and system for manufacturing composite crystals.

Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, the demand for semiconductor crystals is increasing. Since semiconductor crystals have characteristics such as small size and thin thickness, the requirements for the crystal cutting and polishing processes are high. For example, if the size and thickness of the cut crystals are not uniform, or the polished crystals are not flat, the requirements for semiconductor crystals cannot be met.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide a method and system for manufacturing composite crystals that produce target crystals that do not require processing and cutting.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] A method for manufacturing a composite crystal performed in a multi-cavity growth apparatus including a plurality of cavities according to an aspect of an embodiment of this specification includes the steps of sequentially transporting and processing at least one substrate between the plurality of cavities, and growing a target crystal by a vapor phase growth method in one of the plurality of cavities to obtain at least one composite crystal including the substrate and the target crystal.

[0005] In some embodiments, before sequentially transporting and processing the at least one substrate between the plurality of cavities, the method further includes the step of performing a polishing process on the at least one substrate.

[0006] In some embodiments, before sequentially transporting and processing the at least one substrate between the plurality of cavities, the method further includes the step of performing a cleaning process on the at least one substrate.

[0007] In some embodiments, in the first temperature range, the method uses an etching solution to ultrasonically clean the composite crystal for more than the first hour to obtain the target crystal with a basal plane dislocation density of 120 to 2000 cm -2 .

[0008] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes at least an in-situ etching cavity, a carbonization cavity, a growth cavity, a buffer cavity, and a transfer assembly. By the transfer assembly, at least one substrate is sequentially passed through the in-situ etching cavity, the carbonization cavity, the growth cavity, and the buffer cavity for processing.

[0009] In some embodiments, before completing the step of transferring and processing the at least one substrate between the plurality of cavities in sequence, the method starts to transfer and process at least one substrate of another lot between the plurality of cavities, and further includes the step of simultaneously transferring and processing the at least one substrate of the two lots in different cavities respectively.

[0010] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes a vacuum cavity. The method includes the steps of placing the at least one substrate in the vacuum cavity before processing the at least one substrate in the in-situ etching cavity, adjusting the pressure of the vacuum cavity and the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity to a first pressure range, and transferring the at least one substrate to the in-situ etching cavity by the transfer assembly.

[0011] In some embodiments, the step of processing the at least one substrate in the in-situ etching cavity includes maintaining the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity within a second pressure range and the temperature within a second temperature range within a second time period, introducing hydrogen gas until the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity reaches atmospheric pressure, and maintaining the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity within a third temperature range and performing an in-situ etching process within a third time period.

[0012] In some embodiments, the step of processing the at least one substrate in the carbonization cavity includes maintaining the pressure of the carbonization cavity within a third pressure range and the temperature within a fourth temperature range and performing a carbonization process within a fourth time period.

[0013] In some embodiments, the carbonization process includes adjusting the temperature of the carbonization cavity to the third temperature range, transporting the at least one substrate into the carbonization cavity by the transport assembly, adjusting the temperature of the carbonization cavity to a fifth temperature range and the pressure to a fourth pressure range, simultaneously introducing propane gas and hydrogen gas until the pressure reaches the third pressure range, and maintaining the pressure of the carbonization cavity within the third pressure range and the temperature within the fourth temperature range and performing a carbonization process within a fourth time period.

[0014] In some embodiments, the step of processing the at least one substrate in the growth cavity includes maintaining the temperature of the growth cavity within a sixth temperature range and the pressure within the fourth pressure range, introducing reaction raw materials, adjusting the pressure to a fifth pressure range, and performing a crystal growth process.

[0015] In some embodiments, the crystal growth process includes adjusting the temperature of the growth cavity to the fourth temperature range and the pressure to the third pressure range, transporting at least one substrate to the growth cavity by the transfer assembly, adjusting the temperature of the growth cavity to the sixth temperature range, adjusting the pressure to the fourth pressure range, introducing silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas until the fifth pressure range is reached to perform crystal growth, and stopping crystal growth when the thickness of the target crystal reaches the target thickness.

[0016] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes a positioner. The step of transporting at least one substrate to the growth cavity by the transfer assembly includes stopping the operation of the transfer assembly when the positioner determines that the at least one substrate is at a predetermined position within the growth cavity.

[0017] In some embodiments, the step of processing at least one substrate in the buffer cavity includes maintaining the temperature of the buffer cavity in the seventh temperature range within a fifth time period and performing a cooling and temperature reduction process.

[0018] In some embodiments, the cooling and temperature reduction process includes adjusting the temperature of the buffer cavity to the sixth temperature range, transporting the composite crystal to the buffer cavity by the transfer assembly, adjusting the temperature of the buffer cavity to the seventh temperature range, maintaining the temperature of the buffer cavity in the seventh temperature range within a fifth time period, and performing a cooling and temperature reduction process.

[0019] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes a terminal cavity. The method further includes maintaining the temperature of the terminal cavity at room temperature, transporting the composite crystal to the terminal cavity by the transfer assembly, and cooling the composite crystal to room temperature.

[0020] A manufacturing system for composite crystals applied to a crystal manufacturing process according to one aspect of the embodiments of the present specification includes at least one memory storing computer instructions, and communicates with the at least one memory. When executing the computer instructions, the system is caused to perform steps of sequentially transporting and processing at least one substrate between a plurality of cavities, and growing a target crystal by a vapor phase growth method in one of the plurality of cavities to obtain at least one composite crystal including the substrate and the target crystal, and at least one processor.

[0021] In some embodiments, the at least one processor causes the system to ultrasonically clean the composite crystal with an etching solution for a first time period exceeding one hour in a first temperature range to obtain the target crystal with a basal plane dislocation density of 120 - 2000 cm -2 to perform the step.

[0022] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes at least an in-situ etching cavity, a carbonization cavity, a growth cavity, a buffer cavity, and a transfer assembly. The at least one processor causes the system to perform steps of passing at least one substrate through the in-situ etching cavity, the carbonization cavity, the growth cavity, and the buffer cavity in sequence by the transfer assembly for processing.

[0023] In some embodiments, the at least one processor causes the system to start transporting and processing at least one substrate of another lot between a plurality of cavities before completing transporting and processing the at least one substrate between the plurality of cavities in sequence, and perform steps of simultaneously transporting and processing the at least one substrate of the two lots in different cavities respectively.

[0024] A computer-readable storage medium according to one aspect of the embodiments of the present specification stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the method described in any of the embodiments of the present specification is realized.

[0025] A multi-cavity growth apparatus applied to a crystal manufacturing process according to one aspect of the embodiments of the present specification includes an in-situ etching cavity, a carbonization cavity, a growth cavity for growing a target crystal by a vapor phase growth method to obtain at least one composite crystal of a substrate and the target crystal, a buffer cavity, and a transfer assembly. The transfer assembly sequentially passes the at least one substrate through the in-situ etching cavity, the carbonization cavity, the growth cavity, and the buffer cavity for processing.

[0026] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus further includes a vacuum cavity.

[0027] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus further includes a terminal cavity.

[0028] In some embodiments, the transfer assembly includes at least two rotatable cylindrical rollers arranged in parallel, and the rotatable cylindrical rollers are located side by side below each cavity.

[0029] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes a tray, and at least one groove for placing at least one substrate is provided in the tray.

[0030] In some embodiments, the growth cavity includes a rotation axis.

[0031] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes a positioner.

[0032] In some embodiments, the in-situ etching cavity, the carbonization cavity, and the growth cavity each include at least one intake pipeline.

[0033] In some embodiments, the vacuum cavity, the in-situ etching cavity, the carbonization cavity, and the growth cavity each include at least one exhaust pipeline.

[0034] In some embodiments, a heating element is installed in each of the in-situ etching cavity, the carbonization cavity, the growth cavity, and the buffer cavity.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0035]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0036] In order to more clearly explain the technical means of the embodiments in this specification, the drawings necessary for explaining the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some examples or embodiments of this specification, and for those skilled in the art, without creative effort, and further, this specification can be applied to other similar situations based on these drawings. Unless it is obvious in the language environment or otherwise stated, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same structure or operation.

[0037] As used herein, "system", "device", "unit" and / or "module" are ways to distinguish different assemblies, elements, components, parts or assemblies at different levels. However, it should be understood that if other words can achieve the same purpose, the above words can be replaced by other expressions.

[0038] As shown in this specification and the claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, words such as "a", "one", "a kind" and / or "said" do not particularly refer to the singular but can mean the plural. Generally, the terms "comprising" and "containing" merely indicate that they include the steps and elements that have already been clearly identified, but these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive listing, and the method or device may also include other steps and elements.

[0039] In this specification, flowcharts are used to describe the operations performed by the system according to the embodiments of this specification. The previous or subsequent operations are not necessarily executed exactly in accordance with the order. On the contrary, the steps may be processed in the reverse order or simultaneously. At the same time, it should be understood that other operations may be added to these processes, and operations of one or more steps may be removed from these processes.

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of exemplary hardware and / or software of a crystal manufacturing system according to some embodiments.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the crystal manufacturing system 100 may include a control module 101, a detection module 102, a heating module 103, a polishing module 104, a cleaning module 105, a vacuum module 106, an etching module 107, a carbonization module 108, a growth module 109, a drive module 110, a mechanical structure 111, a communication module 112, a power supply module 113, and an input / output module 114. The modules, units, and sub-units described in this specification are realized by hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. The hardware realization method may include being realized by a circuit or structure composed of physical members. The software realization method may include storing operations corresponding to the modules, units, and sub-units in the memory in the form of code and executing them by appropriate hardware, such as a microprocessor. When the modules, units, and sub-units described in this specification execute their operations, unless otherwise specified, it may refer to the execution of software code including the function, or it may refer to the use of hardware having the function. Also, when the modules, units, and sub-units described in this specification correspond to hardware, the structure of the corresponding hardware is not limited, and any hardware that can realize its function is included in the protection scope of this specification. For example, different modules, units, and sub-units described in this specification may correspond to the same hardware structure. Also, for example, the same module, unit, and sub-unit described in this specification may correspond to a plurality of independent hardware structures.

[0042] The control module 101 can be associated with other modules. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the operating states of other modules (e.g., the detection module 102, the heating module 103, the drive module 110, the communication module 112, the power supply module 113, etc.). In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the drive module 110 to start or stop. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the power supply power, power supply time, etc. of the power supply module 113. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can manage the data acquisition or transmission process of the communication module 112.

[0043] The detection module 102 detects the process parameters of the system, such as temperature, pressure, gas flow rate, grown thickness of crystals, etc. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 can send the detection results of the system's process parameters to the control module 101, and the control module 101 can execute subsequent operations or instructions based on the detection results. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 can monitor the temperature in the growth cavity and send the temperature data to the control module 101. The control module 101 determines whether to adjust the operating parameters (such as heating current, heating power, etc.) of the heating module 103 to control the temperature in the growth cavity based on the temperature data fed back in real time by the detection module 102. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 can monitor the pressure in the vacuum cavity and send the pressure data to the control module 101. The control module 101 determines whether to continue evacuating the vacuum cavity based on the pressure data fed back in real time by the detection module 102. If so, the control module 101 can control the vacuum module 106 to evacuate the vacuum cavity. Otherwise, the control module 101 can control the vacuum module 106 to stop evacuating and maintain the current degree of vacuum. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 can monitor the flow rates of various gas raw materials and send the flow rate data to the control module 101. The control module 101 determines whether to adjust the flow rates of various gas raw materials to control the component ratio of the gas raw materials or the grown thickness of the crystals based on the flow rates of the gas raw materials fed back in real time by the detection module 102.

[0044] The heating module 103 provides the thermal energy required by the system. In some embodiments, the heating module 103 can heat the growth cavity or the in-situ etching cavity. In some embodiments, the heating module 103 may include a heating assembly such as a resistive heater, an induction coil, etc. The resistive heater may include a graphite resistor or a globar resistor. In some embodiments, the heating module 103 is used in combination with one or more other modules or cavities, or is attached inside or outside one or more other modules or cavities to provide the thermal energy required by the other module or cavity. In some embodiments, subsystems of the heating module 103 are attached to the growth cavity and the in-situ etching cavity respectively so as to control the temperatures inside the growth cavity and the in-situ etching cavity respectively.

[0045] In some embodiments, the polishing module 104 controls the polishing process of the substrate. In some embodiments, before manufacturing a crystal using the substrate, it is necessary to perform pretreatment on the surface of the substrate (especially the crystal growth surface) to keep the surface clean and flat. In some embodiments, the pretreatment may include a polishing process and a cleaning process. In some embodiments, the polishing process is completed in a polishing apparatus. The polishing apparatus may include a polishing machine. In some embodiments, the substrate is placed in the polishing apparatus by a mechanical structure 111 (such as a manipulator) and polished. In some embodiments, the polishing module can control the polishing apparatus to first polish the back surface of the substrate (the surface opposite to the crystal growth surface) to flatten its surface, and then perform fine polishing on the front surface of the substrate (the crystal growth surface) to remove surface scratches and defects.

[0046] In some embodiments, the cleaning module 105 controls the cleaning process of the substrate. In some embodiments, the cleaning process is completed in a cleaning device. In some embodiments, the cleaning device may include an ultrasonic cleaner. The substrate is placed in the cleaning device by a mechanical structure 111 (e.g., a manipulator), and the substrate is cleaned at least twice by the action of at least one cleaning liquid and ultrasonic waves. After the cleaning is completed, it can be taken out of the cleaning liquid by the mechanical structure 111 and the surface of the substrate can be blown with gas to dry. In some embodiments, the cleaning liquid may include acetone, alcohol, or deionized water. In some embodiments, the substrate can be cleaned in sequence using acetone, alcohol, or deionized water. In some embodiments, the gas used to blow and dry the surface of the substrate is an inert gas. In some embodiments, the gas used to blow and dry the surface of the substrate is nitrogen gas with a purity exceeding 99%.

[0047] In some embodiments, the cleaning module 105 can control the chemical etching process and the cleaning process of the composite crystal. In some embodiments, the chemical etching process and the cleaning process can be completed in a cleaning device. In some embodiments, the composite crystal is placed in the cleaning device by a mechanical structure 111 (e.g., a manipulator), and the substrate on the composite crystal is dissolved and removed by the action of a certain temperature, an alkaline solution, and ultrasonic waves to obtain a target crystal (e.g., a silicon carbide crystal). In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may include an NaOH solution or a KOH solution. The silicon carbide crystal from which the substrate has been removed is continuously placed in the cleaning device by the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., a manipulator), and it can be cleaned by the action of a cleaning liquid (e.g., isopropanol or deionized water) and ultrasonic waves to obtain a silicon carbide crystal without the substrate. The quality of the silicon carbide crystal is indicated by the basal plane dislocation density (the number of defects per unit area). In some embodiments, the basal plane dislocation density of the silicon carbide crystal is 100 - 2200 cm -2 -2. In some embodiments, the basal plane dislocation density of the silicon carbide crystal is 120 - 2000 cm -2 -2. In some embodiments, the basal plane dislocation density of the silicon carbide crystal is 200 - 1800 cm -2is. In some embodiments, the basal plane dislocation density of the silicon carbide crystal is 500 to 1500 cm -2 is. In some embodiments, the basal plane dislocation density of the silicon carbide crystal is 700 to 1300 cm -2 is. In some embodiments, the basal plane dislocation density of the silicon carbide crystal is 900 to 1100 cm -2 is.

[0048] In some embodiments, the vacuum module 106 controls the vacuum evacuation process of the system. The vacuum evacuation process controls a vacuum evacuation device to evacuate each cavity (for example, an in-situ etching cavity, a carbonization cavity, a growth cavity) until a certain gas pressure is reached. In some embodiments, the vacuum evacuation device may include a vacuum pump. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 can detect the pressure in each cavity respectively and transmit the pressure data to the control module 101, and the control module 101 executes subsequent operations or instructions based on the pressure data. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 transmits the pressure data in the in-situ etching cavity or the vacuum cavity to the control module 101, and when the control module 101 determines based on the pressure data that it is necessary to continue evacuating the in-situ etching cavity or the vacuum cavity, the control module 101 controls the vacuum evacuation device to continue evacuating the in-situ etching cavity or the vacuum cavity. In some embodiments, the vacuum evacuation device may include at least one vacuum pump, and each of the at least one vacuum pump is connected to each cavity that requires pressure control and can evacuate each cavity independently.

[0049] In some embodiments, the etching module 107 controls the in-situ etching process of the substrate. In some embodiments, the in-situ etching process is performed within the in-situ etching cavity. The in-situ etching cavity includes one or more passages, one or more gas inlets / outlets, a heating assembly, and a transfer assembly. In some embodiments, the mechanical structure 111 transports the substrate into the in-situ etching cavity, and performs an in-situ etching process on the surface of the substrate under a constant temperature, a constant pressure, and the action of a gas. In some embodiments, the vacuum module 106 evacuates the in-situ etching cavity until a constant gas pressure is reached, slowly raises the temperature to a constant temperature and maintains it for a certain period of time, introduces a gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) until normal pressure is reached, raises the temperature to a constant temperature and maintains it for a certain period of time, and performs the in-situ etching process.

[0050] During the in-situ etching process, the detection module 102 can monitor the temperature and pressure within the in-situ etching cavity in real time and transmit the temperature and pressure data to the control module 101. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the heating module 103 to adjust the temperature within the in-situ etching cavity by adjusting the operating parameters of the heating assembly based on the temperature transmitted by the detection module 102. The control module 101 can control the vacuum module 106 to adjust the operating parameters of the evacuation device based on the pressure data transmitted by the detection module 102, or control the mechanical structure 111 to adjust the gas flow rate, thereby adjusting the pressure within the in-situ etching cavity. After the in-situ etching process is completed, the substrate can be transported out of the in-situ etching cavity. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can open one or more passages on the in-situ etching cavity and control the drive module 110 to transport the substrate out of the in-situ etching cavity by the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., the transfer assembly).

[0051] In some embodiments, the carbonization module 108 controls the carbonization process of the substrate. In some embodiments, the carbonization process is performed in a carbonization cavity. The carbonization cavity includes one or more passages, one or more gas inlets and outlets, a heating assembly, and a transfer assembly. In some embodiments, the mechanical structure 111 transports the substrate into the carbonization cavity, and carbonizes the substrate under the action of a constant temperature, a constant pressure, and a gas. In some embodiments, the temperature of the carbonization cavity is preheated to a certain temperature. After the substrate is transported into the carbonization cavity by the transfer assembly, the temperature of the carbonization cavity is cooled down to another temperature, and after evacuation until a certain gas pressure is reached, heating begins. At the same time, gas (e.g., propane gas, hydrogen gas) is introduced until a certain gas pressure is reached, and after the temperature reaches a certain temperature, it is maintained for a certain period of time, and the carbonization process can be performed.

[0052] In the carbonization process, the detection module 102 can monitor the temperature and pressure data in the carbonization cavity in real time and transmit the temperature and pressure data to the control module 101. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the heating module 103 to adjust the temperature in the carbonization cavity by adjusting the operating parameters of the heating assembly based on the temperature transmitted by the detection module 102. The control module 101 can control the vacuum module 106 to adjust the operating parameters of the vacuum device based on the pressure data transmitted by the detection module 102, or control the mechanical structure 111 to adjust the gas flow rate, thereby adjusting the pressure in the carbonization cavity. After the carbonization process is completed, the substrate can be transported out of the carbonization cavity. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can open one or more passages on the carbonization cavity and control the drive module 110 to transport the substrate out of the growth cavity by the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., the transfer assembly).

[0053] In some embodiments, the growth module 109 controls the crystal growth process. The crystal growth method may include a vapor phase growth method, a liquid phase growth method, a pulling method, a hydrothermal synthesis method, a Bernoulli method, etc. In particular, the vapor phase growth method introduces a vapor containing gaseous and liquid reactants that make up the thin film elements or other gases necessary for the reaction into the reaction environment, a chemical reaction occurs on the surface of the substrate, and a solid product is deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film. The vapor phase growth method may include a physical vapor phase growth method and a chemical vapor phase growth method. In some embodiments, the chemical vapor phase growth method may be a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), a plasma chemical vapor deposition (PCVD), a laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD), a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), an ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHVCVD), an ultrasonic chemical vapor deposition (UWCVD), etc.

[0054] In some embodiments, the crystal growth is completed within the growth cavity. The growth cavity may be a tank-type growth cavity, or may be a tube-type growth cavity, a tower-type growth cavity, a fluidized bed or a fixed bed.

[0055] In some embodiments, the growth cavity may include one or more passages, one or more gas inlets and outlets, a heating assembly, and a rotating assembly.

[0056] In some embodiments, the substrate is transported into the growth cavity by the mechanical structure 111, and a crystal growth process is performed on the surface of the substrate under constant temperature and constant pressure. Specifically, the growth cavity can be heated to a predetermined temperature, which varies depending on the grown crystal and may be maintained constant throughout the growth process or adjusted during the growth process according to the crystal growth method. The temperature is monitored by the detection module 102 and can be accurately controlled by the control module 101 controlling the heating module 103. Some gases are introduced. During the growth process, the growth cavity can be maintained at a predetermined pressure, which varies depending on the grown crystal and may be maintained constant throughout the growth process or adjusted during the growth process according to the crystal growth method. The pressure is monitored by the detection module 102 and can be accurately controlled by the control module 101 controlling the drive module 110. When controlling the temperature and pressure, vapor growth is performed on the surface of the substrate in the growth cavity to grow crystals. The detection module 102 can monitor the grown thickness of the crystal, and based on parameters such as the crystal growth rate and thickness, the control module 101 controls the temperature, pressure, and flow rates of various gases in the growth cavity. When the crystal reaches a predetermined thickness, the control module 101 controls the drive module 110 to control the mechanical structure 111 to stop the crystal growth. Specifically, the control module 101 can control the drive module 110 to open one or more passages and transport the substrate on which the crystal has grown out of the growth cavity by the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., the transport assembly).

[0057] In some embodiments, the crystal growth apparatus may include a buffer cavity for cooling the composite crystal. The buffer cavity includes one or more passages, one or more gas inlets and outlets, a heating assembly, and a transport assembly. In some embodiments, the mechanical structure 111 transports the composite crystal into the buffer cavity and cools it at a constant temperature. The cooled composite crystal can be transported out of the buffer cavity. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can open one or more passages on the buffer cavity and control the drive module 110 so that the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., the transport assembly) transports the composite crystal out of the buffer cavity.

[0058] In some embodiments, the crystal growth apparatus may further include a terminal cavity for further cooling the composite crystal. The terminal cavity includes one or more passages, one or more gas inlets and outlets, a heating assembly, and a transport assembly. The cooled composite crystal in the buffer cavity is transported into the terminal cavity by the mechanical structure 111 and further cooled at a constant temperature. The cooled composite crystal can be transported out of the terminal cavity. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can open one or more passages on the terminal cavity and control the drive module 110 so that the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., the transport assembly) transports the composite crystal out of the terminal cavity.

[0059] In some embodiments, the driving module 110 may include one or more driving force sources. In some embodiments, the driving force source may include a driving motor that uses electric drive. In some embodiments, the driving motor may be one or a combination of multiple types such as a DC motor, an AC induction motor, a permanent magnet motor, and a switched reluctance motor. In some embodiments, the driving module 110 may include one or more driving motors. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 detects that the grown thickness of the crystal meets the process requirements, and the control module 101 controls the driving module 110 to operate so as to drive the mechanical structure 111 to perform corresponding operations. In some embodiments, the control module 101 sends a command, and the command includes an electrical signal including the required operating state and duration. The driving force source of the driving module 110 is correspondingly set based on the content of the electrical signal (for example, the driving motor in the driving module 110 rotates at a specific rotational speed per minute for a specific time correspondingly), and the rotation of the driving motor moves to change the state of the mechanical structure 111 connected to the driving motor (for example, the forward and stop of the conveying assembly, the opening and closing of the cavity passage, the opening and closing of the gas inlet and outlet), and conveys the composite crystal from the growth cavity. In some embodiments, when the polishing module 104 performs a polishing process on the substrate, the control module 101 sends a control command to the driving module 110, and the driving module 110 drives the polishing device to operate based on the control command.

[0060] The mechanical structure 111 is not limited to the above-mentioned conveying assembly, passage, gas inlet and outlet, polishing device, etc., and may be other structures. The specific structure depends on the types of structures required for the crystal manufacturing system 100 and is not limited here. The mechanical structure of any device that can use the crystal manufacturing method included in this specification is included in the protection scope of this specification.

[0061] In some embodiments, the communication module 112 can be used for the exchange of information or data. In some embodiments, the communication module 112 can be used for communication between internal assemblies of the crystal manufacturing system 100 (e.g., the control module 101, the detection module 102, the heating module 103, the vacuum module 106, the input / output module 114, and / or the drive module 110). In some embodiments, the detection module 102 can send system information (e.g., data such as temperature, pressure, gas flow rate, etc.) to the communication module 112, and the communication module 112 can send the information to the control module 101, so that the control module 101 can determine whether to adjust the operating parameters of other modules (e.g., the heating module 103, the vacuum module 106). If it is determined that the operating parameters need to be adjusted, the control module 101 will send the adjusted operating parameters to the relevant module through the communication module 112. In some embodiments, the communication module 112 can be used for communication between the crystal manufacturing system 100 and other external devices (e.g., servers, user terminals, etc.). In some embodiments, the communication module 112 can send the status information of the crystal manufacturing system 100 (e.g., operating parameters, etc.) to the user terminal, and the user terminal can monitor the crystal manufacturing system 100 based on the status information. The communication module 112 can use wired, wireless, and wired / wireless hybrid technologies. The wired technology is based on one or a combination of one or more types of optical cable combination methods such as metal cables, hybrid cables, and optical cables. The wireless technology may include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), cellular networks (including GSM, CDMA, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NBIoT) based on cellular, etc.In some embodiments, the communication module 112 can perform encoding processing on the transmitted information using one or more encoding methods. For example, the encoding methods may include phase encoding, non-return-to-zero encoding, differential Manchester encoding, etc. In some embodiments, the communication module 112 can select different transmission and encoding methods based on the data type or network type that requires transmission. In some embodiments, the communication module 112 may include one or more communication interfaces used for different communication methods. In some embodiments, other modules in the crystal manufacturing system 100 (such as the heating module 103) may be dispersed in multiple cavities. In such a case, each of the other modules may include one or more communication modules 112 for information transmission between the modules. In some embodiments, the communication module 112 may include one receiver and one transmitter. In another embodiment, the communication module 112 may include one transceiver. In some embodiments, the communication module 112 may have an alerting and / or warning function. In some embodiments, when the operation of the crystal manufacturing system 100 is faulty (for example, the temperature or pressure of crystal growth exceeds the limit value), the communication module 112 can transmit alert information or warning information to the on-site operator and / or user terminal. In some embodiments, the warning methods may include voice warnings, light warnings, remote warnings, etc., or any other arbitrary combination. In some embodiments, when the warning method is a remote warning, the communication module 112 can transmit alert information or warning information to the relevant user terminal, and further establish communication (such as voice calls, video calls) between the on-site operator and the relevant user terminal. In some embodiments, when the operation of the crystal manufacturing system 100 is normal, the communication module 112 can also transmit presentation information to the on-site operator and / or user terminal. In some embodiments, the communication module 112 can transmit presentation information indicating that the temperature or pressure meets the process requirements to the relevant user terminal.

[0062] In some embodiments, the power supply module 113 can supply power to other modules and assemblies in the crystal manufacturing system 100 (e.g., the detection module 102, the control module 101, the communication module 112, the input / output module 114, the drive module 110). The power supply module 113 can receive a control signal from the control module 101 to control the power output of the crystal manufacturing system 100. In some embodiments, when no operation on some modules of the control module 101 is received within a certain period (e.g., 1 s, 2 s, 3 s, or 4 s), the power supply module 113 can supply power only to the operating modules, so that the crystal manufacturing system 100 enters the power-saving mode. In some embodiments, when all modules of the crystal manufacturing system 100 do not receive any operation within a certain period (e.g., 1 s, 2 s, 3 s, or 4 s), the power supply module 113 can stop supplying power to other modules and dump the data in the crystal manufacturing system 100 to the hard disk. In some embodiments, the power supply module 113 may include at least one power source. The above power source may include one or a combination of multiple types among oil-fired generators, natural gas-fired generators, coal-fired generators, solar power generators, wind power generators, hydroelectric generators, etc. The above oil-fired generator, natural gas-fired generator, and coal-fired generator can convert chemical energy into electrical energy and store it in the power supply module 113. The above solar power generator can convert light energy into electrical energy and store it in the power supply module 113. The above wind power generator can convert wind energy into electrical energy and store it in the power supply module 113. The above hydroelectric generator can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and store it in the power supply module 113. In some embodiments, when the voltage of the power supply module 113 is unstable, the control module 101 can send a control signal to the communication module 112, and the control signal can control the communication module 112 to send an audio notification to the user terminal and / or the on-site operator. The audio notification may include information that the voltage of the above power supply module 113 is unstable.In some embodiments, the power supply module 113 may include an emergency power supply, and in the event of an emergency (e.g., a circuit failure, or the external power system fails to supply power due to a power outage), the emergency power supply can be used to temporarily supply power.

[0063] The input / output module 114 can acquire, transmit, and send signals. The input / output module 114 can be connected to or communicate with other assemblies in the crystal manufacturing system 100. Other assemblies in the crystal manufacturing system 100 can achieve connection or communication through the input / output module 114. The input / output module 114 may be a wired USB port, serial communication interface, parallel communication port, or wireless Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared, radio-frequency identification (RFID), wireless local area network authentication and privacy infrastructure (WAPI), general packet radio service (GPRS), code division multiple access (CDMA), etc., or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the input / output module 114 is connected to a network and can acquire information through the network. In some embodiments, the input / output module 114 can acquire and output crystal growth information from the detection module 102 through the network or communication module 112. In some embodiments, the input / output module 114 can acquire notification or control commands from the control module 101 through the network or communication module 112. In some embodiments, the input / output module 114 may include VCC, GND, RS-232, RS-485 (e.g., RS485-A, RS485-B), and a general network interface, etc., or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the input / output module 114 can perform encoding processing on the transmitted signal using one or more encoding methods. The above encoding methods may include phase encoding, non-return-to-zero encoding, differential Manchester encoding, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0064] It should be understood that the system shown in FIG. 1 and other modules can be implemented using various methods. For example, in some embodiments, the system and its modules can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. The hardware portion can be implemented using dedicated logic, and the software portion can be stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system, such as a microprocessor or dedicated design hardware. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the above methods and systems can be implemented using computer-executable instructions and / or by being included in processor control code, for example, provided on a carrier medium such as a magnetic disk, CD, or DVD-ROM, a programmable memory such as read-only memory (firmware), or a data carrier such as an optical signal or electronic signal carrier. The system and its modules of one or more embodiments herein may be implemented by a hardware circuit of a very large scale integrated circuit or gate array, a semiconductor such as a logic chip and transistor, or a programmable hardware device such as a field programmable gate array and programmable logic device, or may be implemented using software executed by various types of processors, or may be implemented by a combination of the above hardware circuit and software (e.g., firmware).

[0065] The above descriptions of the crystal manufacturing system and its modules are merely for ease of explanation and are not intended to limit the scope within the examples given in one or more embodiments of this specification. As can be understood, for those skilled in the art, after understanding the principle of the system, without departing from this principle, each module can be arbitrarily combined, or the connection between the subsystem and other modules can be configured, or one or more of the modules can be omitted. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 and the control module 101 may be one module, and this module may have the function of detecting and controlling crystal growth information. Any such modifications are all included within the protection scope of one or more embodiments of this specification.

[0066] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth device can manufacture a composite crystal including a substrate and a target crystal. In some embodiments, the target crystal may include a silicon carbide crystal, a silicon nitride crystal, a molybdenum disulfide crystal, a boron nitride crystal, a graphene crystal, etc. In some embodiments, the composite crystal is a composite crystal including a substrate and a silicon carbide crystal. In some embodiments, at least one layer of silicon carbide crystal can be deposited on the surface of the substrate to manufacture the composite crystal.

[0067] FIG. 2A is an exemplary schematic configuration diagram of a multi-cavity growth device according to some embodiments, and FIG. 2B is a top view of an exemplary distribution of each cavity within the multi-cavity growth device according to some embodiments. For convenience of explanation, the cross-section of each cavity within the multi-cavity device in FIGS. 2A and 2B is rectangular (each corresponding cavity is a cube), and it should be noted that the cross-section of each cavity may be circular, polygonal or other shapes, and each corresponding cavity may be a cylinder, a prism or other shapes.

[0068] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2A, the multi-cavity growth apparatus 200 may include an in-situ etching cavity 202, a carbonization cavity 203, a growth cavity 204, a buffer cavity 205, a tray 207, a transfer assembly 208, and a control assembly (not shown).

[0069] The in-situ etching cavity 202 provides a space for in-situ etching processing. Under certain reaction conditions, gas can be introduced into it to perform in-situ etching processing on the substrate. Chemical vapor deposition can be performed on the surface of the substrate to generate a thin film, and the substrate has properties to support and improve the thin film deposited on its surface. In some embodiments, the transfer assembly 208 transports the substrate into the in-situ etching cavity 202, and under a certain temperature, a certain gas pressure, and the action of hydrogen gas, in-situ etching processing is performed on the surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, the in-situ etching cavity 202 is evacuated to a predetermined pressure, the substrate is transported into the in-situ etching cavity 202 by the transfer assembly 208, the in-situ etching cavity 202 continues to be evacuated to a lower predetermined pressure, the temperature is gently adjusted to a certain temperature and then maintained for a certain time, an etching gas (for example, hydrogen gas, tetrafluoromethane, sulfur hexafluoride, nitrogen trifluoride, etc.) is introduced until normal pressure is reached, and after the temperature is adjusted to a certain temperature and then maintained for a certain time, in-situ etching processing can be performed on the substrate. For more content regarding the in-situ etching processing of the substrate, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 13.

[0070] The carbonization cavity 203 provides a space for carbonization treatment. Under certain reaction conditions, gas can be introduced into it to perform carbonization treatment on the substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate is conveyed into the carbonization cavity 203 by the conveying assembly 208, and carbonization treatment is performed on the surface of the substrate under the action of a certain temperature, carbonization gas (such as methane gas, propane gas, butane gas, etc.) and hydrogen gas. In some embodiments, the temperature of the carbonization cavity 203 is adjusted to a certain temperature, then the third passage between the in-situ etching cavity 202 and the carbonization cavity 203 is opened, the substrate is conveyed into the carbonization cavity 203 by the conveying assembly 208, and it is controlled to close the third passage. After the temperature of the carbonization cavity is lowered to a certain temperature and evacuated to a certain pressure, it starts to heat up, and carbonization gas (such as methane gas, propane gas, butane gas, etc.) and hydrogen gas are simultaneously introduced until a predetermined pressure is reached. After the temperature is adjusted to a certain temperature and maintained for a certain period of time, carbonization treatment can be performed. For more content regarding carbonization treatment of the substrate, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 14.

[0071] The growth cavity 204 provides a reaction space for vapor growth. Under certain reaction conditions, vapor growth is carried out on the surface of the substrate with reaction raw materials to grow crystals, and a composite crystal including the substrate and a silicon carbide crystal can be obtained. In some embodiments, the substrate is transported into the growth cavity 204 by the transport assembly 208, and crystal growth is carried out on the surface of the substrate under the action of a certain temperature, a carbonization gas (such as methane gas, propane gas, butane gas, etc.) and hydrogen gas. In some embodiments, the temperature of the growth cavity 204 is adjusted to a certain temperature, pressurized until a predetermined pressure is reached, the fourth passage between the carbonization cavity 203 and the growth cavity 204 is opened, the substrate is transported into the growth cavity 204 by the transport assembly 208, and it is controlled to close the fourth passage. Next, the temperature of the growth cavity 204 is adjusted to a certain temperature, and silane, propane gas and hydrogen gas are introduced until a predetermined pressure is reached, crystal growth is carried out on the surface of the substrate, and when the grown thickness of the crystal reaches the target thickness, the crystal growth is stopped, and a composite crystal can be obtained. For more content regarding crystal growth, reference can be made to the descriptions of FIGS. 15 and 16.

[0072] The buffer cavity 205 can cool down and cool the composite crystal. In some embodiments, the composite crystal is transported into the buffer cavity 205 by the transport assembly 208, and the composite crystal is cooled down at a certain temperature and a certain gas pressure. In some embodiments, the buffer cavity 205 is heated to a certain temperature, the fifth passage between the growth cavity 204 and the buffer cavity 205 is opened, the composite crystal is transported into the buffer cavity 205 by the transport assembly 208, and it is controlled to close the fifth passage. After the buffer cavity 205 is cooled down to a certain temperature, it is maintained for a certain time, and the composite crystal can be cooled and cooled down. In some embodiments, the composite crystal is transported into the buffer cavity 205 by the transport assembly 208, and the composite crystal is cooled down at normal temperature and normal pressure. For more content regarding cooling and cooling down the composite crystal, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 17.

[0073] The transfer assembly 208 is installed at the lower end inside each cavity (e.g., the in-situ etching cavity 202, the carbonization cavity 203, the growth cavity 204, and the buffer cavity 205), and can transfer the substrate or the composite crystal in sequence between each cavity. The transfer assembly 208 may also be referred to as the mechanical structure 111. For more details about the transfer assembly 208, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 8.

[0074] The control assembly controls the transfer assembly 208 to rotate so as to transfer the substrate or the composite crystal in sequence between each cavity (e.g., the in-situ etching cavity 202, the carbonization cavity 203, the growth cavity 204, and the buffer cavity 205). In some embodiments, the control assembly controls the operation of the drive motor to drive and rotate the transfer assembly 208 so as to transfer the substrate or the composite crystal in sequence between each cavity. The control assembly may be the control module 101, and the drive motor may be the drive module 110.

[0075] In some embodiments, the in-situ etching cavity 202, the carbonization cavity 203, the growth cavity 204, and the buffer cavity 205 may be arranged in a substantially "linear" manner in sequence, and the transfer assemblies 208 in each cavity are connected end-to-end in sequence, and the transfer path of the substrate or the composite crystal between each cavity is substantially a straight line. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2A, the in-situ etching cavity 202, the carbonization cavity 203, the growth cavity 204, and the buffer cavity 205 may be arranged in a "linear" manner in sequence, and the transfer assemblies 208 in each cavity are connected end-to-end in sequence, and the transfer path of the substrate or the composite crystal between each cavity is a straight line. In some alternative embodiments, the distribution diagram of each cavity in FIG. 2A can be rotated by an arbitrary angle as a whole to set each cavity.

[0076] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2B, the in-situ etching cavity 202, the carbonization cavity 203, the growth cavity 204, and the buffer cavity 205 may be arranged in a "field character" shape in sequence. The in-situ etching cavity 202 is located on one side of the two adjacent sides of the carbonization cavity 203. The growth cavity 204 is located on the other side of the two adjacent sides of the carbonization cavity 203. The buffer cavity 205 is adjacent to the in-situ etching cavity 202 and the growth cavity 204. The transfer assemblies 208 in each cavity are connected end-to-end in sequence, and the transfer assemblies 208 circulate between each cavity in sequence.

[0077] FIG. 3A is an exemplary schematic configuration diagram of a multi-cavity growth apparatus according to another embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a top view of an exemplary distribution of each cavity in the multi-cavity growth apparatus according to another embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the cross-section of each cavity in the multi-cavity apparatus in FIGS. 3A and 3B is rectangular (each corresponding cavity is a cube). It should be noted that the cross-section of each cavity may be circular, polygonal, or other shapes, and each corresponding cavity may be a cylinder, a prism, or other shapes.

[0078] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus may further include a vacuum cavity. In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus may further include a terminal cavity. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3A, the multi-cavity growth apparatus 300 may include a vacuum cavity 201, an in-situ etching cavity 202, a carbonization cavity 203, a growth cavity 204, a buffer cavity 205, a terminal cavity 206, a tray 207, a transfer assembly 208, and a control assembly (not shown). The vacuum cavity 201 is adjacent to the in-situ etching cavity 202, and the terminal cavity 206 is adjacent to the buffer cavity 205.

[0079] The vacuum cavity 201 can position the substrate in a vacuum environment. In some embodiments, the substrate is placed in the vacuum cavity 201, and the vacuum cavity 201 is evacuated to position the substrate in a vacuum environment. In some embodiments, the first passage of the vacuum cavity can be closed, and the vacuum cavity can be evacuated until a predetermined pressure is reached. For more details regarding performing vacuum processing on the substrate, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 12.

[0080] The terminal cavity 206 can cool the composite crystal to room temperature. In some embodiments, the transport assembly 208 transports the composite crystal from the buffer cavity 205 into the terminal cavity 206, and cools and reduces the temperature of the composite crystal at normal temperature and normal pressure. In some embodiments, the sixth passage between the buffer cavity 205 and the terminal cavity 206 is opened, the transport assembly 208 transports the composite crystal into the terminal cavity 206, and control is performed to close the sixth passage to cool and reduce the temperature of the composite crystal. For more details regarding cooling and reducing the temperature of the composite crystal, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 17.

[0081] In some embodiments, the cavities of the multi-cavity growth apparatus may be arranged linearly or non-linearly. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3A, each cavity (vacuum cavity 201, in-situ etching cavity 202, carbonization cavity 203, growth cavity 204, buffer cavity 205, and terminal cavity 206) may be arranged linearly in a "one-line" pattern in sequence, and the transfer assemblies 208 within each cavity may be connected end-to-end in sequence, and the transfer path between each cavity is linear. In some alternative embodiments, the vacuum cavity 201, in-situ etching cavity 202, carbonization cavity 203, growth cavity 204, buffer cavity 205, and terminal cavity 206 may be arranged in a substantially "one-line" pattern in sequence, and the transfer assemblies 208 within each cavity may be connected end-to-end in sequence, and the transfer path of the substrate or composite crystal between each cavity is substantially linear. In some alternative embodiments, the distribution diagram of each cavity in FIG. 3A and the above examples can be rotated at an arbitrary angle as a whole to set each cavity.

[0082] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3B, the vacuum cavity 201, in-situ etching cavity 202, carbonization cavity 203, growth cavity 204, buffer cavity 205, and terminal cavity 206 may be stacked in sequence. The vacuum cavity 201 is located on one side of the two opposite sides of the in-situ etching cavity 202, the carbonization cavity 203 is located on the other side of the two opposite sides of the in-situ etching cavity 202, the growth cavity 204 is adjacent to the buffer cavity 205 and the carbonization cavity, the terminal cavity 206 is located on the other side of the buffer cavity 205, the transfer assemblies 208 within each cavity are connected end-to-end in sequence, and the transfer assembly 208 circulates between each cavity in sequence. In some alternative embodiments, the distribution diagram of each cavity in FIG. 3B and the above examples can be rotated at an arbitrary angle as a whole to set each cavity.

[0083] Note that the vacuum cavity 201, in-situ etching cavity 202, carbonization cavity 203, growth cavity 204, buffer cavity 205, and terminal cavity 206 can all be arranged in any shape that allows the substrate or composite crystal to be sequentially transported between the cavities in order, and all are included within the protection scope of this specification. The sizes of the vacuum cavity 201, in-situ etching cavity 202, carbonization cavity 203, growth cavity 204, buffer cavity 205, and terminal cavity 206 may be the same or different, and are not limited here.

[0084] The various cavities according to some embodiments of this specification include, but are not limited to, the first type of cavity, the second type of cavity, and the third type of cavity. In some embodiments, the first type of cavity can provide a location where the substrate or composite crystal is at a predetermined pressure or a certain temperature. In some embodiments, the second type of cavity can provide a location for processing the substrate or a location where the composite crystal is at a certain temperature. In some embodiments, the third type of cavity can provide a location for crystal growth on the surface of the substrate.

[0085] FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of the first type of cavity according to some embodiments.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 4, an inlet passage 401 and an outlet passage 402 are installed on the side walls of the first type of cavity 400, and a transport assembly 404 is attached inside the first type of cavity 400. The transport assembly 404 communicates the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 to transport a substrate or a composite crystal between the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 may be installed on two opposing side walls of the first type of cavity 400 such that the inlet passage 401, the transport assembly 404, and the outlet passage 402 are linearly arranged. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 may be installed on two adjacent side walls of the first type of cavity 400 such that the inlet passage 401, the transport assembly 404, and the outlet passage 402 are arranged in an L shape. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 may be installed on the same side wall of the first type of cavity 400 such that the inlet passage 401, the transport assembly 404, and the outlet passage 402 are arranged in a U shape. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 may be installed at the top, middle, or bottom end of the side wall of the first type of cavity 400. By way of example only, as shown in FIG. 4, the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 are respectively installed at the bottom ends of two opposing side walls of the first type of cavity 400, and the transport assembly 404 is installed at the bottom of the first type of cavity 400. For more details regarding the transport assembly 404, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 8.

[0087] In some embodiments, the shapes of the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 include, but are not limited to, rectangular, circular, elliptical, and any other regular or irregular shapes. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 may each be one, or may be two or more. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 are installed in pairs with the same number. In some embodiments, two or more sets of the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 are installed, and a conveying assembly 404 may be installed between each set of the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402, and a substrate or a composite crystal can be conveyed simultaneously along different paths. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 is different. In some embodiments, two or more inlet passages 401 and one outlet passage 402 may be installed, and a substrate or a composite crystal may be conveyed into the first type of cavity 400 from a plurality of inlet passages 401 and conveyed out of the first type of cavity 400 from one outlet passage 402.

[0088] In some embodiments, automatic control valves are attached to both the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402, so that the control module 101 can easily control the opening and closing of the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 401 and the outlet passage 402 can be used interchangeably.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 4, at least one gas pipeline 403 for discharging the gas in the first type of cavity 400 or introducing gas into the first type of cavity 400 is installed in the first type of cavity 400 so that the pressure in the first type of cavity 400 becomes the required pressure.

[0090] In some embodiments, the gas pipeline 403 can communicate with a vacuum exhaust device, and by controlling the operating parameters of the vacuum device (such as power, rotational speed, operating time, etc.), the speed and time of vacuum exhaust can be adjusted to control the change in pressure within the first type of cavity 400. In some embodiments, the vacuum exhaust device may include a vacuum pump. In some embodiments, the number of gas pipelines 403 may be one or more. In some embodiments, the vacuum pump may be one vacuum pump or two or more vacuum pumps. In some embodiments, the gas pipeline 403 may be installed at the top, sidewall, or bottom of the first type of cavity 400. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the gas pipeline 403 is installed at the bottom of the first type of cavity 400. In some embodiments, the gas pipeline 403 is installed on any one of the sidewalls or the top of the first type of cavity 400. In some embodiments, the gas pipeline 403 can communicate with a gas storage tank via a pipeline, and a flow rate adjustment valve for controlling the flow rate and flow velocity of the introduced gas is installed on the pipeline.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first type of cavity 400 may be a vacuum cavity 201 or a terminal cavity 206.

[0092] The vacuum cavity 201 may be the first cavity of a multi-cavity type crystal growth device. The vacuum cavity can be evacuated by the gas pipeline 403.

[0093] The terminal cavity 206 may be the last cavity of a multi-cavity type crystal growth device. In some embodiments, the terminal cavity 206 may not use the gas pipeline 403, that is, the gas pipeline 403 is in a closed state. In some embodiments, two or more gas pipelines 403 are included, and gas (such as a substitution gas) is introduced into the terminal cavity 206 by one or more of the gas pipelines 403, and the gas in the terminal cavity 206 is discharged by another one or more of the gas pipelines 403, so that the temperature reduction rate within the terminal cavity 206 can be increased.

[0094] In some embodiments, the shape of the first type of cavity 400 may include, but is not limited to, regular or irregular shapes such as cylindrical, prismatic, cuboid, and quadrangular prism shapes. The size of the first type of cavity 400 may be set according to actual manufacturing requirements. In some embodiments, the distance between the top wall of the first type of cavity 400 and the composite crystal growth surface may be 20 to 500 mm. In some embodiments, the distance between the top wall of the first type of cavity 400 and the composite crystal growth surface may be 50 to 400 mm. In some embodiments, the distance between the top wall of the first type of cavity 400 and the composite crystal growth surface may be 100 to 300 mm. In some embodiments, the distance between the top wall of the first type of cavity 400 and the composite crystal growth surface may be 150 to 250 mm.

[0095] In some embodiments, the material of the first type of cavity 400 may be high-strength stainless steel or high-strength aluminum alloy. Due to the strength of the high-strength stainless steel or high-strength aluminum alloy, the manufacturing safety can be guaranteed, and the first type of cavity 400 will not be deformed or cracked during the manufacturing process.

[0096] FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a second type of cavity according to some embodiments.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 5, an inlet passage 501 and an outlet passage 502 are installed on the side wall of the second type of cavity 500, and a transfer assembly 506 is attached inside the second type of cavity 500. The transfer assembly 506 communicates the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 and transfers a substrate or a composite crystal between the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 may be installed on two opposite side walls of the second type of cavity 500 such that the inlet passage 501, the transfer assembly 506, and the outlet passage 502 are linearly arranged. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 may be installed on two adjacent side walls of the second type of cavity 500 such that the inlet passage 501, the transfer assembly 506, and the outlet passage 502 are L-shaped arranged. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 may be installed on the same side wall of the second type of cavity 500 such that the inlet passage 501, the transfer assembly 506, and the outlet passage 502 are U-shaped arranged. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 are installed at the top, middle, and bottom ends of the side wall of the second type of cavity 500. By way of example only, as shown in FIG. 5, the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 are respectively installed at the bottom ends of two opposite side walls of the second type of cavity 500, and the transfer assembly 506 is installed at the bottom of the second type of cavity 500. For more details regarding the transfer assembly 506, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 8.

[0098] In some embodiments, the shapes of the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 include, but are not limited to, rectangular, circular, elliptical, and any other regular or irregular shapes. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 may each be one, or may be two or more. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 are installed in pairs with the same number. In some embodiments, two or more sets of the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 are installed, and a conveying assembly 506 may be installed between each set of the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502, and a substrate or a composite crystal can be conveyed simultaneously along different paths. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 is different. In some embodiments, two or more inlet passages 501 and one outlet passage 502 may be installed, and the substrate or the composite crystal may be conveyed into the second cavity 500 from a plurality of inlet passages 501 and conveyed out of the second cavity 500 from one outlet passage 502.

[0099] In some embodiments, automatic control valves are attached to both the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502, so that the control module 101 can easily control the opening and closing of the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 501 and the outlet passage 502 can be used interchangeably.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 5, the second type of cavity 500 includes at least one exhaust pipeline 503 for evacuating the second type of cavity 500 so that the pressure in the second type of cavity 500 becomes the required pressure. In some embodiments, the exhaust pipeline 503 may be installed at the bottom, top or side wall of the second type of cavity 500. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the exhaust pipeline 503 is installed at the bottom of the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the exhaust pipeline 503 is installed on any one side wall or the top of the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the exhaust pipeline 503 can communicate with a vacuum evacuation device, and by controlling the operating parameters of the vacuum device (such as power, rotational speed, operating time, etc.), the speed and time of vacuum evacuation can be adjusted to control the change in pressure within the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the vacuum evacuation device may include a vacuum pump. In some embodiments, the number of exhaust pipelines 503 may be one or more. In some embodiments, the number of vacuum pumps may be one or two or more.

[0101] In some embodiments, the second type of cavity 500 includes at least one intake pipeline 504 for introducing gas into the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the intake pipeline 504 may be installed at the bottom, top or side wall of the second type of cavity 500. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the intake pipeline 504 is installed at the top of the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the number of intake pipelines 504 may be one or more. In some embodiments, one intake pipeline 504 is installed, and all the gas may be introduced into the second type of cavity 500 from the same intake pipeline 504. In some embodiments, two or more intake pipelines 504 are installed, and different gases may be introduced into the second type of cavity 500 from different intake pipelines 504 respectively. In some embodiments, a flow rate adjustment valve for controlling the blending ratio (such as mass ratio or molar ratio) of each gas by controlling the flow rate of each gas may be installed in each intake pipeline 504.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 5, in the second type of cavity 500, a heating element 505 is further installed to adjust the temperature of the second type of cavity 500 to control the temperature inside the second type of cavity 500 to a required temperature. In some embodiments, the temperature inside the second type of cavity 500 can be adjusted by controlling the heating power and heating time of the heating element 505. In some embodiments, the heating element 505 may be installed on the outer top wall, outer side wall, inner top wall, inner side wall of the second type of cavity 500, or any combination thereof. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the heating element 505 is installed on the inner side wall of the second type of cavity 500.

[0103] In some embodiments, the heating element 505 may include, but is not limited to, a resistance heating assembly and / or an electromagnetic induction heating assembly. In some embodiments, the resistance heating assembly may include a graphite resistance or a Glover resistance. After energizing the graphite resistance or the Glover resistance, the temperature of the second type of cavity 500 can be adjusted by utilizing the thermal energy generated by the Joule effect caused by the current flowing through the above resistance. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic induction heating assembly may include an induction coil. The induction coil can generate eddy currents in the second type of cavity 500 under the action of alternating current of different frequencies, and the electrical energy generated in the second type of cavity 500 can be converted into thermal energy under the action of the eddy currents to adjust the temperature of the second type of cavity 500.

[0104] In some embodiments, the heating element 505 may include one or more heating members.

[0105] In some embodiments, the heating element 505 may include one or more resistive heating assemblies, and each resistive heating assembly may be installed uniformly or non-uniformly on the side wall of the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the heating element 505 may include five graphite resistors, the second type of cavity 500 may be cylindrical, and the five graphite resistors may be circumferentially arranged at equal distances on the side wall of the second type of cavity 500, that is, each graphite resistor is respectively located at one-fifth of the side wall of the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the heating element 505 may include four graphite resistors, the second type of cavity 500 may be quadrangular prism-shaped, and the four graphite resistors may be installed on the four side walls of the second type of cavity 500 respectively, and may be located at the four corner positions of the second type of cavity 500.

[0106] In some embodiments, the heating element 505 may include one or more induction heating assemblies, and each induction heating assembly may be installed uniformly or non-uniformly on the outer wall of the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the heating element 505 may include multiple induction coils, and the induction coils may be spirally wound around the outer wall of the second type of cavity 500. Further, the induction coils may be wound around the entire outer wall of the second type of cavity 500, or may be wound around the outer wall of the second type of cavity 500 corresponding to the position where the tray is located.

[0107] In some embodiments, the second type of cavity 500 may be an in-situ etching cavity 202, or may be a carbonization cavity 203 or a buffer cavity 205.

[0108] The in-situ etching cavity 202 may be installed adjacent to the vacuum cavity 201. In some embodiments, the in-situ etching cavity 202 and the vacuum cavity 201 may share the same passage, that is, the outlet passage 402 of the vacuum cavity 201 and the inlet passage 501 of the in-situ etching cavity 202 are the same passage. In some embodiments, the in-situ etching cavity 202 and the vacuum cavity 201 may not share the same passage, the outlet passage 402 of the vacuum cavity 201 and the inlet passage 501 of the in-situ etching cavity 202 are two passages and are installed adjacent to each other. In some embodiments, the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity 202 can be adjusted by the heating element 505, the in-situ etching cavity 202 can be evacuated by the exhaust pipeline 503, and hydrogen gas can be introduced into the in-situ etching cavity 202 through the intake pipeline 504 to perform in-situ etching on the substrate.

[0109] The carbonization cavity 203 may be installed adjacent to the in-situ etching cavity 202. In some embodiments, the carbonization cavity 203 and the in-situ etching cavity 202 may share the same passage, that is, the outlet passage of the in-situ etching cavity 202 and the inlet passage of the carbonization cavity 203 are the same passage. In some embodiments, the carbonization cavity 203 and the in-situ etching cavity 202 may not share the same passage, the outlet passage of the in-situ etching cavity 202 and the inlet passage of the carbonization cavity 203 are two passages and are installed adjacent to each other. In some embodiments, the temperature of the carbonization cavity 203 can be adjusted by the heating element 505, the carbonization cavity 203 can be evacuated by the exhaust pipeline 503, and carbonization gas (such as methane gas, propane gas, butane gas, etc.) and hydrogen gas can be introduced into the carbonization cavity 203 through the intake pipeline 504 to perform carbonization treatment on the substrate.

[0110] The buffer cavity 205 may be installed adjacent to the terminal cavity 206. In some embodiments, the buffer cavity 205 and the terminal cavity 206 may share the same passage, that is, the outlet passage 502 of the buffer cavity 205 and the inlet passage 401 of the terminal cavity 206 are the same passage. In some embodiments, the buffer cavity 205 and the terminal cavity 206 may not share the same passage, and the outlet passage 502 of the buffer cavity 205 and the inlet passage 401 of the terminal cavity 206 are two passages and are installed adjacent to each other. In some embodiments, the temperature of the buffer cavity 205 can be adjusted by the heating body 505. In some embodiments, the buffer cavity 205 may not use the exhaust pipeline 503 and the intake pipeline 504, that is, the exhaust pipeline 503 and the intake pipeline 504 are in a closed state. In some embodiments, by introducing gas into the buffer cavity 205 through the intake pipeline 504 and discharging the gas in the buffer cavity 205 through the exhaust pipeline 503, the cooling rate in the buffer cavity 205 can be increased.

[0111] In some embodiments, the shape of the second type of cavity 500 includes, but is not limited to, regular or irregular shapes such as cylindrical, prismatic, cuboid, and quadrangular prism shapes. The size of the second type of cavity 500 may be set according to the actual manufacturing requirements. In some embodiments, the distance between the top wall of the second type of cavity 500 and the composite crystal growth surface may be 20 - 300 mm. In some embodiments, the distance between the top wall of the second type of cavity 500 and the composite crystal growth surface may be 50 - 200 mm. In some embodiments, the distance between the top wall of the second type of cavity 500 and the composite crystal growth surface may be 70 - 180 mm. In some embodiments, the distance between the top wall of the second type of cavity 500 and the composite crystal growth surface may be 100 - 150 mm.

[0112] In some embodiments, the wall of the second type of cavity 500 is made of a high-strength stainless steel or aluminum alloy that is double-layered and hollow. Cooling water is introduced into the hollow cavity to cool the wall, which serves the functions of heat insulation and heat dissipation. In some embodiments, one or more layers of heat-insulating materials are installed inside the wall of the second type of cavity 500. In some embodiments, the heat-insulating materials may include graphite felt and zirconia felt.

[0113] FIG. 6 is an exemplary schematic configuration diagram of a third type of cavity according to some embodiments.

[0114] In some embodiments, the third type of cavity 600 may be the growth cavity 204. As shown in FIG. 6, an inlet passage 601 and an outlet passage 602 are installed on the sidewalls of the third type of cavity 600 (also referred to as the growth cavity 204), and a transfer assembly 608 is attached inside the third type of cavity 600. The transfer assembly 608 communicates the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 to transfer a substrate or a composite crystal between the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 may be installed on two opposite sidewalls of the third type of cavity 600 such that the inlet passage 601, the transfer assembly 608, and the outlet passage 602 are arranged linearly. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 may be installed on two adjacent sidewalls of the third type of cavity 600 such that the inlet passage 601, the transfer assembly 608, and the outlet passage 602 are arranged in an L shape. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 may be installed on the same sidewall of the third type of cavity 600 such that the inlet passage 601, the transfer assembly 608, and the outlet passage 602 are arranged in a U shape. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 may be installed at the top, middle, or bottom end of the sidewall of the third type of cavity 600. By way of example only, as shown in FIG. 6, the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 are each installed at the bottom ends of two opposite sidewalls of the third type of cavity 600, and the transfer assembly 608 is installed at the bottom of the third type of cavity 600. For more details regarding the transfer assembly 608, reference may be made to the description of FIG. 8.

[0115] In some embodiments, the shapes of the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 include, but are not limited to, rectangular, circular, elliptical, and any other regular or irregular shapes. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 may each be one, or may be two or more. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 are installed in pairs with the same number. In some embodiments, two or more sets of the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 are installed, and a conveying assembly 608 may be installed between each set of the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602, and a substrate or a composite crystal can be conveyed simultaneously along different paths. In some embodiments, the number of the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 is different. In some embodiments, two or more inlet passages 601 and one outlet passage 602 may be installed, and a substrate or a composite crystal may be conveyed into the third cavity 600 from a plurality of inlet passages 601 and conveyed out of the third cavity 600 from one outlet passage 602.

[0116] In some embodiments, automatic control valves are attached to both the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602, so that the control module 101 can easily control the opening and closing of the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 601 and the outlet passage 602 can be used interchangeably.

[0117] In some embodiments, the third type of cavity 600 includes at least one exhaust pipeline 603 for evacuating the third type of cavity 600 so that the pressure in the third type of cavity 600 becomes the required pressure. In some embodiments, the exhaust pipeline 603 may be installed at the bottom, top or side wall of the third type of cavity 600. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the exhaust pipeline 603 is installed at the bottom of the third type of cavity 600. In some embodiments, the exhaust pipeline 603 is installed on any one of the side walls or the top of the third type of cavity 600. In some embodiments, the exhaust pipeline 603 can communicate with a vacuum evacuation device, and by controlling the operating parameters of the vacuum device (such as power, rotational speed, operating time, etc.), the speed and time of vacuum evacuation can be adjusted to control the change in pressure within the third type of cavity 600. In some embodiments, the vacuum evacuation device may include a vacuum pump. In some embodiments, the number of exhaust pipelines 603 may be one or more. In some embodiments, the number of vacuum pumps may be set to one or two or more.

[0118] In some embodiments, the third type of cavity 600 includes at least one intake pipeline 604 for introducing reaction gases, such as silane and propane gas. In some embodiments, the intake pipeline 604 may be installed at the top, bottom or side wall of the third type of cavity 600. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the intake pipeline 604 is installed at the top of the third type of cavity 600. In some embodiments, the number of intake pipelines 604 may be one or more. In some embodiments, one intake pipeline 604 may be installed, and all gases are introduced into the third type of cavity 600 from the same intake pipeline 604. In some embodiments, two or more intake pipelines 604 may be installed, and different gases are introduced into the third type of cavity 600 from different intake pipelines 604 respectively. In some embodiments, each intake pipeline 604 may be provided with a flow rate adjustment valve for controlling the blending ratio (such as mass ratio or molar ratio) of each gas by controlling the flow rate of each gas.

[0119] In some embodiments, in the third type of cavity 600 (also referred to as the growth cavity 204), a heater 605 for adjusting the temperature with respect to the growth cavity 204 and controlling the temperature inside the growth cavity 204 to a required temperature is installed. In some embodiments, the temperature inside the growth cavity 204 can be adjusted by controlling the heating power and heating time of the heater 605. In some embodiments, the heater 605 may be installed on the outer top wall, outer side wall, inner top wall, inner side wall of the growth cavity 204 or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the heater 605 is installed on the inner side wall of the growth cavity 204.

[0120] In some embodiments, the heater 605 may include, but is not limited to, a resistance heating assembly and / or an electromagnetic induction heating assembly, etc. In some embodiments, the resistance heating assembly may include a graphite resistance or a Glover resistance. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic induction heating assembly may include an induction coil. For more details regarding the heater 605, reference can be made to the description of the heater 505.

[0121] In some embodiments, the growth cavity 204 further includes a rotation axis 606 (also referred to as the rotation axis 207), and the rotation axis 606 is installed at the bottom of the growth cavity 204 and pushes the tray 607 upward into the middle part of the growth cavity 204. For more details about the tray, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 7. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be 10 to 200 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be 20 to 180 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be 30 to 150 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be 40 to 130 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be 50 to 100 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be 60 to 80 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be from one-tenth to one time the height of the growth cavity 204. The height of the rotation axis 606 may be from two-tenths to nine-tenths of the height of the growth cavity 204. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be from three-tenths to eight-tenths of the height of the growth cavity 204. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be from four-tenths to seven-tenths of the height of the growth cavity 204. In some embodiments, the height of the rotation axis 606 may be from five-tenths to six-tenths of the height of the growth cavity 204.

[0122] In some embodiments, a positioner (not shown) for detecting the position of the tray 607 is attached to the rotation axis 606. In some embodiments, the positioner may be a displacement sensor. In some embodiments, the positioner may be installed at the top end of the rotation axis 606 to detect the position of the tray 607 in real time, and the tray 607 can be pushed up to the middle part of the growth cavity 204 by the rotation axis 606. In some embodiments, the positioner detects the position of the tray 607 in real time and transmits the position information of the tray 607 to the control module 101. When the positioner detects that the tray 607 has been conveyed directly above the rotation axis 606 by the conveying assembly 608, the control module 101 can control the conveying assembly 608 to stop rotating by the driving module 110, and control the rotation axis 606 to gently push up the tray 607 to the middle part of the growth cavity 204. In some embodiments, during the growth process, the rotation axis 606 can rotate continuously, so that the reactions at each position of the substrate are uniform. In some embodiments, the positioner may be a GPS positioner. In some embodiments, the GPS positioner can be attached to the tray 607 and transmit the position information of the tray 607 to the control module 101 in real time.

[0123] FIG. 7 is an exemplary schematic configuration diagram of a tray according to some embodiments.

[0124] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes a tray 207. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, at least one groove 207-1 is provided in the tray 207, and each groove 207-1 can place one substrate. In some embodiments, the shape of the tray 207 includes, but is not limited to, circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, polygonal, or any other regular or irregular shape. In some embodiments, one or more grooves 207-1 may be provided on the upper surface of each tray 207. In some embodiments, the number of grooves 207-1 may be one, two, four, seven, eleven, etc. In some embodiments, regarding the arrangement pattern of the grooves 207-1, they may be arranged uniformly or non-uniformly. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the tray 207 is circular, and the six grooves 207-1 are arranged uniformly in the circumferential direction on the upper surface of the tray 207.

[0125] In some embodiments, a pushing-up structure engaged with the rotating shaft 606 is further provided at the center of the tray 207. When the tray 207 is conveyed directly above the rotating shaft 606, the rotating shaft 606 gently pushes up the tray 207 to the required height by engaging with the pushing-up structure. In some embodiments, the pushing-up structure may be attached to the rotating shaft 606. In some embodiments, the pushing-up structure may be the positioning hole 207-2 at the center of the tray 207. The rotating shaft 606 is a shaft whose cross-sectional area at the top end is smaller than that at the middle part or the bottom end. The top end of the rotating shaft 606 is inserted into the positioning hole 207-2, so that the rotating shaft 606 can gently push up the tray 207.

[0126] FIG. 8 is an exemplary schematic configuration diagram of a conveying assembly according to some embodiments.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 8, the conveying assembly 208 includes at least two columnar rollers 208-1 arranged in parallel and two conveying frames 208-2 installed in parallel at the upper and lower ends of the columnar rollers 208-1. The two conveying frames 208-2 are fixedly installed below each cavity (not shown in FIG. 8). The columnar rollers 208-1 are restricted between the two conveying frames 208-2 in their axial direction and can rotate about their own axes. In some embodiments, the upper and lower ends of the columnar rollers 208-1 are cylindrical and have a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the middle part. A plurality of holes with a cross-sectional area larger than that of the upper and lower ends of the columnar rollers 208-1 are installed in the conveying frames 208-2, so that the upper and lower ends of the columnar rollers 208-1 are inserted between the two conveying frames 208-2 and can rotate about their own axes. As shown in FIG. 8, the tray 207 is placed on the columnar rollers 208-1 and is conveyed forward by the static friction force between the bottom of the tray 207 and the columnar rollers 208-1 as the columnar rollers 208-1 rotate.

[0128] In some embodiments, the number of the columnar rollers 208-1 may be determined based on the length of the conveying frame 208-2 and the diameters of the upper and lower ends of the columnar rollers 208-1. In some embodiments, the product of the diameters of the upper and lower ends of the columnar rollers 208-1 and the number of the columnar rollers 208-1 is not greater than the length of the conveying frame 208-2. In some embodiments, the number of the columnar rollers 208-1 may be 7, 8, 9 or 10. In some embodiments, the interval between the columnar rollers 208-1 may be set according to the actual manufacturing requirements, as long as it can ensure that the tray 207 can be conveyed forward as the columnar rollers 208-1 rotate.

[0129] In some embodiments, the transfer frame 208-2 may be set linearly or may be set with corners. In some embodiments, the two transfer frames 208-2 are each set as a 90° L-shaped frame and installed in parallel between the cylindrical rollers 208-1. Note that the installation form of the transfer frame 208-2 is not limited, as long as it is ensured that the transfer assembly 208 can communicate the inlet passage and the outlet passage of each cavity to realize the transfer between the cavities of the tray 207.

[0130] An inlet passage, an outlet passage, and a transfer assembly 208 are installed in each of the vacuum cavity 201, the in-situ etching cavity 202, the carbonization cavity 203, the growth cavity 204, the buffer cavity 205, and the terminal cavity 206. The transfer assembly 208 communicates the inlet passage and the outlet passage of each cavity. When the tray 207 is placed on the transfer assembly 208, the transfer assembly 208 can transfer the tray 207 between the cavities. In some embodiments, automatic control valves are attached to the positions of the inlet passage and the outlet passage, and by opening and closing the inlet passage and the outlet passage with the automatic control valves, the entry and exit of the tray 207 into and out of the corresponding cavity can be controlled. In some embodiments, the number of trays 207 may be one or more. If a plurality of trays 207 on which substrates are placed are placed on the transfer assembly 208, a large number of trays 207 can be transferred in a pipeline between the cavities, and a composite crystal including a substrate and a silicon carbide crystal can be grown.

[0131] FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart of a method for manufacturing a silicon carbide crystal according to some embodiments.

[0132] In some embodiments, the manufacturing process 900 of the silicon carbide crystal may be executed by a control device (e.g., control module 101). For example, the process 900 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or instructions, and when the control module 101 executes the program or instructions, the process 900 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 900 can be completed by using one or more additional operations not described below and / or can be completed without using one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of the operations shown in FIG. 9 is not limiting.

[0133] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a silicon carbide crystal may be performed in a multi-cavity growth apparatus (e.g., multi-cavity growth apparatus 200, multi-cavity growth apparatus 300), and the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes a plurality of cavities arranged in sequence. Regarding the multi-cavity growth apparatus, reference can be made to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B. In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a silicon carbide crystal may be performed in a single cavity or one reaction chamber, and the single cavity or one reaction chamber has all the functions corresponding to the multi-cavity growth apparatus (e.g., evacuation, heating, introduction of replacement gas, etc.), that is, each step in the manufacturing process of the silicon carbide crystal (e.g., vacuum treatment process, in-situ etching treatment process, carbonization treatment process, crystal growth process, cooling and temperature reduction process, etc.) may be performed in the same reaction chamber. The manufacturing process 900 of the silicon carbide crystal includes step 910 and step 920.

[0134] In step 910, the substrate is transported and processed between a plurality of cavities in sequence. In some embodiments, this step 910 may be executed by the control module 101.

[0135] The substrate is a single-crystalline sheet having a specific crystal plane and appropriate electrical, optical, and mechanical properties, and can play a role in growing an epitaxial layer (for example, a target crystal) to support the target crystal and improve the properties of the target crystal. When selecting a substrate, structural properties (the lattice structure of the target crystal is the same as or similar to that of the substrate, the lattice constant mismatch is small, and the crystallinity is high), interface properties (high growth and adhesiveness of the target crystal), chemical stability (not easily decomposed and corroded at the temperature and atmosphere of target crystal growth), thermal properties (high thermal conductivity and small thermal mismatch), excellent electrical conductivity, high optical properties (less absorption of light), high mechanical properties (easy to process such as polishing and cutting), and size (diameter less than 2 inches) can be comprehensively considered. In some embodiments, the material of the substrate may include sapphire (Al2O3), silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide (GaAs), aluminum nitride (AIN), and zinc oxide (ZnO).

[0136] In some embodiments, the substrate may include single-crystalline silicon. The single-crystalline silicon is single-crystalline silicon at the photovoltaic level. In some embodiments, the purity of the single-crystalline silicon is greater than 99.9999%. In some embodiments, the purity of the single-crystalline silicon is greater than 99.99999%. In some embodiments, the purity of the single-crystalline silicon is greater than 99.999999%. In some embodiments, the purity of the single-crystalline silicon is greater than 99.9999999%. In some embodiments, the size of the substrate in one direction (referred to as the X direction) may be smaller than the size of the cross-section in another direction perpendicular to the X direction. In some embodiments, the shape of the cross-section of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the X direction may be circular, elliptical, polygonal, regular or irregular. In some embodiments, the shape of the cross-section of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the X direction is circular, and the size of the cross-section of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the X direction may be set according to actual manufacturing requirements. The size of the cross-section of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the X direction may be the straight-line distance between the two points with the farthest distance at the edge of the substrate. In some embodiments, the shape of the cross-section of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the X direction is circular, and the diameter of the circle is 1 to 10 inches. In some embodiments, the diameter of the circle is 1.5 to 8 inches. In some embodiments, the diameter of the circle is 2 to 6 inches. In some embodiments, the diameter of the circle is 3 to 5 inches. In some embodiments, the diameter of the circle is 3 to 4 inches. The size of the cross-section of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the X direction may be selected based on the size of the target crystal manufactured according to actual manufacturing requirements. For example, if it is necessary to manufacture a target crystal with a large cross-sectional size in the direction perpendicular to the X direction, a crystal with a large cross-sectional size in the direction perpendicular to the X direction can be selected. The size in the X direction may be referred to as the thickness of the substrate. In some embodiments, the thicknesses of different regions of the substrate are the same. The fact that the thicknesses are the same may mean that the difference in thickness between the maximum thickness region and the minimum thickness region of the substrate is smaller than a thickness threshold (for example, 10 μm or 15 μm). A flat substrate with the same thickness can make the stress uniform in the crystal growth process and form crystals with the same crystal shape.In some embodiments, the thickness of the substrate is from 100 μm to 400 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the substrate is from 160 μm to 300 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the substrate may be from 180 μm to 280 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the substrate may be from 200 μm to 260 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the substrate may be from 220 μm to 240 μm. The thickness of the above substrate approaches the thickness of a mass-produced single-crystalline wafer for solar power generation, is easy to achieve, and because the substrate is thin, the cost is reduced.

[0137] In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus includes at least an in-situ etching cavity, a carbonization cavity, a growth cavity, a buffer cavity, and a transfer assembly, and the in-situ etching cavity, the carbonization cavity, the growth cavity, and the buffer cavity are arranged in sequence. In some embodiments, the multi-cavity growth apparatus may include a vacuum cavity, an in-situ etching cavity, a carbonization cavity, a growth cavity, a buffer cavity, a terminal cavity, and a transfer assembly, and the in-situ etching cavity, the carbonization cavity, the growth cavity, the buffer cavity, and the terminal cavity are arranged in sequence. In some embodiments, an inlet passage and an outlet passage are formed in each cavity, and the substrate can be transferred between each cavity by a transfer assembly (for example, transfer assembly 208). For more content regarding the multi-cavity apparatus, reference can be made to the content of FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B.

[0138] In some embodiments, the substrate can be transferred and processed between a plurality of cavities in sequence to perform different processes on the substrate and the composite crystal respectively. For example, processes such as in-situ etching treatment, carbonization treatment, crystal growth, buffer treatment, and cooling down are performed on the substrate or the composite crystal. For more content regarding transferring and processing the substrate between a plurality of cavities in sequence, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 11.

[0139] In some embodiments, in a multi-cavity device, a plurality of substrates (also referred to as a set or a lot of substrates) can be transported simultaneously to perform crystal growth, thereby realizing mass production of composite crystals. In some embodiments, in a multi-cavity device, multiple sets or multiple lots of substrates can be transported sequentially to perform crystal growth, thereby realizing continuous and pipeline production of composite crystals. In some embodiments, before completing transporting and processing at least one set or one lot of substrates sequentially between a plurality of cavities, start transporting and processing at least one substrate of another lot between the plurality of cavities, and simultaneously transport and process the at least one substrate of the two lots to different cavities respectively.

[0140] In step 920, in one of the plurality of cavities, grow a target crystal on the surface of the substrate by vapor phase growth method to obtain a composite crystal including the substrate and the target crystal. In some embodiments, this step 920 may be executed by the control module 101.

[0141] In some embodiments, one of the cavities of the multi-cavity growth device may be a growth cavity. In some embodiments, in the growth cavity, perform a target crystal growth process on the surface of the substrate by vapor phase growth method to manufacture a composite crystal including the substrate and the target crystal. The vapor phase growth method is to introduce a vapor containing gaseous reactants and liquid reactants constituting the thin film element or other gases necessary for the reaction into the reaction environment, cause a chemical reaction on the surface of the substrate, and deposit solid products on the surface of the substrate to generate a thin film.

[0142] In some embodiments, the target crystal may include silicon carbide crystal, silicon nitride crystal, molybdenum disulfide crystal, boron nitride crystal, graphene crystal, etc. Hereinafter, mainly taking the silicon carbide crystal as an example, the manufacturing process of the composite crystal will be described. It should be noted that the target crystal in this specification is not limited to the silicon carbide crystal, and may be any composite crystal that can be manufactured by the vapor phase growth method.

[0143] In some embodiments, the reactants for producing the composite crystal may include a silicon source and a carbon source. In some embodiments, the silicon source may include silane (SiH4), chlorosilane, and chlorotrimethylsilane. In some embodiments, the carbon source may include propane gas (C3H8), butane gas, ethane, and acetylene. In some embodiments, silane and propane gas can be introduced into the growth cavity to perform a crystal growth process on the surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, a carrier gas can be used to transport the reactant gas and introduce it into the growth cavity. Since the carrier gas does not participate in the reaction and only serves to transport the reactant gas, an inert gas or a gas with high chemical stability can be selected. In some embodiments, the carrier gas may be H2, N2, Ar, or He. In some embodiments, considering the price and chemical stability comprehensively, the carrier gas may be H2 and N2.

[0144] In some embodiments, chemical etching can be performed on the composite crystal to remove the substrate on the composite crystal to obtain a silicon carbide crystal. Since the hardness of the silicon carbide crystal is different from that of the substrate and the acid resistance or alkali resistance of the silicon carbide crystal is higher, the substrate can be dissolved and removed by an acid solution or an alkali solution, and the silicon carbide crystal can be retained.

[0145] In some embodiments, in the first temperature range, the composite crystal can be ultrasonically cleaned with an etching solution for more than the first hour to dissolve and remove the substrate to obtain a silicon carbide crystal. In some embodiments, the first temperature range may be 50°C to 100°C. In some embodiments, the first temperature range may be 65°C to 80°C. In some embodiments, the first temperature range may be 67 to 78°C. In some embodiments, the first temperature range may be 70 to 76°C. In some embodiments, the first temperature range may be 72 to 74°C. By setting the first temperature range to 50°C to 100°C, the etching rate can be increased.

[0146] In some embodiments, the etching solution may be an alkaline solution or an acid solution. In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may include a NaOH solution, a KOH solution, or an NH4OH solution. In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may be a 5% - 30% NaOH solution. In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may be a 10% - 25% NaOH solution. In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may be a 15% - 20% NaOH solution. In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may be a 10% - 25% NaOH solution. In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may be a 12% - 23% NaOH solution. In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may be a 14% - 21% NaOH solution. In some embodiments, the alkaline solution may be a 16% - 18% NaOH solution. In some embodiments, the acid solution may include a hydrochloric acid solution, a dilute sulfuric acid solution, a nitric acid solution, a hydrofluoric acid, or a hypochlorous acid solution. In some embodiments, the purity of the above alkaline solution or acid solution may not be limited. For example, for the above alkaline solution and acid solution, acid solutions and alkaline solutions recovered from other processes (such as solar power generation or semiconductor device manufacturing processes) can be used, resources can be recycled, costs can be reduced, and the manufacturing method is environmentally friendly.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first time is positively correlated with the thickness of the substrate. The thicker the substrate, the longer the first time required to etch and remove the substrate. In some embodiments, the first time may be at least 40 minutes. In some embodiments, the first time may be between 40 and 90 minutes. In some embodiments, the first time may be between 50 and 80 minutes. In some embodiments, the first time may be between 55 and 75 minutes. In some embodiments, the first time may be between 60 and 70 minutes. In some embodiments, the first time may be between 63 and 68 minutes. By setting the ultrasonic cleaning time to between 40 and 90 minutes, the substrate on the composite crystal can be etched and removed to obtain a silicon carbide crystal without the substrate. In some embodiments, it is possible to determine whether the etching of the substrate is completed by observing with the naked eye or performing component detection. The quality of the silicon carbide crystal is indicated by the basal plane dislocation density (the number of defects per unit area). For the content regarding the basal plane dislocation density, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 1.

[0148] In some embodiments, the silicon carbide crystal from which the substrate has been removed can be cleaned. In some embodiments, using a cleaning liquid (for example, isopropanol or deionized water), the silicon carbide crystal without the substrate can be cleaned for a certain period of time (for example, 3 to 10 minutes) at 50°C to 80°C with the action of ultrasonic waves. By cleaning the silicon carbide crystal, a silicon carbide crystal with a clean surface can be obtained.

[0149] FIG. 10 is an exemplary flowchart of a surface treatment process of a substrate according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, before transporting and processing the substrate sequentially between a plurality of cavities, pretreatment can also be performed on the surface of the substrate so as to keep the surface of the substrate, particularly the surface on which the crystal is to be grown, clean and flat.

[0150] In some embodiments, the substrate surface treatment process 1000 may be executed by a control device (for example, control module 101). For example, the process 1000 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or instructions, and when the control module 101 executes the program or instructions, the process 1000 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 1000 can be completed by utilizing one or more additional operations not described below and / or can be completed without utilizing one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of operations shown in FIG. 10 is not limiting.

[0151] In step 1010, a polishing process is performed on the surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, this step 1010 may be executed by a polishing module 104.

[0152] In some embodiments, the substrate is placed in a polishing apparatus (for example, a polishing machine) and polished. In some embodiments, first, the back surface of the substrate (the surface opposite to the crystal growth surface) is polished, and then, fine polishing can be performed on the front surface of the substrate (the crystal growth surface). In some embodiments, fine polishing can be performed on the front surface of the substrate (the crystal growth surface). In some embodiments, the back surface of the substrate (the surface opposite to the crystal growth surface) can be polished. By polishing the back surface of the substrate to remove the cut marks and defects on the back surface of the substrate, the substrate becomes flat, and the flatness of the crystal growth surface is maintained in the substrate transfer process. By performing fine polishing on the front surface of the substrate (the crystal growth surface), its surface becomes flat, and reaction products are likely to crystallize uniformly on the crystal growth surface during crystal growth.

[0153] In some embodiments, the polished substrate can be dried. For example, each surface of the substrate is blown with nitrogen gas or helium gas for drying.

[0154] In step 1020, a cleaning process is performed on the surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, this step 1010 may be executed by a cleaning module 105.

[0155] In some embodiments, a cleaning device (e.g., an ultrasonic cleaning device) can be used to perform a cleaning process on the surface of the substrate to remove the debris generated in the polishing process. In some embodiments, at least one cleaning liquid can be used to clean the surface of the substrate at least once. In some embodiments, acetone, alcohol, and deionized water can be used in sequence to ultrasonically clean the surface of the substrate once each. In some embodiments, the cleaning time for one time may be at least 5 minutes. In some embodiments, the cleaning time for one time may be at least 5 to 30 minutes. In some embodiments, the cleaning time for one time may be at least 10 to 20 minutes. In some embodiments, the cleaning time for one time may be at least 15 to 18 minutes. In some embodiments, the substrate on which the cleaning process has been performed can be dried. For example, after the cleaning of the substrate is completed, each surface of the substrate is blown with nitrogen gas or helium gas to dry it.

[0156] In some embodiments, after performing a polishing treatment and a cleaning treatment on the surface of the substrate, a further cleaning treatment can be performed on the substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate on which the polishing treatment and the cleaning treatment have been performed can be immersed in a strong acid solution for a certain period of time to perform a further cleaning treatment. In some embodiments, the strong acid solution may include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid solution, hydrofluoric acid, or hypochlorous acid solution. In some embodiments, the strong acid solution may include a 30% - 40% hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution. In some embodiments, after diluting the strong acid solution, the substrate can be placed in the diluted acid solution and immersed to avoid damaging the substrate due to the too high concentration of the acid solution. In some embodiments, a 30% - 40% HF solution can be diluted to a 1% HF solution, and the substrate can be placed in a 1% - 3% HF solution and immersed for a certain period of time, and a further cleaning treatment can be performed using an ultrasonic cleaning device. In some embodiments, a single crystal silicon substrate can be placed in a 1% - 3% HF solution and immersed for 5 - 8 minutes, and then ultrasonically cleaned with deionized water for a further 5 - 10 minutes. In some embodiments, the substrate on which the further cleaning treatment has been performed can be dried. For example, for the substrate on which the further cleaning has been completed, each surface of the substrate can be blown with nitrogen gas or helium gas to dry it.

[0157] FIG. 11 is an exemplary flowchart of transporting and processing a substrate according to some embodiments between each cavity.

[0158] In some embodiments, the transport and processing process 1100 between each cavity may be executed by a control device (for example, the control module 101). For example, the process 1100 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or an instruction, and when the control module 101 executes the program or the instruction, the process 1100 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 1100 can be completed using one or more additional operations not described below, and / or can be completed without using one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of the operations shown in FIG. 11 is not limiting.

[0159] For more details about the multi-cavity growth apparatus, reference can be made to the content of FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B and 9. The process 1100 of transporting and processing the substrate between each cavity includes steps 1110 to 1140.

[0160] In step 1110, in-situ etching treatment is performed on the substrate in the in-situ etching cavity.

[0161] In some embodiments, in-situ etching treatment can be performed on at least one substrate. For example, one or more substrates can be placed on a tray, transported into the in-situ etching cavity, and in-situ etching treatment can be performed. In some embodiments, in-situ etching treatment can be performed on the substrate under certain gas pressure, constant temperature and reaction conditions of the processing gas. In some embodiments, within the range of the second time, the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity is maintained in the second pressure range, the temperature is maintained in the second temperature range, and then hydrogen gas is introduced until the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity reaches normal pressure, and within the range of the third time, the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity is maintained in the third temperature range and in-situ etching treatment can be performed on the substrate. For more details about performing in-situ treatment on the substrate, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 13.

[0162] By performing in-situ etching treatment on the substrate, defects on the crystal growth surface of the substrate can be removed, and silicon carbide crystals with a consistent crystal form and high quality can be easily grown on the surface of the substrate.

[0163] In step 1120, the substrate is transported from the in-situ etching cavity to the carbonization cavity by the transport assembly for carbonization treatment.

[0164] For a substrate that has undergone in-situ etching, further carbonization treatment can be performed. In some embodiments, a transfer assembly (e.g., transfer assembly 208) can transfer the substrate from the in-situ etching cavity into the carbonization cavity for carbonization treatment. In some embodiments, carbonization treatment can be performed on the substrate under certain gas pressure, certain temperature, and reaction conditions of the processing gas. In some embodiments, within the fourth hour, the pressure in the carbonization cavity is maintained in the third pressure range, and the temperature is maintained equal to or close to the temperature in the in-situ etching cavity (the temperature difference is 5 °C or less). Next, the third passage between the in-situ etching cavity and the carbonization cavity is opened, and the substrate is transferred into the carbonization cavity by the transfer assembly 208. After controlling to close the third passage, the temperature of the carbonization cavity is decreased to the fifth temperature range, and after evacuating to the fourth pressure range, the temperature of the carbonization cavity is gradually increased to the fourth temperature range, and carbonization gas (e.g., methane gas, propane gas, butane gas, etc.) and hydrogen gas are simultaneously introduced until the third pressure is reached, and carbonization treatment can be performed. For more details regarding carbonization treatment of the substrate, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 14.

[0165] By performing carbonization treatment on the substrate, a carbonization buffer layer can be manufactured on the crystal growth surface of the substrate, which is useful for crystallization on the surface of a silicon carbide crystal substrate.

[0166] In step 1130, the transfer assembly transfers the substrate from the carbonization cavity to the growth cavity to perform vapor phase growth to obtain a composite crystal.

[0167] For a substrate subjected to carbonization treatment, silicon carbide crystals can be grown on the crystal growth surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, a transfer assembly (e.g., transfer assembly 208) can transfer the substrate from a carbonization cavity into a growth cavity. In some embodiments, the temperature of the growth cavity is raised to a fourth temperature range, the pressure is increased to a third pressure range, then a fourth passage between the carbonization cavity and the growth cavity is opened, and the transfer assembly 208 is controlled to transfer the substrate into the growth cavity and close the fourth passage. For more details regarding transferring the substrate from the carbonization cavity into the growth cavity, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 15.

[0168] In some embodiments, crystal growth is performed on the crystal growth surface of the substrate by a vapor growth method in the growth cavity to produce a composite crystal including the substrate and silicon carbide crystals. In some embodiments, the temperature of the growth cavity is raised to a sixth temperature range, silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas are introduced until a fifth pressure range is reached, crystal growth is performed, and when the thickness of the grown target crystal reaches the target thickness, the crystal growth is stopped. For more details regarding performing crystal growth in the growth cavity, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 16.

[0169] In step 1140, the transfer assembly transfers the composite crystal from the growth cavity to the buffer cavity, cools it down, and cools it.

[0170] The grown composite crystal can be further cooled. In some embodiments, the transfer assembly 208 can transfer the composite crystal from the growth cavity to the buffer cavity and cool it by cooling it in the buffer cavity. In some embodiments, the buffer cavity is heated to the sixth temperature range, the fifth passage between the growth cavity and the buffer cavity is opened, the composite crystal is transferred into the buffer cavity by the transfer assembly 208, and control is performed to close the fifth passage. Next, the buffer cavity is gradually cooled to the seventh temperature range and maintained for the fifth time. For more information regarding cooling in the buffer cavity, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 17.

[0171] FIG. 12 is an exemplary flowchart of a vacuum process according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, a vacuum process can be performed on the substrate before performing an in-situ etching process on the substrate.

[0172] In some embodiments, the vacuum treatment process 1200 may be executed by a control device (for example, the control module 101). For example, the process 1200 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or instruction, and when the control module 101 executes the program or instruction, the process 1200 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 1200 can be completed using one or more additional operations not described below and / or can be completed without using one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of the operations shown in FIG. 12 is not limiting.

[0173] In some embodiments, a vacuum process can be performed on the substrate in a vacuum cavity. For more information regarding the vacuum cavity, reference can be made to the content of FIGS. 3A and 3B. The process 1200 of performing a vacuum process on the substrate includes steps 1210 to 1230.

[0174] In step 1210, the substrate is placed in the vacuum cavity.

[0175] In some embodiments, a vacuum process can be performed on a substrate that has been polished and cleaned. In some embodiments, a human may manually place the substrate into the vacuum cavity, or a human may manually place the substrate on the transfer assembly 208, and the transfer assembly 208 may transfer the substrate into the vacuum cavity. In another embodiment, the substrate may be placed into the vacuum cavity by a mechanical structure 111 (e.g., a manipulator), and the substrate may be placed on the transfer assembly 208 by the mechanical structure 111, and the transfer assembly 208 may transfer the substrate into the vacuum cavity. In some embodiments, one or more substrates may be placed into the vacuum cavity. In some embodiments, multiple sets of substrates may be continuously and sequentially placed into the vacuum cavity.

[0176] In step 1220, the first passage of the vacuum cavity is closed, and the pressure of the vacuum cavity and the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity are adjusted to a first pressure range.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first passage is the inlet passage (e.g., inlet passage 401) of the vacuum cavity. In some embodiments, after adjusting the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity to be equal to or close to the pressure of the vacuum cavity (the difference is 5 Pa or less), the substrate can be transferred into the in-situ etching cavity. In some embodiments, after placing the substrate in the vacuum cavity, the first passage of the vacuum cavity is closed, and the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity are evacuated to the first pressure range. In some embodiments, the first pressure range may be 3 to 15 Pa. In some embodiments, the first pressure range may be 5 to 10 Pa. In some embodiments, the first pressure range may be 6 to 9 Pa. In some embodiments, the first pressure range may be 7 to 8 Pa. By adjusting the pressure of the vacuum cavity and the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity to the first pressure range, the pressure difference between the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity can be reduced, and the substrate can be positioned in a relatively stable environment.

[0178] In some embodiments, the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity can be evacuated simultaneously. In some embodiments, the exhaust pipelines of the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity (for example, exhaust pipeline 403 and exhaust pipeline 503) are connected and communicated with a single vacuum exhaust device, and the operating speed and time of the vacuum exhaust device are controlled to perform vacuum exhaust. In some embodiments, the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity can be evacuated separately, and the pressure can be monitored in real time. In some embodiments, the exhaust pipelines of the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity are respectively communicated with a plurality of vacuum exhaust devices, and the operating speed and time of the vacuum exhaust devices are controlled to evacuate the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity separately, and the pressure is monitored in real time. In some embodiments, a mechanical pump and a molecular pump can be used in combination to perform vacuum exhaust. In some embodiments, first, the vacuum cavity and / or the in-situ etching cavity are evacuated to a certain degree of vacuum by a mechanical pump, and then, the vacuum cavity and / or the in-situ etching cavity are continuously evacuated by a molecular pump until the first pressure range is reached.

[0179] In step 1230, the substrate is transported to the in-situ etching cavity through the second passage between the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity by the transport assembly.

[0180] In some embodiments, when the pressure in the vacuum cavity is equal to or close to the pressure in the in-situ etching cavity and falls within the first pressure range, the substrate can be transferred into the in-situ etching cavity. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can open the second passage between the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity, activate the transfer assembly 208 to transfer the substrate to a specific position within the in-situ etching cavity, close the second passage, and control the operation of the transfer assembly 208 to stop. The second passage may be an adjacent passage between the vacuum cavity and the in-situ etching cavity. For example, the second passage may be the inlet passage 501 of the in-situ etching cavity or the outlet passage 402 of the vacuum cavity. In some embodiments, the inlet passage 501 of the in-situ etching cavity and the outlet passage 402 of the vacuum cavity are the same passage. In some embodiments, the specific position within the in-situ etching cavity may be the central region at the bottom of the in-situ etching cavity. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 (e.g., a sensor) can detect the position of the substrate. In some embodiments, when the detection module 102 detects that the substrate is located in the central region at the bottom of the in-situ etching cavity, it can transmit the position information of the substrate to the control module 101, and the control module 101 can control the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., the transfer assembly 208) to stop the operation.

[0181] FIG. 13 is an exemplary flowchart of an in-situ etching process according to some embodiments.

[0182] In some embodiments, the in-situ etching process 1300 may be performed by a control device (e.g., the control module 101). For example, the process 1300 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or instructions, and when the control module 101 executes the program or instructions, the process 1300 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 1300 can be completed using one or more additional operations not described below and / or can be completed without using one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of the operations shown in FIG. 13 is not limiting.

[0183] In some embodiments, in-situ etching processing can be performed on the substrate within the in-situ etching cavity. For more details regarding the in-situ etching cavity, reference can be made to the content of FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B. The process 1300 for performing in-situ etching processing on the substrate includes step 1310 and step 1320.

[0184] In step 1310, within the range of the second time, the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity is maintained in the second pressure interval, and the temperature is maintained in the second temperature interval.

[0185] In some embodiments, hydrogen gas can be introduced under the first condition to perform in-situ etching processing on the substrate. In some embodiments, the first condition may include maintaining the pressure in the second pressure interval and the temperature in the second temperature interval within the range of the second time. In some embodiments, the second pressure interval is a range where the pressure is less than 5×10 -3 Pa. In some embodiments, the second pressure interval is a range where the pressure is less than 1×10 -3 Pa. In some embodiments, the second pressure interval may be a range where the pressure is less than 0.8×10 -3 Pa. In some embodiments, the second pressure interval is a range where the pressure is less than 0.5×10 -3It may also be in a range smaller than Pa. In some embodiments, the second pressure interval may be in a range where the pressure is less than 1×10 -4 It may also be in a range smaller than Pa. In some embodiments, the second pressure interval may be in a range where the pressure is less than 1×10 -5 Pa. By setting the pressure in the in-situ etching cavity within the range of 5×10 -3 Pa, it is advantageous for the gas generated in the in-situ etching process to desorb from the surface of the substrate, and the desorption effect becomes higher.

[0186] On the premise of not damaging the substrate, in order to remove the gas in the in-situ etching cavity as much as possible, an appropriate temperature interval should be selected for the second temperature. For example, when nitrogen gas or oxygen gas is adsorbed on the surface of the substrate, if the temperature is too low, it is disadvantageous for the desorption of the above gas, and if the temperature is too high, the substrate is likely to be nitrided or oxidized. In some embodiments, the second temperature interval may include 400 - 900 °C. In some embodiments, the second temperature interval may include 500 - 800 °C. In some embodiments, the second temperature interval may include 550 - 750 °C. In some embodiments, the second temperature interval may include 600 - 700 °C. In some embodiments, the second temperature interval may include 630 - 680 °C. In some embodiments, the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity can be adjusted by the heater 505. For more details about the heater 505, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 5.

[0187] In some embodiments, the second time may be at least 10 minutes. In some embodiments, the second time may be from 10 to 90 minutes. In some embodiments, the second time may be from 20 to 80 minutes. In some embodiments, the second time may be from 25 to 75 minutes. In some embodiments, the second time may be from 30 to 70 minutes. In some embodiments, the second time may be from 40 to 60 minutes. By maintaining the second temperature range for 10 to 90 minutes, the temperature inside the in-situ etching cavity can be stably maintained, which helps to uniformly and effectively etch the substrate subsequently.

[0188] In some embodiments, after the substrate is transferred into the in-situ etching cavity, the control module 101 controls the vacuum exhaust device to evacuate the in-situ etching cavity to make the pressure inside the in-situ etching cavity fall within the second pressure range, and after slowly heating up to the second temperature range and maintaining it for the second time, the gas inside the in-situ etching cavity can be sufficiently exhausted.

[0189] In step 1320, hydrogen gas is introduced until normal pressure is reached, and the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity is maintained within the third temperature range within the third time while performing the in-situ etching process.

[0190] In some embodiments, the third temperature range may be 900 to 1300 °C. In some embodiments, the third temperature range may be 1000 to 1200 °C. In some embodiments, the third temperature range may be 1050 to 1150 °C. In some embodiments, the third temperature range may be 1080 to 1130 °C. By setting the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity within the third temperature range, the hydrogen gas reacts with the oxide adhering to the surface of the substrate, and the oxide is reduced to complete the in-situ etching process.

[0191] In some embodiments, the third time may be at least 0.5 minutes. In some embodiments, the third time may be from 0.5 to 5 minutes. In some embodiments, the third time may be from 1 to 3 minutes. In some embodiments, the third time may be from 1.5 to 2.8 minutes. In some embodiments, the third time may be from 1.8 to 2.5 minutes. In some embodiments, the third time may be 2 minutes. By etching for the third time in the normal pressure and the third temperature range, the substrate can be sufficiently etched.

[0192] In some embodiments, after discharging the gas in the in-situ etching cavity, the control module 101 can control to introduce hydrogen gas into the in-situ etching cavity to perform the in-situ etching process. In some embodiments, the control module 101 opens the valve on the intake pipeline 504 and controls to introduce hydrogen gas into the in-situ etching cavity until the normal pressure is reached. Next, heating is performed, and after heating the in-situ etching cavity to the third temperature range, the heating element 505 is controlled to maintain for the third time, and in-situ etching is performed on the crystal growth surface of the substrate to remove the defects on the crystal growth surface.

[0193] FIG. 14 is an exemplary flowchart of a carbonization process according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the substrate on which the in-situ etching process has been performed is transported to the carbonization cavity, and carbonization treatment is performed on the crystal growth surface of the substrate to form a carbonization buffer layer on the crystal growth surface.

[0194] In some embodiments, the carbonization process 1400 may be executed by a control device (e.g., the control module 101). For example, the process 1400 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or instructions, and when the control module 101 executes the program or instructions, the process 1400 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 1400 can be completed using one or more additional operations not described below and / or can be completed without using one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of operations shown in FIG. 14 is not limiting. The carbonization process 1400 may include steps 1410 to 1430.

[0195] In step 1410, the temperature of the carbonization cavity is adjusted to a third temperature range.

[0196] In some embodiments, the carbonization cavity can be heated to the third temperature range by a heating element in the carbonization cavity. For more information about the heating element and the third temperature range, reference can be made to the description in other parts. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the heating module 103 (e.g., the heating element) to heat the carbonization cavity to the third temperature range.

[0197] After the temperature of the carbonization cavity is raised so that it is equal to or close to the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity (the temperature difference is 5°C or less), by transporting the substrate into the carbonization cavity, deformation or denaturation of the substrate due to a sudden change in temperature can be avoided.

[0198] In step 1420, the transport assembly transports the substrate into the carbonization cavity.

[0199] In some embodiments, when the temperatures of the in-situ etching cavity and the carbonization cavity are both maintained in the third temperature range, the substrate can be transported into the carbonization cavity. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can open the third passage between the in-situ etching cavity and the carbonization cavity, activate the transport assembly (e.g., transport assembly 208) to transport the substrate to a specific position within the carbonization cavity, close the third passage, and control the operation of the transport assembly to stop. The third passage refers to the adjacent passage between the in-situ etching cavity and the carbonization cavity. For example, the third passage may be the outlet passage 502 of the in-situ etching cavity or the inlet passage 501 of the carbonization cavity. In some embodiments, the outlet passage 502 of the in-situ etching cavity and the inlet passage 501 of the carbonization cavity are the same passage. In some embodiments, the specific position within the carbonization cavity may be the central region at the bottom of the carbonization cavity. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 (e.g., a sensor) can detect the position of the substrate. In some embodiments, when the sensor detects that the substrate is located in the central region at the bottom of the in-situ etching cavity, the sensor can transmit the position information of the substrate to the control module 101, and the control module 101 can control the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., transport assembly 208) to stop the operation.

[0200] In step 1430, the temperature of the carbonization cavity is adjusted to the fifth temperature range, the pressure is adjusted to the fourth pressure range, propane gas and hydrogen gas are simultaneously introduced until the third pressure range is reached, and within the fourth time period, the pressure of the carbonization cavity is maintained in the third pressure range, the temperature is maintained in the fourth temperature range, and the carbonization process is performed.

[0201] After the in-situ etching process is performed in the in-situ etching cavity, the temperature of the substrate is high (900 - 1300 °C). If the substrate is directly transported to the carbonization cavity, the pressure and gas components may become unstable due to the direct reaction of the substrate with the carbonization treatment gas. Therefore, first, the temperature in the carbonization cavity is lowered, and after the pressure and gas components are stabilized, the temperature can be raised to the temperature required for the carbonization treatment. In some embodiments, propane gas and hydrogen gas can be introduced under the second condition to perform carbonization treatment on the substrate. In some embodiments, the second condition may include maintaining the pressure in the fourth pressure range and maintaining the temperature in the fifth temperature range.

[0202] In some embodiments, the fifth temperature range may be 700 - 1100 °C. In some embodiments, the fifth temperature range may be 800 - 1000 °C. In some embodiments, the fifth temperature range may be 850 - 980 °C. In some embodiments, the fifth temperature range may be 900 - 950 °C. In some embodiments, the fourth pressure range may be less than 5×10 -5 Pa. In some embodiments, the fourth pressure range may be less than 1×10 -5 Pa. In some embodiments, the fourth pressure range may be less than 0.5×10 -5 Pa. In some embodiments, the fourth pressure range may be less than 10 -6 Pa. After the substrate is transported to the carbonization cavity, the carbonization cavity is cooled to the fifth temperature range and evacuated to the fourth pressure range, so that the gas in the carbonization cavity can be further discharged.

[0203] In some embodiments, the third pressure range may be 1×10 3 ~1×10 5 Pa. In some embodiments, the third pressure range may be 1×10 3 ~6×10 4 Pa. In some embodiments, the third pressure range may be 2×10 3 ~6×10 3It may be Pa. In some embodiments, the fourth temperature range may be 1000 to 1500 °C. In some embodiments, the fourth temperature range may be 1100 to 1400 °C. In some embodiments, the fourth temperature range may be 1200 to 1350 °C. In some embodiments, the fourth temperature range may be 1250 to 1300 °C. In some embodiments, the fourth time may be at least 0.5 minutes. In some embodiments, the fourth time may be 0.5 to 5 minutes. In some embodiments, the fourth time may be 1 to 3 minutes. In some embodiments, the fourth time may be 1.5 to 2.5 minutes. In some embodiments, the fourth time may be 2 minutes. In some embodiments, the flow rate of propane gas (C3H8) is 3 to 25 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of propane gas (C3H8) is 5 to 20 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of propane gas (C3H8) is 7 to 18 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of propane gas (C3H8) is 10 to 15 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of hydrogen gas is 0.5 to 25 L / min. In some embodiments, the flow rate of hydrogen gas is 1 to 20 L / min. In some embodiments, the flow rate of hydrogen gas is 5 to 15 L / min. In some embodiments, the flow rate of hydrogen gas is 7 to 12 L / min.

[0204] In some embodiments, the control module 101 cools the carbonization cavity to a fifth temperature range, evacuates the cavity to a fourth pressure range and then begins to heat up, simultaneously introduces propane gas and hydrogen gas until the pressure reaches the third pressure range, heats up to the fourth temperature range, controls to maintain constant temperature and constant pressure for the fourth time and performs carbonization treatment.

[0205] FIG. 15 is an exemplary flowchart of transporting a substrate from a carbonization cavity to a growth cavity according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, a substrate that has undergone in-situ etching treatment can be transported to a growth cavity to grow silicon carbide crystals on the crystal growth surface of the substrate.

[0206] In some embodiments, the process 1500 of transporting the substrate from the carbonization cavity to the growth cavity may be executed by a control device (for example, the control module 101). For example, the process 1500 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or instructions. When the control module 101 executes the program or instructions, the process 1500 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 1500 can be completed using one or more additional operations not described below and / or can be completed without using one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of the operations shown in FIG. 15 is not limiting. The process 1500 of transporting the substrate from the carbonization cavity to the growth cavity may include step 1510 and step 1520.

[0207] In step 1510, the temperature of the growth cavity is adjusted to a fourth temperature range and the pressure is adjusted to a third pressure range.

[0208] In some embodiments, the growth cavity can be heated to the fourth temperature range by a heating element in the growth cavity. For more details about the heating element and the fourth temperature range, reference can be made to the description in other parts. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the heating module 103 (for example, the heating element) to heat the growth cavity to the fourth temperature range. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the vacuum evacuation device to evacuate the growth cavity to adjust the pressure in the growth cavity to the third pressure range. For more details about the third pressure range, reference can be made to the description in FIG. 14.

[0209] After heating the growth cavity so that its temperature is equal to or close to the temperature of the carbonization cavity (the temperature difference is 5°C or less) and evacuating the air so that the pressure is equal to or close to the pressure of the carbonization cavity (the pressure difference is 10 Pa or less), the substrate is transported into the growth cavity, thereby avoiding deformation or denaturation of the substrate due to sudden changes in temperature and pressure.

[0210] In step 1520, a fourth passage between the carbonization cavity and the growth cavity is opened, and control is performed so that the substrate is conveyed to the growth cavity by the conveyance assembly.

[0211] In some embodiments, when the temperatures of both the growth cavity and the carbonization cavity are maintained in a fourth temperature range and the pressures of both are maintained in a third pressure range, the substrate can be conveyed into the growth cavity. In some embodiments, after the temperature of the growth cavity reaches the fourth temperature range and the pressure reaches the third pressure range, the control module 101 opens a fourth passage between the growth cavity and the carbonization cavity, activates a conveyance assembly (for example, conveyance assembly 208) to convey the substrate to a specific position within the growth cavity, closes the fourth passage, and can control to stop the operation of the conveyance assembly. The fourth passage refers to an adjacent passage between the growth cavity and the carbonization cavity. For example, the fourth passage may be the outlet passage 502 of the carbonization cavity or the inlet passage 601 of the growth cavity. In some embodiments, the outlet passage 502 of the carbonization cavity and the inlet passage 601 of the growth cavity are the same passage. In some embodiments, the specific position within the growth cavity may be directly above the rotation shaft 606 at the bottom of the growth cavity.

[0212] In some embodiments, the detection module 102 (for example, a positioner) can detect the position of the substrate. The position information of the substrate can be transmitted to the control module 101, and the control module 101 can control the mechanical structure 111 (for example, the conveyance assembly 208) to stop the operation.

[0213] In some embodiments, when the positioner determines that the substrate is at a predetermined position in the growth cavity, it can transmit the position information of the substrate to the control module 101, and the control module 101 can control the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., the transfer assembly 208) to stop the transfer. In some embodiments, the predetermined position in the growth cavity may be directly above the rotation axis 606. In some embodiments, the positioner may be installed on the rotation axis. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the rotation axis 606 to rise and push the substrate to the middle part of the growth cavity. In some embodiments, the rotation axis can drive the substrate to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. In some embodiments, the rotation speed of the rotation axis may be adjusted.

[0214] FIG. 16 is an exemplary flowchart of crystal growth according to some embodiments.

[0215] In some embodiments, in the growth cavity, vapor growth can be performed on the crystal growth surface of the substrate to produce a composite crystal including the substrate and a silicon carbide crystal. For more content regarding the growth cavity, reference can be made to the content of FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, and 6.

[0216] In some embodiments, the crystal growth process 1600 may be executed by a control device (e.g., the control module 101). For example, the process 1600 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or instructions, and when the control module 101 executes the program or instructions, the process 1600 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 1600 can be completed using one or more additional operations not described below and / or can be completed without using one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of the operations shown in FIG. 16 is not limiting. The crystal growth process 1600 may include steps 1610 to 1630.

[0217] In step 1610, the growth cavity is heated to the sixth temperature range and the pressure is adjusted to the fourth pressure range.

[0218] In some embodiments, silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas can be introduced under the third condition to grow a target crystal (e.g., silicon carbide crystal) on the substrate by vapor phase growth. In some embodiments, the third condition may include maintaining the pressure in the fourth pressure range and maintaining the temperature in the sixth temperature range. The sixth temperature range varies depending on the type of crystal to be grown. In some embodiments, the sixth temperature range may be 1300 to 1750 °C. In some embodiments, the sixth temperature range may be 1400 to 1700 °C. In some embodiments, the sixth temperature range may be 1450 to 1650 °C. In some embodiments, the sixth temperature range may be 1500 to 1600 °C. In some embodiments, the sixth temperature range may be 1520 to 1570 °C. In some embodiments, the sixth temperature range may be maintained constant throughout the growth process or adjusted according to different stages of the crystal growth process.

[0219] In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the heating module 103 (e.g., a heating element in the growth cavity) to heat the growth cavity to the sixth temperature range. For more details about the heating element, reference can be made to the description in other parts.

[0220] In some embodiments, the growth cavity can be evacuated to the fourth pressure range by a vacuum device (e.g., a vacuum pump). For more details about the fourth pressure range, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 14.

[0221] In step 1620, silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas are introduced until the fifth pressure range is reached to perform crystal growth.

[0222] The fifth pressure range varies depending on the type of crystal to be grown. For a specific crystal (e.g., silicon carbide crystal), the fifth pressure range is too small, the crystal growth rate is low, and the fifth pressure is too high, making it easy to form defects in the crystal growth process. In some embodiments, the fifth pressure range may be 20 - 100 Pa. In some embodiments, the fifth pressure range may be 30 - 90 Pa. In some embodiments, the fifth pressure range may be 40 - 80 Pa. In some embodiments, the fifth pressure range may be 50 - 70 Pa. In some embodiments, the fifth pressure range may be 55 - 65 Pa. In some embodiments, the fifth pressure range may be maintained constant throughout the growth process or adjusted according to different stages of the crystal growth process.

[0223] In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced silane (SiH4) may be 300 - 800 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced silane (SiH4) may be 400 - 600 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced silane (SiH4) may be 450 - 550 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced silane (SiH4) may be 480 - 520 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced propane gas (C3H8) is 100 - 250 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced propane gas (C3H8) is 133 - 200 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced propane gas (C3H8) is 150 - 180 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced propane gas (C3H8) is 160 - 170 sccm. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced hydrogen gas (H2) is 10 - 90 L / min. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced hydrogen gas (H2) is 20 - 80 L / min. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced hydrogen gas (H2) is 30 - 70 L / min. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the introduced hydrogen gas (H2) is 40 - 60 L / min.

[0224] In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the flow rates of silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas introduced into the growth cavity respectively to make the pressure of the growth cavity fall within the fifth pressure range. Crystal growth is carried out in the growth cavity under the conditions of a sixth temperature range, a fifth pressure range, and reactants (silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas) with respect to the substrate.

[0225] In step 1630, when the thickness of the target crystal reaches the target thickness, the crystal growth is stopped.

[0226] In some embodiments, the target thickness may be 200 - 600 μm. In some embodiments, the target thickness may be 300 - 500 μm. In some embodiments, the target thickness may be 320 - 480 μm. In some embodiments, the target thickness may be 350 - 450 μm. In some embodiments, the target thickness may be 380 - 420 μm. In some embodiments, the target thickness may be 390 - 410 μm. By setting the target thickness to 200 - 600 μm, it is not necessary to perform subsequent processes such as cutting, and a wafer with a predetermined thickness can be obtained directly by polishing, improving the manufacturing efficiency, reducing the processing cost, and being advantageous for industrial applications.

[0227] In some embodiments, during the crystal growth process, the grown thickness of the crystal can be monitored, and based on parameters such as the growth rate and thickness of the crystal, the temperature, pressure of the growth cavity, and the flow rate ratio of silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas can be controlled. In some embodiments, a reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) apparatus can be used to monitor the grown thickness of the crystal. In some embodiments, the temperature of the growth cavity can be adjusted by controlling the heating power of the heater. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio of the silicon source and carbon source in the reactants can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rates of silane and propane gas respectively. In some embodiments, the pressure of the growth cavity can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rates of the introduced silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas.

[0228] In some embodiments, when the crystal has grown to the target thickness, the control module 101 can control to stop the crystal growth. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control to stop the introduction of silane, propane gas, and hydrogen gas, and can also control to stop the heating of the growth cavity of the heater.

[0229] FIG. 17 is an exemplary flowchart of a buffer and temperature reduction process according to some embodiments.

[0230] In some embodiments, by installing a buffer cavity and a terminal cavity adjacent to the growth cavity, it is easier to perform operations after the completion of crystal growth. For example, cooling the manufactured composite crystal. The transport assembly transports the composite crystal from the growth cavity to the buffer cavity, cools it by reducing the temperature to a certain temperature (for example, the seventh temperature range), and then transports the composite crystal into the terminal cavity to cool it to room temperature. Since the buffer cavity is installed, first, the composite crystal is cooled by reducing the temperature to the seventh temperature range (500 - 1200°C) in the buffer cavity, and then the composite crystal is transported into the terminal cavity to cool it to room temperature, thereby avoiding the situation where the composite crystal cracks due to a sudden drop in the environmental temperature (directly transporting the composite crystal from the growth cavity into the terminal cavity).

[0231] In some embodiments, the buffer and temperature reduction process 1700 may be executed by a control device (for example, the control module 101). For example, the process 1700 may be stored in a storage device in the form of a program or instructions. When the control module 101 executes the program or instructions, the process 1700 can be realized. In some embodiments, the process 1700 can be completed using one or more additional operations not described below and / or can be completed without using one or more operations considered below. Also, the order of operations shown in FIG. 17 is not limiting.

[0232] In step 1710, the temperature of the buffer cavity is adjusted to the sixth temperature range.

[0233] In some embodiments, the temperature of the buffer cavity can be heated to the sixth temperature range by a heating element in the buffer cavity. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the heating module 103 (for example, a heating element) to raise the temperature of the buffer cavity to the sixth temperature range. For more details about the heating element and the sixth temperature range, reference can be made to the descriptions in other parts.

[0234] By heating the buffer cavity such that its temperature is equal to or close to the temperature of the growth cavity (the temperature difference is 5 °C or less), it is avoided that a large temperature difference between the buffer cavity and the growth cavity causes a sudden change in temperature, resulting in deformation or denaturation of the composite crystal.

[0235] In step 1720, the composite crystal is transported to the buffer cavity by the transport assembly.

[0236] In some embodiments, when the temperature of the buffer cavity reaches the sixth temperature range, the fifth passage between the growth cavity and the buffer cavity is opened, and the transport assembly (e.g., transport assembly 208) is activated to transport the composite crystal to a specific position within the buffer cavity, close the fifth passage, and stop the operation of the transport assembly. The fifth passage refers to an adjacent passage between the growth cavity and the buffer cavity. For example, the fifth passage may be the exit passage 602 of the growth cavity or the inlet passage 501 of the buffer cavity. In some embodiments, the exit passage 602 of the growth cavity and the inlet passage 501 of the buffer cavity are the same passage. In some embodiments, the specific position within the buffer cavity may be the central region at the bottom of the buffer cavity. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 (e.g., a sensor) can detect the position of the substrate. In some embodiments, when the sensor detects that the substrate is located in the central region at the bottom of the buffer cavity, the sensor can transmit the position information of the substrate to the control module 101, and the control module 101 can control the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., transport assembly 208) to stop the operation.

[0237] In step 1730, the temperature of the buffer cavity is adjusted to the seventh temperature range, maintained for the fifth time, and a cooling and temperature reduction process is performed.

[0238] In some embodiments, the seventh temperature range may be 500 to 1200 °C. In some embodiments, the seventh temperature range may be 550 to 1000 °C. In some embodiments, the seventh temperature range may be 600 to 800 °C. In some embodiments, the seventh temperature range may be 650 to 750 °C. In some embodiments, the seventh temperature range may be 680 to 720 °C. In some embodiments, the fifth time may be at least 1 h. In some embodiments, the fifth time may be 1 to 7 h. In some embodiments, the fifth time may be 2 to 6 h. In some embodiments, the fifth time may be 2.5 to 5.5 h. In some embodiments, the fifth time may be 3 to 5 h. In some embodiments, the fifth time may be 3.5 to 4.5 h.

[0239] In some embodiments, the control module 101 can control the buffer cavity to gradually cool down to the seventh temperature range. In some embodiments, the control module 101 can open the valve of the intake pipeline 504 and control to introduce a replacement gas (such as hydrogen gas, nitrogen gas, argon gas or helium gas) into the buffer cavity through the intake pipeline 504, and can control the vacuum exhaust device to exhaust the buffer cavity and maintain the pressure in the buffer cavity near normal pressure. In some embodiments, when the temperature of the buffer cavity is in the seventh temperature range, the control module 101 can control to maintain the buffer cavity in the seventh temperature range for the fifth time, so as to maintain the temperature of the member or composite crystal in the buffer cavity in the seventh temperature range.

[0240] In step 1740, the transfer assembly transfers the composite crystal to the terminal cavity.

[0241] In some embodiments, the composite crystal can be transported into the terminal cavity and further cooled to lower the temperature. In some embodiments, the temperature of the terminal cavity may be room temperature. In some embodiments, the control module 101 opens the sixth passage between the buffer cavity and the terminal cavity, activates the transport assembly (e.g., transport assembly 208) to transport the composite crystal to a specific position within the terminal cavity, closes the sixth passage, and can control to stop the operation of the transport assembly. The sixth passage refers to the adjacent passage between the buffer cavity and the terminal cavity. For example, the sixth passage may be the outlet passage 502 of the buffer cavity or the inlet passage 401 of the terminal cavity. In some embodiments, the outlet passage 502 of the buffer cavity and the inlet passage 401 of the terminal cavity are the same passage. In some embodiments, the specific position within the buffer cavity may be the central region at the bottom of the buffer cavity or other specific regions. In some embodiments, the detection module 102 (e.g., a sensor) can detect the position of the composite crystal. In some embodiments, when the sensor detects that the composite crystal is located in the central region at the bottom of the terminal cavity or other specific regions, the sensor can transmit the position information of the composite crystal to the control module 101, and the control module 101 can control the mechanical structure 111 (e.g., transport assembly 208) to stop the operation.

[0242] In step 1750, the composite crystal is cooled to room temperature.

[0243] Continue to cool the composite crystal in the terminal cavity to room temperature. In some embodiments, the composite crystal can be naturally cooled in the terminal cavity for 8 to 12 hours to reach room temperature. In some embodiments, a substitution gas can be introduced into the terminal cavity to cool the composite crystal. In some embodiments, an intake pipeline and an exhaust pipeline are installed in the terminal cavity, and the control module 101 can open the valve of the intake pipeline and control to introduce a substitution gas (such as hydrogen gas, nitrogen gas, argon gas or helium gas) into the terminal cavity through the intake pipeline, and can control the vacuum exhaust device to exhaust the terminal cavity to maintain the pressure in the terminal cavity near atmospheric pressure.

[0244] In some embodiments, after cooling the composite crystal to room temperature, the control module 101 opens the outlet passage 402 of the terminal cavity and controls the conveying assembly 208 to convey the composite crystal near the outlet passage 402 of the terminal cavity, so that a human can manually or by a manipulator take out the composite crystal. After taking out the composite crystal, chemical etching can be performed on the composite crystal to remove the substrate on the composite crystal to obtain a silicon carbide crystal. For more content regarding chemical etching, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 9.

[0245] In some embodiments, the process 1700 may not include step 1740 and step 1750, that is, without a terminal cavity, after directly taking out the composite crystal from the buffer cavity, it is cooled in a natural environment to lower the temperature.

[0246] The following is one specific embodiment of the present invention. The process of manufacturing a silicon carbide crystal by a multi-cavity growth apparatus may include the following steps (1) to (9).

[0247] (1) In the polishing treatment and cleaning treatment steps, a circular single-crystal silicon wafer with a crystal growth surface being the (111) plane, a thickness of 100 to 400 μm, and a diameter of 1 to 10 inches is polished by a polishing machine. First, the surface is polished to be flat so that the (11― 1) Polish the surface, and then perform precision polishing on the (111) surface to remove surface cutting scratches and defects. Use a cleaning solution (such as acetone, alcohol, deionized water) to ultrasonically clean the polished single-crystalline silicon wafer for 10 - 20 minutes respectively, and blow it dry with high-purity nitrogen gas or helium gas. Then, immerse the single-crystalline silicon wafer in a 1% - 3% HF solution for 5 - 8 minutes, and ultrasonically clean it with deionized water for 5 - 10 minutes. After cleaning, blow the single-crystalline silicon wafer with nitrogen gas or helium gas to dry it.

[0248] (2) In the vacuum treatment step, place at least one single-crystalline silicon wafer at the groove position of the tray and fix it, with the (111) surface of the single-crystalline silicon wafer facing upward. Place the tray into the vacuum cavity and evacuate the vacuum cavity to 3 - 15 Pa. During this period, evacuate the vacuum so that the pressure in the in-situ etching cavity is equal to or close to the pressure in the vacuum cavity (the difference is 5 Pa or less).

[0249] (3) In the in-situ etching treatment step, convey the tray on which at least one single-crystalline silicon wafer is placed into the in-situ etching cavity. Continuously evacuate the in-situ etching cavity to a pressure of 5×10 -3 Pa or less, gently heat it to 400 - 900 °C, keep it warm for 10 - 90 min, perform high-temperature exhaust, then introduce hydrogen gas into the in-situ etching cavity until it reaches normal pressure, heat it to 1000 - 1200 °C, maintain it at normal pressure and keep it warm for 1 - 3 minutes to perform the in-situ etching treatment and remove the defects on the crystal growth surface.

[0250] (4) In the carbonization treatment step, convey the tray on which at least one single-crystalline silicon wafer is placed into the carbonization cavity, perform carbonization treatment on the crystal growth surface to manufacture a carbonized buffer layer. First, cool the carbonization cavity to 800 - 1000 °C, evacuate the vacuum, and the vacuum pressure is 1×10 -5After it becomes smaller than Pa, the temperature starts to rise, and propane gas (C3H8) at 5 - 20 sccm and hydrogen gas at 1 - 20 L / min are introduced into the carbonization cavity, and the pressure in the carbonization cavity is maintained at 1×10 3 ~6×10 4 Pa. The temperature of the carbonization cavity is raised to 1100 - 1400 °C and kept warm for 1 - 3 minutes. During this period, the temperature of the growth cavity is controlled at 1100 - 1400 °C.

[0251] (5) In the crystal growth step, a tray on which at least one single crystal silicon wafer is placed is transported into the growth cavity, and the temperature of the growth cavity is controlled at 1400 - 1700 °C. 400 - 600 sccm of SiH4, 133 - 200 sccm of C3H8, and 20 - 80 L / min of H2 are introduced into the growth cavity, the pressure in the growth cavity is maintained at 30 - 90 Pa, and crystal growth is carried out in the growth cavity. During this period, the temperature of the buffer cavity is controlled at 1400 - 1700 °C. After growing in the growth cavity for 10 - 12 h, the tray is transported into the buffer cavity.

[0252] (6) In the cooling and temperature reduction step, after the tray is transported into the buffer cavity, after 2 - 6 h, the buffer cavity is cooled by reducing the temperature to 500 - 1200 °C. Next, the tray is transported into the terminal cavity and cooled to room temperature after 8 - 12 h. The composite crystal is taken out.

[0253] (7) In the chemical etching treatment step, after the composite crystal is taken out, a 10% - 25% NaOH solution is used for ultrasonic cleaning and rapid etching at 65 - 80 °C for 50 - 80 minutes to obtain silicon carbide crystals after chemical etching.

[0254] (8) In the cleaning treatment step, the silicon carbide crystals are put into a cleaning solution (for example, isopropanol) and ultrasonically cleaned at 50 - 80 °C for 3 - 10 minutes. Next, ultrasonically cleaned with deionized water for 3 - 10 minutes to obtain silicon carbide crystals.

[0255] In the measurement step, by measurement, the thickness of the manufactured silicon carbide crystal is 300 to 500 μm, the wafer has no obvious warpage, and the surface is smooth.

[0256] It should be noted that the above description of the method for manufacturing a silicon carbide crystal is only for the purpose of facilitating the explanation, and is not intended to limit the scope within the examples listed in this specification. After those skilled in the art understand the principle of this specification, various modifications and changes in form and details can be made to the above process, system, device, and equipment without departing from this principle. However, these changes and modifications do not depart from the scope of this specification.

[0257] The beneficial effects according to the examples of this specification include, but are not limited to, the following. (1) In the process of manufacturing crystals using a multi-cavity growth device, at least one substrate or composite crystal is transported between each cavity, and different process steps are performed in each cavity, realizing the mass production of crystals in a pipeline manner. (2) In the growth process, the thickness of the target crystal is monitored, a target crystal with the target thickness is manufactured, and after chemical etching, a finished product of a single target wafer is obtained, eliminating the need for cutting, shortening the crystal manufacturing cycle, reducing the processing cost, and having high efficiency. (3) Using a single crystal silicon wafer as a substrate, a target crystal is manufactured on the substrate by chemical vapor deposition to obtain a composite crystal, and then chemical etching is performed on the composite crystal using an acid solution or an alkali solution used in other processes (such as the manufacturing process of solar power generation or semiconductor devices) to remove the substrate, reducing the cost and realizing the recycling of resources, making the manufacturing method more environmentally friendly.

[0258] It should be noted that the beneficial effects achievable by different examples are different. In different examples, the achievable beneficial effects may be any one or a combination of more than one of the above, or any other achievable beneficial effects.

[0259] The above content describes this specification and / or some other examples. Based on the above content, different modifications can be made to this specification. The subject matter disclosed in this specification can be implemented in different forms and examples, and this specification can be applied to a large number of applications. All applications, modifications, and changes claimed in the following claims are all within the scope of this specification.

[0260] Also, this specification uses specific words to describe the examples in this specification. For example, "one example", "an example", and / or "some examples" refer to certain features, structures, or characteristics related to at least one example in this specification. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an example", "one example", "one alternative example", "another example", or "another one example" mentioned more than once at different positions in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same example. Also, the features, structures, or characteristics of one or more examples in this specification can be combined as appropriate.

[0261] A person skilled in the art can make multiple modifications and improvements to the content disclosed in this specification. For example, the different system assemblies described above can be realized by hardware devices, but can also be realized only by software solutions. For example, it can be realized by installing the system on a conventional server. Also, the provision of the location information disclosed in this specification may be realized by a combination of one firmware, firmware / software, firmware / hardware, or hardware / firmware / software.

[0262] All or some of the software may communicate via a network such as the Internet or other communication networks. Such communication can load the software from one computer device or processor to another computer device or processor. For example, from one management server or host computer of a radiation therapy system to the hardware platform of one computer environment, or to another computer environment that realizes the system, or to a system that provides a similar function related to the information necessary for determining the wheelchair target structure parameters. Therefore, another medium that can carry software elements may be used as a physical connection between local devices. For example, light waves, radio waves, electromagnetic waves, etc. are propagated via cables, optical cables, or air. Physical media used for wave propagation, such as similar devices like cables, wireless connections, or optical cables, may be regarded as a medium for carrying software. The usage here, unless limited to a tangible "memory" medium, any other terms representing a "readable medium" of a computer or machine represent a medium involved in the process where a processor executes any instructions.

[0263] The computer program code required for the operation of each part of this specification can be described in one or more programming languages including object-oriented programming languages such as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB.NET, Python, conventional procedural programming languages such as C, Visual Basic, Fortran2003, Perl, COBOL2002, PHP, ABAP, dynamic programming languages such as Python, Ruby and Groovy, or other programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, or executed on the user's computer as an independent software package, or executed partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or executed entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter situation, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer in any network format such as a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), or connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet), or used in a cloud computing environment, or used as a service such as software as a service (SaaS).

[0264] Also, unless otherwise claimed, the order of the processing elements and sequences, the use of numbers, letters of the alphabet, or other names in the above description of this specification do not limit the flow and order of methods in this specification. Although several embodiments of the invention that are currently considered useful have been examined through various examples in the above disclosure, such details are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the additional claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it should be understood that the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that match the essence and scope of the embodiments in this specification. For example, the system assembly described above can be realized by hardware devices, but it may also be realized by software solutions only. For example, it may be realized by installing the system described in a conventional server or mobile device.

[0265] Similarly, in order to simplify the description disclosed in this specification and assist in understanding one or more embodiments of the invention, it should be noted that in the above description of the embodiments in this specification, multiple features may be integrated into one embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, such a disclosure method does not mean that the features required for the subject matter of this specification are more than the features mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of the embodiments are fewer than all the features of a single embodiment of the above disclosure.

[0266] In some embodiments, numbers are used to describe attributes and quantities. It should be understood that the numbers used in the description of such embodiments are modified in some instances by modifiers such as "about", "substantially" or "approximately". Unless otherwise specified, "about", "substantially" or "approximately" indicate that a variation of ±20% of the above numbers is allowed. Correspondingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are all approximate values that can be changed according to the characteristics required by individual embodiments. In some embodiments, for numerical parameters, a predetermined number of significant digits should be considered and common rounding methods should be used. In some embodiments of this specification, the numerical ranges and parameters for confirming the range are approximate values. However, in specific embodiments, such numerical values are set as accurately as possible within the executable range.

[0267] Each patent, patent application, published patent publication, and other materials such as papers, books, specifications, publications, documents, articles, etc. cited in this specification are excluded if they are inconsistent with or conflict with the content of this specification, and documents that may have a limiting effect on the broadest scope of the claims of this specification (currently or subsequently added to this specification). In particular, all of their content is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, if the descriptions, definitions, and / or uses of terms in the accompanying materials of this specification are inconsistent with or conflict with the above content of this specification, the descriptions, definitions, and / or uses of terms in this specification shall be taken as the standard.

[0268] Finally, it should be understood that the above embodiments in this specification are only for explaining the principles of the embodiments of this specification. Other variations may fall within the scope of this specification. Therefore, by way of example and not limitation, alternative configurations of the embodiments of this specification can be considered to be in accordance with the teachings of this specification. Correspondingly, the embodiments of this specification are not limited to the embodiments clearly described and recited in this specification.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a composite crystal performed in a multi-cavity growth apparatus (200) including a plurality of cavities, comprising: sequentially transporting and processing at least one substrate between a plurality of cavities; growing a target crystal by a vapor phase growth method in one of the plurality of cavities to obtain at least one composite crystal including the substrate and the target crystal; in a first temperature range, ultrasonically cleaning the composite crystal with an etching solution for a time exceeding a first hour to obtain the target crystal having a basal plane dislocation density of 120 to 2000 cm-2, and dissolving and removing the substrate; A method for manufacturing a composite crystal, wherein the pressure and temperature of a cavity adjacent to a previous cavity are pre-adjusted to be equal to or close to the pressure and temperature of the previous cavity during the step of transporting the at least one substrate between the plurality of cavities.

2. Before sequentially transporting and processing the at least one substrate between a plurality of cavities, the method further includes: polishing the at least one substrate and cleaning the at least one substrate, according to the method of claim 1.

3. The multi-cavity growth apparatus (200) includes at least an in-situ etching cavity (202), a carbonization cavity (203), a growth cavity (204), a buffer cavity (205), and a transfer assembly (208). The transfer assembly (208) passes at least one substrate through the in-situ etching cavity (202), the carbonization cavity (203), the growth cavity (204), and the buffer cavity (205) in sequence for processing, according to the method of claim 1 or 2.

4. Before the step of transporting the substrate from the in-situ etching cavity (202) to the carbonization cavity (203), the temperature of the carbonization cavity (203) is adjusted to be equal to or close to the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity (202). Before the step of transporting the substrate from the carbonization cavity (203) to the growth cavity (204), the temperature and pressure of the growth cavity (204) are adjusted to be equal to or close to the temperature and pressure of the carbonization cavity (203), The method according to claim 3, wherein before the step of transporting the substrate from the growth cavity (204) to the buffer cavity (205), the temperature of the buffer cavity (205) is adjusted to the temperature of the growth cavity (204).

5. Before completing the step of sequentially transporting and processing the at least one substrate between the plurality of cavities, starting to transport and process at least one substrate of another lot between the plurality of cavities, and further comprising the step of simultaneously transporting and processing the at least one substrate of the two lots in different cavities respectively, the method according to claim 3.

6. The multi-cavity growth apparatus (200) includes a vacuum cavity (201), and the method includes Before processing the at least one substrate in the in-situ etching cavity (202), placing the at least one substrate in the vacuum cavity (201); Adjusting the pressure of the vacuum cavity (201) and the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity (202) to a first pressure range; Transporting the at least one substrate to the in-situ etching cavity (202) by the transport assembly (208), the method according to claim 3 or 5.

7. The step of processing the at least one substrate in the in-situ etching cavity (202) includes Maintaining the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity (202) in a second pressure range and the temperature in a second temperature range within a second time range; Introducing hydrogen gas until the pressure of the in-situ etching cavity (202) reaches normal pressure, and maintaining the temperature of the in-situ etching cavity (202) in a third temperature range and performing an in-situ etching process within a third time range, the method according to any one of claims 3, 5, and 6.

8. The step of processing the at least one substrate in the carbonization cavity (203) is The method according to claim 7, comprising the step of maintaining the pressure of the carbonization cavity (203) in the third pressure range, maintaining the temperature in the fourth temperature range, and performing carbonization treatment within the fourth hour.

9. The carbonization treatment includes: adjusting the temperature of the carbonization cavity (203) to the third temperature range; conveying the at least one substrate into the carbonization cavity (203) by the conveying assembly (208); adjusting the temperature of the carbonization cavity (203) to the fifth temperature range, adjusting the pressure to the fourth pressure range, simultaneously introducing propane gas and hydrogen gas until the third pressure range is reached, and within the fourth hour, maintaining the pressure of the carbonization cavity (203) in the third pressure range, maintaining the temperature in the fourth temperature range, and performing carbonization treatment, the method according to claim 8.

10. The step of processing the at least one substrate in the growth cavity (204) includes: maintaining the temperature of the growth cavity (204) in the sixth temperature range, maintaining the pressure in the fourth pressure range, introducing reaction raw materials, adjusting the pressure to the fifth pressure range, and performing a crystal growth process, the method according to claim 9.

11. The crystal growth process includes: adjusting the temperature of the growth cavity (204) to the fourth temperature range and adjusting the pressure to the third pressure range; conveying the at least one substrate to the growth cavity (204) by the conveying assembly (208); adjusting the temperature of the growth cavity (204) to the sixth temperature range, adjusting the pressure to the fourth pressure range, introducing silane, propane gas and hydrogen gas until the fifth pressure range is reached, and performing crystal growth; when the thickness of the target crystal reaches the target thickness, stopping crystal growth, the method according to claim 10.

12. The step of processing the at least one substrate in the buffer cavity (205) includes: within the fifth hour, maintaining the temperature of the buffer cavity (205) in the seventh temperature range and performing a cooling and temperature reduction treatment, the method according to claim 10 or 11.

13. The cooling and temperature reduction treatment includes: adjusting the temperature of the buffer cavity (205) to the sixth temperature range; conveying the composite crystal to the buffer cavity (205) by the conveying assembly (208); Adjust the temperature of the buffer cavity (205) to a seventh temperature range, and within a fifth time period, maintain the temperature of the buffer cavity (205) in the seventh temperature range and perform a cooling and temperature reduction process, the method according to claim 12, comprising the steps of.

14. The multi-cavity growth apparatus (200) includes a terminal cavity (206), and the method includes the step of maintaining the temperature of the terminal cavity (206) at room temperature, The step of transporting the composite crystal to the terminal cavity (206) by the transport assembly (208), The method according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising the step of cooling the composite crystal to room temperature.

15. A composite crystal manufacturing system (100) applied to a crystal manufacturing process, At least one memory storing computer instructions, Communicating with the at least one memory and, when executing the computer instructions, causing the system (100) to, The step of sequentially transporting and processing at least one substrate between a plurality of cavities, Growing a target crystal by a vapor phase growth method in one of the plurality of cavities to obtain at least one composite crystal including the substrate and the target crystal, In a first temperature range, using an etching solution to ultrasonically clean the composite crystal for more than a first time to obtain the target crystal having a basal plane dislocation density of 120 to 2000 cm-2, the step of dissolving and removing the substrate, At least one processor for causing to execute, comprising, A composite crystal manufacturing system (100), wherein the pressure and temperature of the cavity adjacent to the previous cavity are pre-adjusted to be equal to or close to the pressure and temperature of the previous cavity during the step of transporting the at least one substrate between the plurality of cavities.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Making method for large-area 3C-SiC thin film of MEMS part

    CN101150055A

  • Vapour-phase epitaxial material growth cavity step-by-step treatment device

    CN203007478U

  • Electrode for semiconductor element, semiconductor device containing the electrode and manufacture thereof

    JP1997186159A

  • Method for manufacturing thin film integrated circuit

    JP2004172630A

  • Gallium nitride system compound semiconductor and method for manufacturing the same

    JP2006222402A