Vertical furnace reactor assembly, method of aligning annular flange units, and use of vertical furnace reactor assembly

Abstract

A vertical furnace reactor assembly for processing substrates includes: a reactor shell defining a processing chamber configured for processing substrates therein and having an opening for moving the substrates in and out of the processing chamber along a main loading axis, the opening being surrounded by a stack of annular flange units, the annular flange units including at least two of a shell flange, a gas separation ring unit, a liner suspension ring unit, a cleaning ring unit, and a clamping ring unit, wherein at least two of the annular flange units are provided with mutually cooperating centering structures for centering each of the at least two flange units relative to each other, wherein the mutually cooperating centering structures include a plurality of slots and a corresponding plurality of pins, wherein each of the slots extends along a respective main slot axis, wherein the slot axes are directed to intersect each other centrally relative to the stack of annular flange units.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a vertical furnace reactor assembly for processing substrates, a method for aligning the annular flange unit of the reactor assembly, and the use of the reactor assembly. Prior Technology

[0002] A known vertical furnace reactor assembly for processing substrates includes a reactor shell defining a processing chamber configured to process substrates therein, and having an opening for moving the substrates in and out of the processing chamber along a main loading axis, the opening being surrounded by a stack of annular flange units. Such annular flange units may include shell flanges, gas separation ring units, liner suspension ring units, scavenger ring units, and / or clamp ring units.

[0003] To achieve optimal reactor performance, the annular flange units need to be precisely aligned with each other. Achieving such alignment in known reactor assemblies can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and requires highly skilled operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure is provided in a simplified form to introduce a series of concepts. These concepts will be described in more detail in the embodiments described below. This disclosure is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] The objective of this disclosure is to provide a vertical furnace reactor assembly for processing substrates, wherein proper mutual alignment of the annular flange units can be achieved more easily and / or quickly. The objective may be to provide such a reactor assembly in which misalignment between the annular flange units is less likely to occur.

[0006] For this purpose, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vertical furnace reactor assembly for processing substrates. This reactor assembly may include a reactor shell defining a processing chamber, which is configured to process substrates therein. The processing chamber may have an opening for moving the substrates in and out of the processing chamber along a main loading axis. This opening may be surrounded by a stack of annular flange units, including at least two of a shell flange, a gas separation ring unit, a liner suspension ring unit, a scavenging ring unit, and a clamping ring unit.

[0007] At least two of these annular flange units may have mutually cooperating centering structures for centering each of the at least two flange units relative to each other. These cooperating centering structures may include a plurality of slots and corresponding plurality of pins. Each of these slots may extend along a separate main slot axis. These slot axes may intersect each other at the center of the stack relative to the annular flange units.

[0008] These slots can each be configured to receive one of the pins in a direction substantially parallel to the main loading axis, such that the received pin is movable in the slot along the respective main slot axis and is substantially immovable in the slot along a direction perpendicular to both the main slot axis and the main loading axis.

[0009] Preferably, this direction, perpendicular to the main slot axis and the main loading axis, may at least substantially correspond to the circumferential direction of the annular flange units and / or the opening.

[0010] Such a mutually cooperating centering structure can achieve relatively easy and rapid alignment between individual annular flange units, thereby reducing the risk of accidental misalignment.

[0011] When these flange units are positioned relative to each other, these pins can be (specifically, substantially along the main loading axis) inserted into these slots. The receiving slot restricts the movement of the pins in this way, allowing them to be conveniently inserted one by one, while achieving automatic centering during this positioning.

[0012] A further embodiment may provide a method for aligning the annular flange units of a vertical furnace reactor assembly relative to each other in a stack. This method may include: Provide a vertical furnace reactor assembly as described herein; and This causes the pins of the plurality of pins to be inserted into the corresponding slots of the plurality of slots, thereby centering the at least two annular flange units relative to each other.

[0013] This method offers the advantages mentioned above.

[0014] A further embodiment can provide the use of a vertical furnace reactor for processing substrates, as described herein.

[0015] This application offers the advantages mentioned above.

[0016] For the purpose of summarizing this disclosure and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objectives and advantages of this disclosure have been described above. It is understood, of course, that not all such objectives or advantages may necessarily be achieved according to any specific embodiment of this disclosure. Therefore, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure may be implemented or practiced in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught or suggested herein, without necessarily achieving other objectives or advantages that may be taught or suggested herein.

[0017] Various embodiments are claimed in the claims of the subsidiary applications, which will be further illustrated with reference to the examples shown in the drawings. These embodiments may be used in combination or separately from each other.

[0018] All of these embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand these and other embodiments from the following detailed description of certain embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosure is not limited to any specific embodiment disclosed. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0019] Although this specification concludes by specifically pointing out and explicitly claiming the scope of the patent applications to which the embodiments of this disclosure are regarded, the advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure can be more readily apparent from the description of certain examples of the embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary vertical furnace reactor assembly according to the first embodiment; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary vertical furnace reactor assembly according to the second embodiment; Figure 3 shows a top view of an illustrative, mutually cooperating, centered structure; Figure 4 shows an isometric view of an exemplary stack of annular flange units; Figure 5 shows an isometric view of an illustrative clearing ring; Figure 6 shows a further illustrative isometric view of the clearing ring; and Figure 7 shows an isometric view of an illustrative clamp. Implementation

[0020] In this application, similar or corresponding features are indicated by similar or corresponding element symbols. The description of various embodiments is not limited to the examples shown in the drawings and the element symbols used in the embodiments, and the scope of the claim is not intended to limit the description of the embodiments, but is included to illustrate the embodiments.

[0021] While certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood that this disclosure extends beyond the specific embodiments and / or uses disclosed herein, as well as their obvious modifications and equivalents. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of this disclosure be not limited to the specific embodiments described below. The illustrations presented herein are not intended to be actual views of any specific material, structure, or device, but are merely idealized representations used to illustrate embodiments of this disclosure.

[0022] As used in this article, the term "wafer" can refer to any underlying material on which devices, circuits, or films can be formed or formed.

[0023] Figures 1 and 2 show an example of a vertical furnace reactor assembly 2; 102 that can be used to process substrate 4 therein.

[0024] Reactor assembly 2; 102 may include a reactor shell 6 defining a processing chamber 8, which is configured to process a substrate 4 therein. The processing chamber 8 may have an opening 10 at the bottom side of the chamber 8 for moving the substrate 4 along the main loading axis L into and out of the processing chamber 8. The opening 10 may be surrounded by a stack of annular flange units. The annular flange units may include shell flanges 12, 26, a gas separation ring unit 14, a liner suspension ring unit 16, a cleaning ring unit 18, and a clamping ring unit 20.

[0025] In the example of Figure 1, the stack shown includes a shell flange 12 of reactor shell 6, a gas separation ring unit 14, a liner suspension ring unit 16, and a further shell flange 26. Since shell 6 defines processing chamber 8, shell flange 12 can also be referred to as processing chamber flange 12. In the example of Figure 2, the stack shown includes a shell flange 12 of reactor shell 6, a liner suspension ring unit 16, a cleaning ring unit 18, a clamping ring unit 20, and a further shell flange 26. One or more (further) clamping ring units (not indicated in the figures) may be disposed in any one or more of the illustrated examples, specifically between the liner suspension ring unit 16 and the shell flange 12, and / or between the cleaning ring unit 18 and the liner suspension ring unit 16.

[0026] The outer casing flange 26 may be associated with a boat maneuvering device 28, which can be configured to move the substrates 4 in batches into and out of chamber 8 for processing therein. The liner suspension ring unit 16 may be associated with the liner 30 of the reactor assembly 2.

[0027] In the example shown in Figure 4, the stack includes a clamping ring unit 20, a liner suspension ring unit 16, and a gas separation ring unit 14. In the example of Figure 4, a housing flange (not shown) may be positioned below the gas separation ring unit 14. However, a pin 24 for this housing flange is shown, as will be explained further.

[0028] It should be understood that the stacking configuration shown is merely an example, and such stacks can be constructed in different ways, such as with different groups of annular flange units, in different orders, and / or with one or more additional annular flange units.

[0029] As shown, for example, in Figure 2, flange elements can be stacked such that one flange element partially or completely surrounds another flange element.

[0030] At least two of the annular flange units 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26 may be provided with mutually cooperating centering structures 22, 24 (see, for example, Figure 3, not explicitly shown in Figures 1 and 2) for centering each of the at least two of these flange units 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26 relative to each other.

[0031] The mutually cooperating centering structures 22, 24 may include a plurality of slots 22 and a corresponding plurality of pins 24. Each slot 22 may extend along a separate main slot axis S, wherein the slot axes S may intersect each other centrally relative to the stack of annular flange units 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26. The slot axes S may intersect with the main loading axis L, i.e., at the centerline of the stack and / or reactor assembly 2; 102. Alternatively, some or all of the slot axes S may intersect with at least one other slot axis S at a small distance from the main loading axis L, specifically a distance smaller than the distance between this intersection point and the individual slot 22.

[0032] Each slot 22 can be configured to receive one of the individual pins 24 in a direction substantially parallel to the main loading axis L, such that the received pin 24 is movable in the slot 22 along the respective main slot axis S and is substantially immovable in the slot 22 in a direction perpendicular to both the main slot axis S and the main loading axis L.

[0033] In the example of Figure 3, slot 22 is closed at both of its axial ends. Alternatively, for example, one or more of slots 22 may be open-ended, such as being open at one or both of its axial ends. See Figure 4 for an example.

[0034] Figure 4 shows several sets of mutually cooperating centering structures in the stack of annular flange units 20, 16, and 14, specifically slots 22 and pins 24. The pin 24 of the housing flange (not shown) below the gas separator ring unit 14 is shown as being received in the slot 22 of the gas separator ring unit 14. The pin 24 of the gas separator ring unit 14 is shown as being received in the slot 22 of the liner suspension ring unit 16.

[0035] Figure 5 shows the pin 24 (not shown) received in the housing flange of the exemplary clearing ring unit 18.

[0036] Figure 6 shows an exemplary clearing ring unit 18 with pins 24, which can be received in slots 22 of the exemplary clamping ring unit 20 shown in Figure 7.

[0037] In one embodiment, a plurality of slots 22 may include at least three slots 22, and a corresponding number of pins 24 may correspondingly include at least three pins 24. It will be understood that the number of slots 22 and pins 24 is defined herein for each centering structure, i.e., for example, for each annular flange unit.

[0038] Therefore, when, for example, two annular flange units are provided with mutually cooperating centering structures, one of these flange units may have at least three slots 22, while the other flange unit may have at least three pins 24. In a less preferred but feasible alternative, one of these flange units may have, for example, two slots 22 and one pin 24, while the other flange unit may have one slot 22 and two pins 24. Many further variations and combinations will be understood to be feasible.

[0039] By providing at least three slots 22 and at least three pins 24, it can be relatively easy to achieve good centering behavior when positioning the pins 24 in the slots 22.

[0040] In one embodiment, the corresponding plurality of slots 22 and pins 24 may be substantially evenly distributed along the respective peripheries of the respective annular flange units 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26.

[0041] This can be used to further improve the centering behavior.

[0042] In one embodiment, the respective main slot directions S of each pair of slots 22 in at least three slots 22 may enclose each other at an angle of approximately 120 degrees in a plane, which may be transversal to the main loading axis L. Alternatively, one or more slot pairs may enclose at different angles, for example, substantially greater than or less than 120 degrees.

[0043] In one embodiment, each of the pins 24 may extend along a main pin direction, which may be substantially parallel to the main loading shaft L.

[0044] The pin 24 can therefore be inserted into the slot 22 in the direction of the main loading axis L, and the movement of the received pin 24 in one or more directions transverse to the main loading axis L can be restricted by the slot 22.

[0045] In one embodiment, the cooperating centering structures 22, 24 may be configured to provide at least one of a kinematic coupling and a non-kinematic coupling between the respective annular flange units 12, 14, 16; 18, 20, 26.

[0046] In one embodiment, the stack of annular flange units 12, 14, 16, 26; 12, 18, 20, 26 may include at least three, preferably at least four, annular flange units 12, 14, 16, 26; 12, 18, 20, 26.

[0047] In one embodiment, reactor assembly 2; 102 may include a plurality of, for example, three leveling pins 24a (see Figure 4), which are configured to adjust the mutual leveling of each of the annular flange units 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26, specifically including gas separation ring unit 14.

[0048] In one embodiment, the joint circumferential shape of the annular flange units 12, 14, 16; 18, 20, 26 may be a circular shape having a center at the main loading axis L.

[0049] Therefore, a relatively robust flange unit can be provided, specifically a flange unit with a relatively large opening relative to its periphery. This circular flange shape can match the circular shape of the opening 10 and / or the reactor shell 6.

[0050] Referring to the illustration, a method for aligning the annular flange units 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26 of a vertical furnace reactor assembly 2; 102 relative to each other in a stack may include: Provides a vertical furnace reactor assembly 2 as described herein; and This causes the pins 24 of the plurality of pins 24 to be inserted into the corresponding slots 22 of the plurality of slots 22, thereby centering the at least two annular flange units 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26 relative to each other.

[0051] Although illustrative embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and practiced by those skilled in the art in the course of practicing the claimed invention through study of the drawings, this disclosure, and the appended claims.

[0052] For example, a stack of annular flange units may include one or more annular flange units that do not include pins and / or slots for centering relative to another flange unit. Further examples are provided throughout the specification.

[0053] Throughout this specification, the phrase "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment disclosed herein. Therefore, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0054] Furthermore, it should be noted that the specific features, structures, or characteristics of one or more of the various embodiments described above can be implemented independently of each other and can be combined in any suitable manner to form new embodiments not explicitly described. The element symbols used in the implementation methods and claims are not intended to limit the description of the embodiments or the scope of the claims. The element symbols are used only for clarification.

[0055] 2: Vertical Furnace Reactor Assembly 4:Substrate 6: Reactor shell 8: Processing Room 10: Opening 12: Casing flange, processing chamber flange, annular flange unit 14: Gas separation ring element, annular flange element 16: Liner suspension ring unit, annular flange unit 18: Clear ring element, annular flange element 20: Clip unit, annular flange unit 22: Centered structure, slot 24: Centered structure, pin 24a: Leveling pin 26: Outer shell flange, annular flange unit 28: Crystal Boat Control Device 30: Liner 102: Vertical Furnace Reactor Assembly L: Main loading axis S: Slot shaft

Claims

1. A vertical furnace reactor assembly (2; 102) for processing substrates (4), comprising: A reactor shell (6) defines a processing chamber (8) configured for processing a substrate (4) therein, and the processing chamber (8) has an opening (10) for moving the substrate (4) in and out of the processing chamber (8) along a main loading axis (L), the opening (10) being surrounded by a stack of a plurality of annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 26; 12, 18, 20, 26), the annular flange units including at least two of a shell flange (12, 26), a gas separation ring unit (14), a liner suspension ring unit (16), a cleaning ring unit (18), and a clamping ring unit (20), wherein at least two of the annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26) are provided with a plurality of mutually cooperating centering structures (22, 24) for holding each of the at least two flange units (12, 26, 18, 20, 26) in place. 14, 16, 18, 20, 26) are centered relative to each other, wherein the mutually cooperating centering structures (22, 24) include a plurality of slots (22) and a corresponding plurality of pins (24), wherein each of the slots (22) extends along a separate main slot axis (S), wherein the slot axes (S) intersect each other centrally relative to the stack of the annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26), wherein each of the slots (22) is configured to receive one of the pins (24) in a direction substantially parallel to the main loading axis (L), such that the received pin (24) is movable in the slot (22) along the separate main slot axis (S) and is substantially immovable in the slot (22) in a direction perpendicular to both the main slot axis (S) and the main loading axis (L). The slot (22) is closed at at least one axial end along the main slot shaft (S).

2. The vertical furnace reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of slots (22) includes at least three slots (22), and the corresponding number of the pins (24) correspondingly includes at least three pins (24).

3. The vertical furnace reactor assembly of claim 2, wherein the corresponding plurality of slots (22) and pins (24) are substantially evenly distributed along the respective peripheries of the respective annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26).

4. The vertical furnace reactor assembly of claim 3, wherein the respective main slot directions (S) of each pair of slots (22) of the at least three slots (22) are mutually enclosed by an angle of about 120 degrees in a plane that is transverse to the main loading axis (L).

5. The vertical furnace reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the pins (24) extends along a main pin direction substantially parallel to the main loading axis (L).

6. The vertical furnace reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the mutually cooperating centering structures (22, 24) are configured to provide at least one of a motion coupling and a non-motion coupling between the respective annular flange units (12, 14, 16; 18, 20, 26).

7. The vertical furnace reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the stack of annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 26; 12, 18, 20, 26) comprises at least three annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 26; 12, 18, 20, 26).

8. The vertical furnace reactor assembly of claim 1 further includes a plurality of leveling pins (24a) configured to adjust the mutual leveling of each of the annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26).

9. A vertical furnace reactor assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the combined peripheral shape of one of the annular flange units (12, 14, 16; 18, 20, 26) has a circular shape at the center of the main loading shaft (L).

10. A method for aligning the annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26) of a vertical furnace reactor assembly (2; 102) relative to each other in a stack, comprising: Provide any one of the requested items 1 to 9 of the vertical furnace reactor assembly (2); And causing the pins (24) of the plurality of pins (24) to be inserted into the corresponding slots (22) of the plurality of slots (22), thereby centering the at least two annular flange units (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 26) relative to each other.

11. A vertical furnace reactor assembly (2; 102) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 for use in processing a substrate (4) therein.

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