Gas-Phase Reactor Exhaust Plenum Design for Reduced Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas-phase reactor exhaust systems occupy significant reaction chamber space and require complex, expensive designs with moving susceptors for substrate loading and unloading, leading to increased gas consumption and lower throughput.
Innovation Solution
A gas-phase reactor design featuring an exhaust plenum positioned beneath the susceptor, with a channel extending around the susceptor's perimeter to control gas flow, reducing the active reaction chamber space occupied by the plenum and eliminating the need for susceptor movement during loading and unloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an annular exhaust plenum is used to provide laminar flow and uniform velocity of reactants, then gas flow control is improved, but the plenum occupies significant reaction chamber space
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust plenum is repositioned from a horizontal annular structure surrounding the substrate to a vertical structure located beneath the susceptor. This dimensional change allows the plenum to occupy the vertical space under the susceptor rather than horizontal reaction chamber space, thereby reducing the plenum's footprint in the reaction chamber while maintaining its gas flow control function through the channel extending about the susceptor perimeter.
2Ease of operation
If substrates are loaded and unloaded by moving the susceptor relative to the plenum, then access to load/unload area is achieved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the susceptor to provide access to the load/unload area, the invention inverts the approach by positioning the exhaust plenum beneath the susceptor and providing access through a port in the reaction chamber wall. This allows substrates to be loaded and unloaded without moving the susceptor, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If additional internal chamber volume is required for moving susceptor, then substrate loading is enabled, but gas consumption increases and throughput time decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates the need for additional internal chamber volume by repositioning the exhaust plenum beneath the susceptor and providing substrate access through a wall port. This inversion of the access mechanism removes the requirement for extra chamber space, thereby reducing pump-down and backfill times and improving overall throughput while maintaining ease of substrate loading.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design results in less complex, less expensive reactor systems with improved throughput and reduced operational costs by minimizing the plenum's footprint and allowing substrate loading/unloading without susceptor movement.
Implementation Method 1
the gas distribution system and the reactor exhaust system are configured to provide laminar flow and/or uniform velocity of reactants over the surface of substrate 130
Implementation Method 2
system 100 also includes a vacuum source 128
Data Source
AI summary
An improved exhaust system for a gas-phase reactor and a reactor and system including the exhaust system are disclosed. The exhaust system includes a channel fluidly coupled to an exhaust plenum. The improved exhaust system allows operation of a gas-phase reactor with desired flow characteristics while taking up relatively little space within a reaction chamber.