Method and arrangement for treating silicon plates

Claim 1

A method for treating a silicon plate in a reactor during chemical vapor deposition, for the purpose, inter alia, of depositing substances on the silicon plate by introducing different gases into the reactor, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a cold-wall reactor defining a microwave cavity having cooled cavity-defining walls and having a gas inlet; b. providing a microwave generator and a waveguide for introducing microwaves into the microwave cavity; c. positioning a substrate holder within the microwave cavity and spaced from the waveguide, wherein the substrate holder is made from a material that has a low loss factor; d. placing on the substrate holder a silicon plate onto which substances are to be deposited; and e. introducing microwave energy into the reactor microwave cavity from the microwave generator to heat the silicon plate to a desired temperature.

Claim 2

A method for treating a silicon plate in a reactor during chemical vapor deposition, for the purpose, inter alia, of depositing substances on the silicon plate by introducing different gases into the reactor, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a cold-wall reactor defining a microwave cavity having cooled cavity-defining walls and having a gas inlet; b. providing a microwave generator and a waveguide for introducing microwaves into the microwave cavity; c. positioning a substrate holder within the microwave cavity and spaced from the waveguide, wherein the substrate holder is made from a material that has a low loss factor; d. placing on the substrate holder a silicon plate onto which substances are to be deposited; and e. introducing microwave energy into the reactor microwave cavity from the microwave generator to heat the silicon plate to a desired temperature.

Claim 17

A method for treating a substrate in a reactor during chemical vapor deposition, for the purpose of depositing substances on the substrate by introducing different gases into the reactor, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a reactor including a microwave cavity formed by cavity-defining walls, the reactor having a gas inlet and a gas outlet communicating with the cavity; b. providing a microwave generator and a waveguide adjacent to the reactor for introducing microwaves through a reactor wall into the reactor cavity, wherein the waveguide includes a longitudinal axis; c. providing a substrate holder within the reactor cavity, the substrate holder having a longitudinal axis that is substantially coaxially aligned with the waveguide longitudinal axis for supporting a substrate in spaced relationship with the cavity wall, wherein the substrate holder is made from a material that has a low loss factor and includes a substrate supporting surface extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the substrate holder: d. placing on the substrate-supporting surface of the substrate holder a substrate onto which substances are to be deposited; e. introducing microwave energy into the reactor cavity from the microwave generator to heat the substrate to a desired temperature; f. maintaining the temperature of the reactor walls below a vapor deposition temperature; g. forming a coating on the heated substrate by introducing gases into the reactor cavity through the gas inlet for deposition of a coating substance onto the heated substrate; h. after forming the coating, simultaneous with the introduction of additional microwave energy into the reactor cavity, introducing into the reactor cavity through the gas inlet an etching gas; and i. maintaining the microwave energy introduced into the reactor at a power level sufficient to produce a plasma from the etching gas to etch a surface of the substrate and to clean the reactor walls of possible impurities.

Claim 18

A method for treating a substrate in a reactor during chemical vapor deposition, for the purpose of depositing substances on the substrate by introducing different gases into the reactor, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a reactor including a microwave cavity formed by cavity-defining walls, the reactor having a gas inlet and a gas outlet communicating with the cavity; b. providing a microwave generator and a waveguide adjacent to the reactor for introducing microwaves through a reactor wall into the reactor cavity, wherein the waveguide includes a longitudinal axis; c. providing a substrate holder within the reactor cavity, the substrate holder having a longitudinal axis that is substantially coaxially aligned with the waveguide longitudinal axis for supporting a substrate in spaced relationship with the cavity wall, wherein the substrate holder is made from a material that has a low loss factor and includes a substrate supporting surface extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the substrate holder: d. placing on the substrate-supporting surface of the substrate holder a substrate onto which substances are to be deposited; e. introducing microwave energy into the reactor cavity from the microwave generator to heat the substrate to a desired temperature; f. maintaining the temperature of the reactor walls below a vapor deposition temperature; g. forming a coating on the heated substrate by introducing gases into the reactor cavity through the gas inlet for deposition of a coating substance onto the heated substrate; h. after forming the coating, simultaneous with the introduction of additional microwave energy into the reactor cavity, introducing into the reactor cavity through the gas inlet an etching gas; and i. maintaining the microwave energy introduced into the reactor at a power level sufficient to produce a plasma from the etching gas to etch a surface of the substrate and to clean the reactor walls of possible impurities.