CVD reactor apparatus

Claim 2

A CVD reactor apparatus for forming a CVD reaction film on the surface of a substrate in a CVD reactor by using a reactive gas, comprising: a ring-shaped or frame-shaped substrate clamp for clamping a peripheral edge of a front of said substrate disposed in said reactor and dividing a space inside said reactor into a first space adjacent the front of said substrate and a second space adjacent the backside of said substrate, said substrate clamp having projections for setting up, between said substrate clamp and the peripheral edge of the front of said clamped substrate, a gap through which the first space communicates with the second space; substrate clamp moving means for moving said substrate clamp vertically; a plurality of lift pins fixed to said substrate clamp and operative to engage the backside of said substrate for suspending and lifting said substrate; a ring-shaped or frame-shaped stopper disposed beneath said substrate clamp and being in contact with said substrate to surround said substrate; a seal which seals, in an airtight manner, a contact portion between said substrate clamp and said stopper; a plurality of spring-shaped substrate susceptor pins fixed to the inner side of said stopper and operative to push up said substrate at its backside by a force which does not damage said substrate and flex downwards by themselves when said substrate is pushed down by said substrate clamp; a first gas supply which supplies the reactive gas to the substrate front through the first space; and an inert gas supply which supplies inert gas to a space adjacent the substrate backside which is surrounded by an inner wall of said stopper, a lower surface of said substrate clamp and the bottom of said reactor.

Claim 3

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cooler unit which cools the temperature of surfaces in contact with the reactive gas, including the reactor inner wall, a surface of said first gas supply and the upper surface of said substrate clamp which adjoin the space on the side of the substrate front, yet excluding the substrate front, to a temperature equal to or less than a deposition reaction lower limit.

Claim 4

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a susceptor disposed adjacent the substrate backside in contact with said substrate, a heating light source disposed exterior to said CVD reactor, which provides direct irradiation of radiation light through a transparent window to heat said susceptor, said susceptor providing heat conduction and heat radiation to heat said substrate.

Claim 5

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said heating light source comprises a lamp.

Claim 6

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said susceptor is larger in size than said substrate, is formed with members which prevent said susceptor from contacting said substrate lift pins during vertical movement of said substrate lift pins so that only said substrate may be lifted by said lift pins, and is carried on said substrate susceptor pins.

Claim 7

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heater stage, disposed adjacent the substrate backside in contact with said substrate, which heats said substrate by heat conduction and radiation, wherein said heater stage is heated by resistive heating.

Claim 8

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said heater stage is larger in size than said substrate, is formed with members which prevent said heater stage from contacting said substrate lifter pins during vertical movement of said substrate susceptor pins so that only said substrate may be lifted by said lift pins, and is carried on said substrae susceptor pins.

Claim 9

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said CVD reactor is connected to another process reactor.

Claim 10

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reaction gas monitor, connected to said CVD reactor, which only monitors reactions on the front of said substrate.

Claim 11

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said reaction gas monitor connected to said CVD reactor includes a CVD gas inlet for introducing part of a gas prevailing in said CVD reactor and a mass analyzer exhausted differentially.

Claim 12

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate temperature monitor which monitors the temperature of said substrate and means for connecting said monitor to said CVD reactor without causing operation of said substrate temperature monitor to change with time.

Claim 13

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said substrate temperature monitor connected to said CVD reactor includes a light guide for receiving, at one end surface, infrared light radiated from the substrate backside and tramistting it to the other end surface, and calculation means for picking up the infrared light to detect the intensity thereof and calculating the temperature of said substrate from the detection results.

Claim 14

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said substrate temperature monitor connected to said CVD reactor includes a transparent window for isolating the inside of said CVD reactor from atmosphere and delivering infrared light radiated from the substrate backside to the outside of said CVD reactor, a collection lens for collecting the infrared light transmitting through said transparent window, and calculation means for picking up the infrared light to detect the intensity thereof and calculating the temperature of said substrate from the detection results.

Claim 15

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reaction gas monitor, which only monitors reactors on the substrate front connected to said CVD reactor, a substrate temperature monitor, which monitors the temperature of said substrate and means connecting said substrate temperature monitor to said CVD without causing said temperature monitor to change with time.

Claim 16

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said reaction gas monitor connected to said CVD reactor includes a CVD gas inlet for introducing part of gas prevailing in said CVD reactor and a mass analyzer exhausted differentially.

Claim 17

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said substrate temperature monitor connected to said CVD reactor includes a light guide for receiving, at one end surface, infrared light radiated from the substrate backside and transmitting it to the other end and calculation means for picking up the infrared light to detect the intensity thereof and calculating the temperature of said substrate from the detection results.

Claim 18

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said substrate temperature monitor connected to said CVD reactor includes a transparent window for isolating the inside of said CVD reactor from the atmosphere and passing infrared light radiated from the substrate backside to the outside of said CVD reactor, a collection lens for collecting the infrared light transmitting through said transparent window, and calculation means for picking up the infrared light to detect the intensity thereof and calculating the temperature of said substrate from the detection results.

Claim 19

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heating light source, disposed exterior to said CVD reactor, which provides direct irradiation of radiation light through a transparent window.

Claim 20

A CVD reactor apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said heating light source comprises a lamp.

Claim 21

A CVD reactor apparatus for forming a CVD reaction film on a surface of a substrate in a reactor by using a reactive gas comprising: a substrate clamp for clamping a peripheral edge of a front of said substrate disposed in said reactor and dividing a space inside said reactor into a first space adjacent the front of said substrate and a second space adjacent a backside of said substrate, said substrate clamp having projections for providing, between said substrate clamp and the peripheral edge of the front of said clamped substrate, a gap through which the first space communicates with the second space; a first gas source which supplies a first gas to the first space, said first gas containing at least a CVD gas; a second gas source which supplies an inert gas, which does not contain CVD gas, to the second space at a pressure higher than a pressure prevailing in the first space so as to pass the inert gas supplied to the second space through said gap to thereby prevent the CVD gas prevailing in the first space from contacting the substrate backside and the substrate edge; a susceptor disposed adjacent the substrate backside in contact with said substrate; a heating light source, disposed exterior to said CVD reactor, which provides direct irradiation of radiation light through a transparent window to heat said susceptor, said susceptor providing heat conduction and heat radiation to heat said substrate; a cooler unit which cools the surface temperature of an inner wall of the reactor in contact with the CVD gas prevailing in the first space, except the substrate front, to a temperature equal to or lower than a deposition lower limit; and a plurality of lift pins fixed to said substrate clamp and operative to engage the backside of said substrate for suspending and lifting said substrate, wherein said susceptor is larger in size than said substrate, is formed with members which prevent said susceptor from contacting said substrate lift pins during vertical movement of said substrate lift pins so that only said substrate may be lifted by said lift pins, and is carried on said substrate susceptor pins.

Claim 22

A CVD reactor apparatus for forming a CVD reaction film on a surface of a substrate in a reactor by using a reactive gas comprising: a substrate clamp for clamping a peripheral edge of a front of said substrate disposed in said reactor and dividing a space inside said reactor into a first space adjacent the front of said substrate and a second space adjacent a backside of said substrate, said substrate clamp having projections for providing, between said substrate clamp and the peripheral edge of the front of said clamped substrate, a gap through which the first space communicates with the second space; a first gas source which supplies a first gas to the first space, said first gas containing at least a CVD gas; a second gas source which supplies an inert gas, which does not contain CVD gas, to the second space at a pressure higher than a pressure prevailing in the first space so as to pass the inert gas supplied to the second space through said gap to thereby prevent the CVD gas prevailing in the first space from contacting the substrate backside and the substrate edge; a susceptor disposed adjacent the substrate backside in contact with said substrate; a heating light source, disposed exterior to said CVD reactor, which provides direct irradiation of radiation light through a transparent window to heat said susceptor, said susceptor providing heat conduction and heat radiation to heat said substrate; a cooler unit which cools the surface temperature of an inner wall of the reactor in contact with the CVD gas prevailing in the first space, except the substrate front, to a temperature equal to or lower than a deposition lower limit; and a plurality of lift pins fixed to said substrate clamp and operative to engage the backside of said substrate for suspending and lifting said substrate, wherein said susceptor is larger in size than said substrate, is formed with members which prevent said susceptor from contacting said substrate lift pins during vertical movement of said substrate lift pins so that only said substrate may be lifted by said lift pins, and is carried on said substrate susceptor pins.

Claim 23

A CVD reactor apparatus for forming a CVD reaction film on the surface of a substrate in a reactor, by using a reactive gas comprising: a substrate clamp for clamping a peripheral edge of a front of said substrate disposed in said reactor and dividing a space inside said reactor into a first space adjacent the front of said substrate and a second space adjacent a backside of said substrate, said substrate clamp having projections for providing, between said substrate clamp and the peripheral edge of the front of said clamped substrate, a gap through which the first space communicates with the second space; a first gas source which supplies a first gas to the first space, said first gas containing at least a CVD gas; a second gas source which supplies an inert gas, which does not contain CVD gas, to the second space at a pressure higher than a pressure prevailing in the first space to pass the inert gas supplied to the second space through said gap to thereby prevent the CVD gas prevailing in the first space from contacting the substrate backside and the substrate edge; a heater stage, which heats said substrate and is disposed adjacent the substrate backside in contact with said substrate and is heated by resistive heating to provide heat conduction and heat radiation; and a cooler unit which cools the surface temperature of an inner wall of the reactor in contact with the CVD gas prevailing in the first space, except the substrate front, to a temperature equal to or lower than a deposition lower limit; and a plurality of lift pins fixed to said substrate clamp and operative to engage the backside of said substrate for suspending and lifting said substrate, wherein said heater stage is larger in size than said substrate, and is formed with members which prevent said heater stage from contacting said substrate lifter pins during vertical movement of said substrate susceptor pins.

Claim 24

A CVD reactor apparatus for forming a CVD reaction film on the surface of a substrate in a reactor, by using a reactive gas comprising: a substrate clamp for clamping a peripheral edge of a front of said substrate disposed in said reactor and dividing a space inside said reactor into a first space adjacent the front of said substrate and a second space adjacent a backside of said substrate, said substrate clamp having projections for providing, between said substrate clamp and the peripheral edge of the front of said clamped substrate, a gap through which the first space communicates with the second space; a first gas source which supplies a first gas to the first space, said first gas containing at least a CVD gas; a second gas source which supplies an inert gas, which does not contain CVD gas, to the second space at a pressure higher than a pressure prevailing in the first space to pass the inert gas supplied to the second space through said gap to thereby prevent the CVD gas prevailing in the first space from contacting the substrate backside and the substrate edge; a heater stage, which heats said substrate and is disposed adjacent the substrate backside in contact with said substrate and is heated by resistive heating to provide heat conduction and heat radiation; and a cooler unit which cools the surface temperature of an inner wall of the reactor in contact with the CVD gas prevailing in the first space, except the substrate front, to a temperature equal to or lower than a deposition lower limit; and a plurality of lift pins fixed to said substrate clamp and operative to engage the backside of said substrate for suspending and lifting said substrate, wherein said heater stage is larger in size than said substrate, and is formed with members which prevent said heater stage from contacting said substrate lifter pins during vertical movement of said substrate susceptor pins.