US6059885A — Vapor deposition apparatus and method for forming…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 152 words

A vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a hollow reactor having a gas supply port at a top portion thereof and an exhaust port at a bottom portion thereof, said gas supply port being adapted to supply reaction gas into said reactor to form a thin film on a surface of a wafer substrate; a rotational substrate holder positioned inside said reactor, said substrate holder being adapted to seat a wafer substrate; and a straightening vane having a central portion and an outer portion extending radially outwardly from said central portion, wherein said central portion is defined by an area at least as large as an area of said substrate holder and concentric with said substrate holder, and wherein said central portion has first gas holes and said outer portion has second gas holes, the total area of the openings of said second gas holes being larger than that of the first gas holes.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 152 words

A vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a hollow reactor having a gas supply port at a top portion thereof and an exhaust port at a bottom portion thereof, said gas supply port being adapted to supply reaction gas into said reactor to form a thin film on a surface of a wafer substrate; a rotational substrate holder positioned inside said reactor, said substrate holder being adapted to seat a wafer substrate; and a straightening vane having a central portion and an outer portion extending radially outwardly from said central portion, wherein said central portion is defined by an area at least as large as an area of said substrate holder and concentric with said substrate holder, and wherein said central portion has first gas holes and said outer portion has second gas holes, the total area of the openings of said second gas holes being larger than that of the first gas holes.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 90 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said straightening vane and said substrate holder each are circular and said reactor has a cylindrical wall, said straightening vane extending to an inner peripheral surface of said reactor cylindrical wall, and wherein said outer portion has a radial distance (X), which is equal to less than a difference (Y) between the radius (R D ) of the reactor cylindrical wall and the radius (R S ) of the substrate holder or an equivalent projected radius (R P ) thereof.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein a ratio (X/Y) between said radial distance (X) of said outer portion and said difference (Y=R D -R P (or R S )) is set to 0.02 to 1.0.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 35 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reactor is designed to be circular in horizontal section, and said straightening vane and said rotational substrate holder are coaxially disposed in said reactor.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 64 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a space area is defined between the top portion of said reactor and said rotational substrate holder, the space area being divided into at least two sections by a partition member disposed radially outwardly from said rotational substrate holder, and at least two reaction gas supply ports being provided to each of the sections.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 120 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said straightening vane and said substrate holder each are circular and said reactor has a cylindrical wall, said straightening vane extending to an inner peripheral surface of said reactor cylindrical wall, wherein said outer portion has a radial distance (X), which is equal to less than a difference (Y) between the radius (R D ) of the reactor cylindrical wall and the radius (R S ) of the substrate holder or an equivalent projected radius (R P ) thereof, and wherein a ratio (X/Y) between said radial distance (X) of said outer portion and said difference (Y=R D -R P (or R S )) is set to 0.02 to 1.0.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 35 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said reactor is designed to be circular in horizontal section, and said straightening vane and said rotational substrate holder are coaxially disposed in said reactor.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein an individual reaction gas supply system is connected through said reaction gas supply ports to each of said sections.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 68 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reactor is divided into upper and lower portions having different inner diameters, the inner diameter of said upper portion is smaller than the inner diameter of said lower portion, and the lower end of said upper portion and the upper end of said lower portion are connected to each other, forming continuous hollow upper and lower portions.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 180 words

A vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a hollow reactor having a gas supply port in the upper portion thereof and an exhaust port in the lo wer portion thereof, said gas supply port being adapted to supply reaction gas into said reactor to form a thin film on a surface of a wafer substrate, said reactor being sectioned into upper and lower portions having different inner diameters, the inner diameter of said upper portion being smaller than the inner diameter of said lower portion; a link portion connecting the lower end of said upper portion to the upper end of the lower portion, said link portion having straightening gas flow-out holes; a rotational substrate holder, which is adapted to seat a wafer substrate, positioned inside said reactor below the lower end of said upper portion; and a straightening vane having a plurality of gas holes situated in the upper portion of the reactor, wherein said straightening gas flow-out holes are directed either vertically downwardly or downwardly and outwardly toward the lower portion to direct straightening gas away from the substrate holder.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 180 words

A vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a hollow reactor having a gas supply port in the upper portion thereof and an exhaust port in the lo wer portion thereof, said gas supply port being adapted to supply reaction gas into said reactor to form a thin film on a surface of a wafer substrate, said reactor being sectioned into upper and lower portions having different inner diameters, the inner diameter of said upper portion being smaller than the inner diameter of said lower portion; a link portion connecting the lower end of said upper portion to the upper end of the lower portion, said link portion having straightening gas flow-out holes; a rotational substrate holder, which is adapted to seat a wafer substrate, positioned inside said reactor below the lower end of said upper portion; and a straightening vane having a plurality of gas holes situated in the upper portion of the reactor, wherein said straightening gas flow-out holes are directed either vertically downwardly or downwardly and outwardly toward the lower portion to direct straightening gas away from the substrate holder.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 40 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a space portion is provided above said link portion so as to hermetically envelop said straightening gas flow-out holes, and straightening gas supply ports are provided in said space portion.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 44 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said space portion and said upper portion are constructed in a dual-wall structure, and an outside surface of the space portion extends from the upper end of the lower portion through said link portion.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 28 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the side surface of said upper portion is vertical to the upper surface of said rotational substrate holder.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 87 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the hollow inside of said reactor is designed to be circular in horizontal section, the diameter of said upper portion (D 1 ) is larger than the diameter of said wafer substrate, said rotational substrate holder is designed in a circular shape, and the ratio (D 1 /D S ) between the diameter of said upper portion (D 1 ) and the diameter of said rotational substrate holder (D S ) is set to 0.7 to 1.2.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 43 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the ratio (D 2 /D 1 ) between the diameter of said upper portion (D 1 ) and the diameter of said lower portion (D 2 ) is set to 1.2 or more.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 44 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the ratio (D 2 /D S ) between the diameter of said lower portion (D 2 ) and the diameter of said rotational substrate holder (D S ) is set to 1.2 or more.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 43 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 14, the ratio (D 2 /D S ) between the diameter of said lower portion (D 2 ) and the diameter of said rotational substrate holder (D S ) is set to 1.2 or more.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 52 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a transition layer thickness (T) of gas flow above an upper surface of said rotational substrate holder is calculated from T=3.22(ν/ω) 1/2 , where ν represents coefficient of kinematic viscosity (mm 2 /s) and ω represents an angular velocity of rotation (rad/s).

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 50 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the rotation of said rotational substrate holder is controlled so that the transition layer thickness (T) is smaller than a height difference (H) between the lower end of said upper portion and the upper surface of said rotational substrate holder.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 32 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a part of said link portion and the upper surface of said rotational substrate holder are located on the same horizontal plane.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 143 words

A vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a hollow reactor having a gas supply port at a top portion thereof and an exhaust port at a bottom portion thereof, the gas supply port being adapted to supply reaction gas into the reactor to form a thin film on a surface of a wafer substrate; a rotational substrate holder positioned inside the reactor, the substrate holder being adapted to seat a wafer substrate; and a straightening vane having a central portion and an outer portion extending radially outwardly from the central portion, wherein a space area is defined between the top portion of the reactor and the rotational substrate holder, the space area being divided into at least two sections by a partition member disposed radially outwardly from the rotational substrate holder, at least two reaction gas supply ports being provided to each of the sections.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 143 words

A vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a hollow reactor having a gas supply port at a top portion thereof and an exhaust port at a bottom portion thereof, the gas supply port being adapted to supply reaction gas into the reactor to form a thin film on a surface of a wafer substrate; a rotational substrate holder positioned inside the reactor, the substrate holder being adapted to seat a wafer substrate; and a straightening vane having a central portion and an outer portion extending radially outwardly from the central portion, wherein a space area is defined between the top portion of the reactor and the rotational substrate holder, the space area being divided into at least two sections by a partition member disposed radially outwardly from the rotational substrate holder, at least two reaction gas supply ports being provided to each of the sections.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 35 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the reactor is designed to be circular in horizontal section, and the straightening vane and the rotational substrate holder are coaxially disposed in the reactor.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 29 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein an individual reaction gas supply system is connected through the reaction gas supply ports to each of the sections.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 181 words

A vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a hollow reactor having a gas supply port in the upper portion thereof and an exhaust port in the lower portion thereof, the gas supply port being adapted to supply reaction gas into the reactor to form a thin film on a surface of a wafer substrate, the reactor being sectioned into upper and lower portions having different inner diameters, the inner diameter of the upper portion being smaller than the inner diameter of the lower portion; a link portion connecting the lower end of the upper portion to the upper end of the lower portion, the link portion having straightening gas flow-out holes; a rotational substrate holder, which is adapted to seat a wafer substrate, positioned inside the reactor below the lower end of the upper portion; and a straightening vane having a plurality of gas holes situated in the upper portion of the reactor, wherein a space portion is provided above the link portion so as to hermetically envelop the straightening gas flow-out holes, the space portion being provided with straightening gas supply ports.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 181 words

A vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a hollow reactor having a gas supply port in the upper portion thereof and an exhaust port in the lower portion thereof, the gas supply port being adapted to supply reaction gas into the reactor to form a thin film on a surface of a wafer substrate, the reactor being sectioned into upper and lower portions having different inner diameters, the inner diameter of the upper portion being smaller than the inner diameter of the lower portion; a link portion connecting the lower end of the upper portion to the upper end of the lower portion, the link portion having straightening gas flow-out holes; a rotational substrate holder, which is adapted to seat a wafer substrate, positioned inside the reactor below the lower end of the upper portion; and a straightening vane having a plurality of gas holes situated in the upper portion of the reactor, wherein a space portion is provided above the link portion so as to hermetically envelop the straightening gas flow-out holes, the space portion being provided with straightening gas supply ports.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 44 words

The vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the space portion and the upper portion are constructed in a dual-wall structure, and an outside surface of the space portion extends from the upper end of the lower portion through the link portion.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-05-09	2003-11-08	2004-05-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-05-09	2007-11-08	2008-05-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-05-09	2011-11-08	2012-05-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Vapor deposition apparatus and method for forming thin film

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