US6113702A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wafer support system
Assignee: Advanced Semiconductor Materials America Inc
•
Filing: 1997-09-04
•
Granted: 2000-09-05
•
Expires: 2017-09-04
Abstract
Abstract A wafer support system comprising a segmented susceptor having top and bottom sections and gas flow passages therethrough. A plurality of spacers projecting from a recess formed in the top section of the susceptor support a wafer in spaced relationship with respect to the recess. A sweep gas is introduced to the bottom section of the segmented susceptor and travels through the gas flow passages to exit in at least one circular array of outlets in the recess and underneath the spaced wafer. The sweep gas travels radially outward between the susceptor and wafer to prevent back-side contamination of the wafer. The gas is delivered through a hollow drive shaft and into a multi-armed susceptor support underneath the susceptor. The support arms conduct the sweep gas from the drive shaft to the gas passages in the segmented susceptor. The gas passages are arranged to heat the sweep gas prior to delivery underneath the wafer. Short purge channels may be provided to deliver some of the sweep gas to regions surrounding the spacers to cause a continuous flow of protective purge gas around the spacers. A common bottom section may cooperate with a plurality of different top sections to form segmented susceptors suitable for supporting various sized wafers.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael W. Halpin
- 👤 Mark R. Hawkins
- 👤 Derrick W. Foster
- 👤 Robert M. Vyne
- 👤 John F. Wengert
- 👤 Cornelius A. van der Jeugd
- 👤 Loren R. Jacobs
- 👤 Frank B. M. Van Bilsen
- 👤 Matthew Goodman
- 👤 Hartmann Glenn
- 👤 Jason M. Layton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:19
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/458; C23C16/4582; C23C16/4583; C23C16/4586; H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/50; H10P72/70; H10P72/76; H10P72/7604; H10P72/7611; H10P72/7614; H10P72/7626
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
An apparatus for processing a generally planar substrate comprising: a susceptor having an area for receiving said substrate in a generally horizontal orientation; one or more spacers extending above the susceptor to support the substrate and form a gap between the substrate and the susceptor; one or more passages in said susceptor for introducing sweep gas into said gap to flow radially outwardly from beneath the substrate; and a blocker ring supported on said susceptor at the periphery of said area to be beneath an outer annular portion of the substrate, the ring being configured to block radial flow of sweep gas and block deposition gas from flowing into said area, wherein the ring is configured to create a thin annular purge gas passage between the ring and the substrate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
130 words
An apparatus for processing a generally planar substrate comprising: a susceptor having an area for receiving said substrate in a generally horizontal orientation; one or more spacers extending above the susceptor to support the substrate and form a gap between the substrate and the susceptor; one or more passages in said susceptor for introducing sweep gas into said gap to flow radially outwardly from beneath the substrate; and a blocker ring supported on said susceptor at the periphery of said area to be beneath an outer annular portion of the substrate, the ring being configured to block radial flow of sweep gas and block deposition gas from flowing into said area, wherein the ring is configured to create a thin annular purge gas passage between the ring and the substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said ring has a thin generally rectangular cross-section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said ring has an annular rib extending upwardly from a main body portion of the ring.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said rib is approximately centered between inner and outer diameters of the ring.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the rib has a generally flat upper surface with rounded corners.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said rib flat upper surface is about 0.020 inches in radial dimension.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said rib flat upper surface has a radial dimension which is about a third of the radial dimension of the rib.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said rib is located adjacent the inner diameter of the ring, thereby making the ring cross section approximately L-shaped.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for processing a generally planar substrate comprising: a susceptor having an area for receiving said substrate in a generally horizontal orientation; one or more spacers extending above the susceptor to support the substrate and form a gap between the substrate and the susceptor; one or more passages in said susceptor for introducing sweep gas into said gap to flow radially outwardly from beneath the substrate; and a blocker ring supported on said susceptor at the periphery of said area to be beneath an outer annular portion of the substrate, the ring being configured to block radial flow of sweep gas and block deposition gas from flowing into said area, wherein said ring has a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs which create a plurality of circumferentially spaced passages between the ring and the susceptor, whereby restricted sweep gas flow is permitted above and below the ring.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for processing a generally planar substrate comprising: a susceptor having an area for receiving said substrate in a generally horizontal orientation; one or more spacers extending above the susceptor to support the substrate and form a gap between the substrate and the susceptor; one or more passages in said susceptor for introducing sweep gas into said gap to flow radially outwardly from beneath the substrate; and a blocker ring supported on said susceptor at the periphery of said area to be beneath an outer annular portion of the substrate, the ring being configured to block radial flow of sweep gas and block deposition gas from flowing into said area, wherein said ring has a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs which create a plurality of circumferentially spaced passages between the ring and the susceptor, whereby restricted sweep gas flow is permitted above and below the ring.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said gap is about 0.075 of an inch and said ring is about 0.065 of an inch in vertical dimension.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said susceptor has a shallow recess which forms said substrate receiving area.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
140 words
An apparatus for processing a generally planar substrate comprising: a susceptor having an area for receiving said substrate in a generally horizontal orientation; one or more spacers extending above the susceptor to support the substrate and form a gap between the substrate and the susceptor; one or more passages in said susceptor for introducing sweep gas into said gap to flow radially outwardly from beneath the substrate; and a blocker ring supported on said susceptor at the periphery of said area to be beneath an outer annular portion of the substrate, the ring being configured to block radial flow of sweep gas and block deposition gas from flowing into said area, wherein said spacers are integral with said ring extending upwardly from a main body portion of the ring to create circumferentially spaced passages between the ring and the substrate.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
140 words
An apparatus for processing a generally planar substrate comprising: a susceptor having an area for receiving said substrate in a generally horizontal orientation; one or more spacers extending above the susceptor to support the substrate and form a gap between the substrate and the susceptor; one or more passages in said susceptor for introducing sweep gas into said gap to flow radially outwardly from beneath the substrate; and a blocker ring supported on said susceptor at the periphery of said area to be beneath an outer annular portion of the substrate, the ring being configured to block radial flow of sweep gas and block deposition gas from flowing into said area, wherein said spacers are integral with said ring extending upwardly from a main body portion of the ring to create circumferentially spaced passages between the ring and the substrate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said ring includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs depending from a main body portion of the ring, thereby creating a plurality of circumferentially spaced passages between the ring and the susceptor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said spacers are circumferentially spaced from said legs so that a thermal path between the bottom surface of a leg and the top surface of an adjacent spacer is greater than the height of the ring including the spacer and the leg.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
185 words
An apparatus for processing a generally planar substrate comprising: a susceptor having an area for receiving said substrate in a generally horizontal orientation; one or more spacers extending above the susceptor to support the substrate and form a gap between the substrate and the susceptor; one or more passages in said susceptor for introducing sweep gas into said gap to flow radially outwardly from beneath the substrate; and a blocker ring supported on said susceptor at the periphery of said area to be beneath an outer annular portion of the substrate, the ring being configured to block radial flow of sweep gas and block deposition gas from flowing into said area, wherein said susceptor includes a substantially disk-shaped lower section and a substantially disk-shaped upper section, having a lower surface in engagement with an upper surface of said lower section, said one or more gas passages being defined by engaging surfaces of said sections, one or more gas inlets in said lower section opening to its lower surface in said passages, and one or more gas outlets in said upper section opening into said gap.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
185 words
An apparatus for processing a generally planar substrate comprising: a susceptor having an area for receiving said substrate in a generally horizontal orientation; one or more spacers extending above the susceptor to support the substrate and form a gap between the substrate and the susceptor; one or more passages in said susceptor for introducing sweep gas into said gap to flow radially outwardly from beneath the substrate; and a blocker ring supported on said susceptor at the periphery of said area to be beneath an outer annular portion of the substrate, the ring being configured to block radial flow of sweep gas and block deposition gas from flowing into said area, wherein said susceptor includes a substantially disk-shaped lower section and a substantially disk-shaped upper section, having a lower surface in engagement with an upper surface of said lower section, said one or more gas passages being defined by engaging surfaces of said sections, one or more gas inlets in said lower section opening to its lower surface in said passages, and one or more gas outlets in said upper section opening into said gap.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 15, including a support for said susceptor, having a central shaft and a plurality of support arms extending radially and upwardly from said shaft, with the arms having upper ends adapted to engage the lower surface of said susceptor to support the susceptor, one or more of said arms being tubular so that said sweep gas may be conducted through said tubular arms into said inlets.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
88 words
An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising: a horizontal susceptor having a recess in an upper surface; and a blocker slightly smaller than an inner diameter of the recess to fit within the recess between a wafer and the susceptor at the outer periphery of the wafer, wherein said blocker is configured to create one or more gas passages between the susceptor and the wafer that permit sweep gas to flow radially outward from beneath the wafer while blocking deposition gas from flowing radially beneath the wafer.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
88 words
An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising: a horizontal susceptor having a recess in an upper surface; and a blocker slightly smaller than an inner diameter of the recess to fit within the recess between a wafer and the susceptor at the outer periphery of the wafer, wherein said blocker is configured to create one or more gas passages between the susceptor and the wafer that permit sweep gas to flow radially outward from beneath the wafer while blocking deposition gas from flowing radially beneath the wafer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said blocker is in the form of a ring and has an annular rib extending above a main body portion.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said ring has a plurality of circumferentially spaced feet depending from the main body portion.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said rib is centrally positioned between inner and outer diameters of the ring.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said rib is positioned adjacent an inner diameter of the ring.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said blocker has a plurality of upwardly extending lands which create said gas passages.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said blocker has a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs which create said gas passages.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said legs are circumferentially spaced from said lands.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said blocker is configured to support said wafer.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
46 words
An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising: a blocker to be positioned on a susceptor and beneath the periphery of a wafer, said blocker having an upwardly extending rib, wherein the blocker has a plurality of circumferentially spaced feet depending from a main body portion.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
46 words
An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising: a blocker to be positioned on a susceptor and beneath the periphery of a wafer, said blocker having an upwardly extending rib, wherein the blocker has a plurality of circumferentially spaced feet depending from a main body portion.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
40 words
An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising a ring to be positioned on a susceptor and beneath the periphery of a semiconductor wafer, said ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced lands extending upwardly from a main body portion.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
40 words
An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising a ring to be positioned on a susceptor and beneath the periphery of a semiconductor wafer, said ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced lands extending upwardly from a main body portion.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said ring has a plurality of circumferentially spaced feet depending from the main body portion.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said feet are circumferentially offset from said lands.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-09-05 | 2004-03-06 | 2004-09-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-09-05 | 2008-03-06 | 2008-09-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-09-05 | 2012-03-06 | 2012-09-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |