Chemical vapor deposition reactor having multiple inlets

Abstract

A chemical vapor deposition reactor has a wafer carrier which cooperates with a chamber of the reactor to facilitate laminar flow of reaction gas within the chamber and a plurality of injectors configured in flow controllable zones so as to mitigate depletion.

1 . A chemical vapor deposition reactor comprising:
 a wafer carrier which cooperates with a chamber of the reactor to facilitate laminar flow of reaction gas within the chamber;   an inlet disposed proximate a central portion thereof; and   a plurality of injectors configured so as to mitigate depletion.   
   
   
       2 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the injectors comprise group III injectors. 
   
   
       3 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the injectors comprise group III injectors and further comprising a group V inlet disposed proximate a central portion thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the injectors define a plurality of zones, the injectors of each zone having a dedicated flow controller. 
   
   
       5 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the injectors define a three zones, the injectors of each zone having a dedicated flow controller. 
   
   
       6 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the flow through each zone is individually controllable. 
   
   
       7 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the flow through each injector is individually controllable. 
   
   
       8 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the reactant concentration through each zone is individually controllable. 
   
   
       9 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the reactant concentration through each injector is individually controllable 
   
   
       10 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust is above the wafer carrier 
   
   
       11 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the wafer carrier comprises a rotating wafer carrier. 
   
   
       12 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the injectors are configured such that Group III gas reactant is injected into the chamber over substantially an entire top of the chamber so as to mitigate depletion. 
   
   
       13 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the wafer carrier rotates within a chamber of the reactor and cooperates with the chamber to facilitate laminar flow of reaction gas within the chamber; wherein gas is added to the chamber via an inlet disposed proximate a central portion thereof; and wherein a gas reactant is injected into the chamber via plurality of injectors configured so as to mitigate depletion. 
   
   
       14 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the gas injected into the chamber via the injectors comprises group III reactants. 
   
   
       15 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the gas injected into the chamber via the injectors comprises group III reactants and the gas added to the chamber via the inlet comprises a group V reactant. 
   
   
       16 . A chemical vapor deposition reactor system comprising:
 a plurality of chambers;   a rotatable wafer carrier disposed within each of the chambers; and   a common reactant gas supply configured to controllably provide substantially the same gas mixture to each chamber independently of each other.   
   
   
       17 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor system as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising a common gas exhaust system for the chambers. 
   
   
       18 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor system as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising gas flow controllers that facilitate control of an amount of gas provided to the chambers. 
   
   
       19 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein gas is supplied to the chambers simultaneously. 
   
   
       20 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the amount of gas provided to the chambers is different for each chamber. 
   
   
       21 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein each chamber further comprises a narrow flow channel formed intermediate the chamber and the wafer carrier, a gas inlet located at a top of the chamber, a gas exit above the wafer carrier, a sealing ring around the wafer carrier to facilitate flow laminarly to the exhaust system and to define a heater chamber. 
   
   
       22 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein each chamber is a comparatively small chamber. 
   
   
       23 . The chemical vapor deposition reactor system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein each chamber defines a seven wafer reactor. 
   
   
       24 . A method for chemical vapor deposition, the method comprising:
 rotating wafer carriers within a plurality of corresponding chambers of a reactor; and   controllably supplying a common reactant gas to each chamber independently of each other.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising removing the common reactant gas from the chambers via a common gas exhaust system. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the supplying further comprises supplying gas to each chamber at different flows. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the supplying further comprises supplying gas to each chamber simultaneously. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the supplying further comprises controlling an amount of gas provided to each chamber. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the method is applied to growth of different materials including group III-nitride, all other group III-V compounds, oxides, nitrides or group V epitaxy.