Vapor phase growth apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a rotation/revolution type vapor phase growth apparatus that allows for automatic meshing between an external gear and an internal gear. In the apparatus, on tooth side surfaces of at least one kind of a plurality of external gear members provided rotatably in a circumferential direction of an outer periphery of a disk-shaped susceptor and a ring-shaped fixed internal gear member having an internal gear to mesh with the external gear members, there is provided a guide slope that abuts against a tooth side surface of the other kind of the gear member(s) to guide both kinds of the gear members into a meshed state when both kinds of the gear members move from a non-meshed state to the meshed state.

1 . A vapor phase growth apparatus having a rotation/revolution mechanism comprising a disk-shaped susceptor provided rotatably in a chamber, a plurality of external gear members provided rotatably in a circumferential direction of an outer periphery of the susceptor, and a ring-shaped fixed internal gear member having an internal gear to mesh with the external gear members, wherein at least one of the susceptor and the internal gear member is formed movably in a rotational axis line direction to a position of a meshed state where the external gear members and the internal gear member mesh with each other and to a position of a non-meshed state where both kinds of the gear members are apart from each other in the rotational axis line direction, and, on a tooth side surface of at least one kind of both kinds of the gear members, there is provided a guide slope that abuts against a tooth side surface of the other kind of both kinds thereof to guide both kinds of the gear members into the meshed state when both kinds of the gear members move from the position of the non-meshed state to the position of the meshed state. 
     
     
         2 . A vapor phase growth apparatus having a rotation/revolution mechanism comprising a disk-shaped susceptor provided rotatably in a chamber, a plurality of external gear members provided rotatably in a circumferential direction of an outer periphery of the susceptor, and a ring-shaped fixed internal gear member having an internal gear to mesh with the external gear members, wherein, between an upper surface of a shaft member supporting and rotating the susceptor and a lower surface of a center portion of the susceptor, there is opposingly provided a pair of upper and lower susceptor height adjusting members and, in a circumferential direction on an opposing surface of each susceptor height adjusting member, projection portions projecting toward the opposing susceptor height adjusting member and concave portions formed between the projection portions are each alternately formed to be grouped into a plurality of sets, in which when leading end faces of the projection portions of the pair of the susceptor height adjusting members are abutted against each other, the susceptor height adjusting members support the susceptor at a higher position than a position of the susceptor during film deposition to bring the external gear members and the internal gear member into a slightly meshed state, and when the projection portions of the pair of the susceptor height adjusting members are positioned inside the concave portions, the susceptor height adjusting members support the susceptor at the position thereof during film deposition to bring the external gear members and the internal gear member into a predetermined meshed state. 
     
     
         3 . A vapor phase growth apparatus having a rotation/revolution mechanism comprising a disk-shaped susceptor provided rotatably in a chamber, a plurality of external gear members provided rotatably in a circumferential direction of an outer periphery of the susceptor, and a ring-shaped fixed internal gear member having an internal gear to mesh with the external gear members, wherein at least one of the susceptor and the internal gear member is formed movably in a rotational axis line direction to a position of a meshed state where the external gear members and the internal gear member mesh with each other and to a position of a non-meshed state where both kinds of the gear members are apart from each other in the rotational axis line direction; on a tooth side surface of at least one kind of both kinds of the gear members, there is provided a guide slope that abuts against a tooth side surface of the other kind of both kinds thereof to guide both kinds of the gear members into the meshed state when both kinds of the gear members move from the position of the non-meshed state to the position of the meshed state; and, between an upper surface of a shaft member supporting and rotating the susceptor and a lower surface of a center portion of the susceptor, there is opposingly provided a pair of upper and lower susceptor height adjusting members, in which, in a circumferential direction on an opposing surface of each susceptor height adjusting member, projection portions projecting toward the opposing susceptor height adjusting member and concave portions formed between the projection portions are each alternately formed to be grouped into a plurality of sets, and when leading end faces of the projection portions of the pair of the susceptor height adjusting members are abutted against each other, the susceptor height adjusting members support the susceptor at a higher position than a position of the susceptor during film deposition to bring the external gear members and the internal gear member into the meshed state on the guide slope, whereas when the projection portions of the pair of the susceptor height adjusting members are positioned inside the concave portions, the susceptor height adjusting members support the susceptor at the position during film deposition to bring the external gear members and the internal gear member into a predetermined meshed state.