APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HVPE PROCESSING USING A PLASMA

• Main Authors: GRIFFIN KEVIN S, OLGADO DONALD J.K, NGUYEN SON T, MELNIK YURIY, HANAWA HIROJI, BROWN KARL M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.04.2013
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUSPOLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CHEMISTRY; CRYSTAL GROWTH; METALLURGY; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL ORUNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) apparatus that utilizes a high temperature gas distribution device and plasma generation to form an activated precursor gas used to rapidly form a high quality compound nitride layer on a surface of a substrate. In one embodiment, plasma is formed from a nitrogen containing precursor within a gas distribution device prior to injection into a processing region of the HVPE apparatus. In another embodiment, plasma is formed from a nitrogen containing precursor within the processing region by using the gas distribution device as an electrode for forming the plasma in the processing region. In each embodiment, a second precursor gas may be separately introduced into the processing region of the HVPE apparatus through the gas distribution device without mixing with the nitrogen containing precursor prior to entering the processing region.