Patents Assigned to Aixtron, SE
-
Patent number: 11959190Abstract: A device is provided to fasten a susceptor of a CVD reactor to a drive shaft, and by the device, the susceptor can be set into rotation. The device includes one or more of a base plate, a support plate, adjusting levers, and a flange element. The drive shaft carries the base plate, to which the support plate, which carries the susceptor, is fastened. The inclination of the support plate relative to the base plate can be adjusted by the adjusting levers. The support plate is connected to the flange element by a screw. A through opening aligned with the screw is closed with a plug.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2019Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Torsten Werner Bastke, Francisco Ruda Y Witt, Mike Pfisterer
-
Patent number: 11887848Abstract: A nucleation layer comprised of group III and V elements is directly deposited onto the surface of a substrate made of a group IV element. Together with a first gaseous starting material containing a group III element, a second gaseous starting material containing a group V element is introduced at a process temperature of greater than 500° C. into a process chamber containing the substrate. It is essential that at least at the start of the deposition process of the nucleation layer, a third gaseous starting material containing a group IV element is fed into the process chamber, together with the first and second gaseous starting material. The third gaseous starting material develops an n-doping effect in the deposited III-V crystal, which causes a decrease in damping at a dopant concentration of less than 1×1018 cm?3.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2019Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventor: Christof Martin Mauder
-
Patent number: 11851762Abstract: A device, for depositing a layer on a substrate by supplying one or more process gases to a process chamber, includes a susceptor and one or more transmitter coils. The susceptor bearing the substrate can be heated to a process temperature by means of an electromagnetic alternating field generated by the one or more transmitter coils. The one or more transmitter coils have a coating that consists of tin and nickel in order to provide a corrosion-resistant coating, which simultaneously has low emissivity and is therefore effective in the presence of chlorine compounds and moisture.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2018Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventor: Hans-Gerd Fuss
-
Patent number: 11746419Abstract: A CVD reactor includes a gas inlet member having a circular outline, and a susceptor that can be heated by a heating device. The gas inlet member has a cooled ceiling panel with outlet openings. The CVD reactor further comprises a shield plate, which adjoins the ceiling panel and has a circular outline. The shield plate has a central zone, an annular zone surrounding the central zone, having a rear side that points toward the ceiling panel, and a flat gas outlet surface pointing toward the process chamber, in which gas outlet openings terminate. The rear side in the central zone defines a rear plane running parallel to the gas outlet surface. The shield plate has a material thickness between 3 to 12 mm, and that the shield plate is spaced apart from the ceiling plate by a gap having a height between 0.3 to 1 mm.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2019Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Adam Boyd, Wilhelm Josef Thomas Krücken, Honggen Jiang, Fred Michael Andrew Crawley
-
Patent number: 11713505Abstract: A CVD reactor may include a susceptor, process chamber and heat dissipation body. In the CVD reactor, one or more layers can be deposited on one or more substrates. The susceptor is heated by a heating devices. Heat is transported from susceptor, through a process chamber towards the process chamber ceiling, through the process chamber ceiling, and from the process chamber ceiling through a gap space to the heat dissipation body. The temperature of the process chamber ceiling is measured at at least two different azimuth angle positions about a central axis of the process chamber. The radial distance of the respective measurement points or zones from the central axis of the process chamber may be equal to one another. The at least two temperature measurement values are used to produce an average value or a difference value.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2019Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventor: Peter Sebald Lauffer
-
Patent number: 11702740Abstract: A CVD reactor includes a gas-tight and evacuatable reactor housing and an inner housing arranged therein. The inner housing has means for the infeed of a process gas and means for holding a substrate for treatment in the inner housing by means of the process gases. The inner housing also has a loading opening which can be closed off by a sealing element of a closure element. In its closure position, the closure element bears with an encircling sealing zone against a counterpart sealing zone which encircles the loading opening on the outer side of the inner housing. The sealing element is fastened to a carrier as to be adjustable in terms of inclination and/or pivotally movable about at least one spatial axis (X, Y, Z) and/or so as to be elastically deflectable in the direction of one of the spatial axes (X, Y, Z).Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2018Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Marcel Kollberg, Francisco Ruda Y Witt, Mike Pfisterer
-
Patent number: 11669072Abstract: Information about a process for depositing at least one layer on a substrate in a process chamber is obtained via a method including the step of storing actuation data and sensor values as raw data in a log file, together with their time reference. Knowledge about the quality of the deposited layer is obtained by using the raw data. For this purpose, process parameters are obtained from the raw data by means of a computing apparatus. The beginning and the end of the process steps for processing the substrate and their respective types are identified by analyzing the time curve of the process parameters. For at least some of the process steps, characteristic process step quantities corresponding to the particular type of the process steps are calculated from the measured values, and the obtained process step quantities are compared with comparison quantities associated with one or more similar process steps.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2018Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventor: Peter Sebald Lauffer
-
Patent number: 11479851Abstract: A device for depositing a layer, which has been structured by the application of a mask, on a substrate, includes an adjusting device for adjusting the position of a mask support with respect to a support frame. The device also includes, a mask lifting device, by which the support frame, together with the mask support, the adjusting device and a mask assembly, can be vertically displaced from a mask changing position into a processing position. The device also includes a substrate holder lifting device, by which the substrate holder can be vertically displaced from a loading position into a processing position. Restraining means, which include a V-groove and a spherical surface, restrain the substrate holder in the processing position on the support frame. The spherical surface, formed by a ball element of the support frame, is supported on flanks of the V-groove that is formed by the substrate holder.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2018Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Markus Jakob, Wilhelmus Janssen, Steffen Neumann, Jaap Oudes
-
Patent number: 11441223Abstract: A susceptor for a CVD reactor includes a flat circular disc-shaped body with channels that are arranged on a broad side of the disc-shaped body within one or more circular surface sections extending on a plane in order to transfer heat to a substrate holder. The channels run about respective centers of the one or more circular surface sections in a spiral manner and are formed as depressions that are open towards the plane. An end of each of the channels has a channel opening, the channel openings being fluidically connected to a feed opening arranged at the end of a gas supply line. Additionally, the one or more surface sections are equipped with one or more influencing elements that influence the local heat transfer and are formed as open depressions on the plane or as insert pieces that plug into the depressions.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2018Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Oliver Schön, Francisco Ruda Y Witt, Marcus Schaffrath
-
Patent number: 11396697Abstract: A device for depositing a layer on a substrate, while a mask is placed on the substrate, includes an adjustment device for adjusting the position of a mask carrier with respect to a support frame. The adjustment device has, on the support frame, an adjustment lever that is mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation of a pivot bearing and that has a first and second arm. The second arm acts on the mask carrier, and a control rod that can be vertically displaced by an actuator acts on the first arm. For a vertical adjustment device, the second arm and the first arm extend in a horizontal direction, in which the second arm acts on a push rod that is connected to the mask carrier. For a horizontal adjustment device, the second arm extends in a vertical direction and the first arm extends in a horizontal direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2018Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Jaap Oudes, Markus Jakob, Wilhelmus Janssen, Vladimirs Leontjevs
-
Patent number: 11286566Abstract: A III-V semiconductor layer is deposited using an apparatus comprising a process chamber, a susceptor for receiving one or more substrates to be coated, and a gas inlet element which comprises a plurality of process gas inlet zones. An etching gas inlet in the flow direction of the hydride and the MO compound opens into the process chamber downstream of the process gas inlet zones. A control device is adapted and the process gas inlet zones and the etching gas inlet are arranged such that the process gases cannot enter into the etching gas inlet during deposition of the semiconductor layer and the etching gas cannot enter into the process gas inlet zones during purification of the process chamber. The etching gas inlet is formed by an annular zone of the process chamber cover around the gas inlet element and by an annular fastening element for fastening a cover plate.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Francisco Ruda Y Witt, Markus Deufel, Marcel Kollberg
-
Patent number: 11268934Abstract: A device for determining the partial pressure or the concentration of a steam in a volume, includes a sensor body that can be oscillated. The temperature of the sensor body can be controlled to a temperature below the condensation temperature of the steam, and the oscillation frequency of the sensor body is influenced by a mass accumulation of the condensed steam on a surface of the sensor body. Means are provided for generating a gas flow from the sensor surface in the direction of the volume through a steam transport channel that adjoins a window to the volume. In order to increase the maximum service life of the sensor body, the means for generating a gas flow has a slit nozzle designed as an annular channel.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2018Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Arno Offermanns, Robert Bartholomeus Jacques Oligschlaeger
-
Patent number: 11187676Abstract: A device for determining the partial pressure or concentration of a vapor in a volume includes a sensor element that can be caused to oscillate and temperature-controlled to a temperature below the condensation temperature of the vapor. The sensor element has an oscillation frequency that is influenced by a mass accumulation formed by condensed vapor on the sensor surface thereof. The rear side of the sensor element pointing away from the sensor surface contacts a thermal transfer surface of a thermal transfer element. The thermal transfer element is formed from an electrically heatable heating element that is connected to a cooling element in a thermally conductive manner by a thermal dissipation surface, which is different from the thermal transfer surface. The thermal transfer surface extends substantially parallel to the thermal dissipation surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2018Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventor: Michael Long
-
Patent number: 11168410Abstract: A susceptor for a CVD-reactor includes insertion openings arranged in a bearing surface of the susceptor. An insertion section of a positioning element is inserted into one of the insertion openings. The insertion section forms positioning flanks with a section projecting from the insertion opening for fixing the position of a substrate. The insertion openings each have side walls and a base. The insertion section comprises bearing areas adjacent to the side walls of the insertion openings and a lower side of the positioning element facing the base of the insertion opening. The base of the insertion opening is separated from the lower side of the positioning element by a first distance. An edge protruding section of the positioning element is separated from a section of the bearing surface of the susceptor by a second distance.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2017Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Daniel Claessens, Adam Boyd, James O'Dowd, Olivier Feron
-
Patent number: 11053586Abstract: A CVD reactor includes a flat component with two broad sides extending parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other by a thickness. An outer edge of each broad side transitions without kinks into an edge of an outer peripheral side of the flat component. The thickness of the flat component is substantially less than a diameter of the flat component. The flat component includes a core body composed of graphite. The core body is coated with a SiC or TaC coating, which exhibits a compressive stress at room temperature. In order to reduce the stress between the coating and the core body, the rounding arc length of the outer edge is greater than 90° and the rounding radius of the outer edge is at most 1 mm and/or is greater than the coating thickness. Additionally, rounding segments of the peripheral side transition into each other without kinks.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2015Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Marcel Kollberg, Daniel Brien
-
Patent number: 11052486Abstract: In a method for producing a structured seed layer for carbon nanotubes to be deposited thereon, energy is applied by means of a laser beam to a metal layer previously applied to a substrate such that the metal layer is broken up into individual islands. The laser beam is expanded into a beam having a linear cross-section, and a linear exposure zone of the metal layer is simultaneously exposed to the expanded beam. The exposure zone is moved across the metal layer in a direction transverse to the length of the exposure zone. An apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a device for transporting a substrate with a metal layer applied thereto, a laser to produce a laser beam, and a device for expanding the laser beam to produce a linear exposure zone that extends perpendicularly to the direction in which the substrate is transported.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2017Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventor: Bernd Schineller
-
Patent number: 10883171Abstract: A CVD reactor includes a gas inlet element for introducing a process gas into a process chamber arranged between a process chamber cover and a susceptor. The gas inlet element contains at least one metal surface that comes into contact with the process gas. The metal surface has a passivation layer which prevents the metal surface from flaking due to exposure to one or more reactive gases. Cooling channels are arranged such that the passivation layer is maximally heated to 100° C. in a cleaning step in which chlorine is introduced into the process chamber and the susceptor is heated to at least 700° C. At the same time, the passivation layer is formed by chemically reacting a metal-organic compound with the metal atoms of the metal surface. The cleaning gas inlet openings are arranged such that the cleaning gas comes into contact with the metal surface that has the passivation layer.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2017Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Marcel Kollberg, Wilhelm Josef Thomas Krücken, Francisco Ruda Y Witt, Markus Deufel, Mike Pfisterer
-
Patent number: 10822701Abstract: A CVD or PVD coating device comprises a housing and a gas inlet organ secured to the housing via a retaining device, the gas inlet organ having a gas outlet surface with gas outlet openings. The retaining device is only secured at its horizontal edge to the housing so as to stabilize the retaining device with respect to deformations and temperature. The gas inlet organ is secured, at a plurality of suspension points, to the retaining device by means of a plurality of hanging elements distributed over the entire horizontal surface of the retaining device. The retaining device has mechanical stabilization elements formed by a retaining frame having vertical walls that are interconnected at vertical connection lines. An actively cooled heat shield is situated between the retaining device and the gas inlet organ.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2015Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Walter Franken, Bernhard Zintzen, Henricus Wilhelmus Aloysius Janssen
-
Patent number: 10734584Abstract: A device for depositing a layer onto one or more substrates includes a process chamber; a gas inlet element, which can be temperature-controlled, for delivering a process gas into the process chamber in a flow direction towards the substrates; a shielding element, arranged directly after the gas inlet element in the flow direction and which, when in a shielding position, thermally insulates the gas inlet element and the substrates from each other; mask holders arranged after the shielding element in the flow direction, each for holding a mask; and substrate holders for holding at least one of the substrates, each substrate holder corresponding to one of the plurality of mask holders. For each of the substrate holders, a displacement element is provided for displacing the substrate holder from a position distant from the mask holder to a position adjacent to the mask holder.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2017Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Markus Gersdorff, Markus Jakob, Markus Schwambera
-
Patent number: 10563300Abstract: A method is employed to separate a carbon structure, which is disposed on a seed structure, from the seed structure. In the method, a carbon structure is deposited on the seed structure in a process chamber of a CVD reactor. The substrate comprising the seed structure (2) and the carbon structure (1) is heated to a process temperature. At least one etching gas is injected into the process chamber, the etching gas having the chemical formula AOmXn, AOmXnYp or AmXn, wherein A is selected from a group of elements that includes S, C and N, wherein O is oxygen, wherein X and Y are different halogens, and wherein m, n and p are natural numbers greater than zero. Through a chemical reaction with the etching gas, the seed structure is converted into a gaseous reaction product. A carrier gas flow is used to remove the gaseous reaction product from the process chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2015Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignee: AIXTRON SEInventors: Kenneth B. K. Teo, Alexandre Jouvray, Jai Matharu, Simon Thomas