Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition reactor for deposition on substrates, for example silicon epitaxial depositions. The apparatus includes a heating chamber in which a reactor is placed. Means of heating the substrates in the reactor is spaced from the reactor. The reaction chamber is positioned in the heating chamber. It has a load/unload opening outside of the heating chamber and an exhaust port. A reactant distribution means receives and discharges reactants into the reaction chamber. A wafer carrier holds a plurality of wafer retainers. It is moved in and out of the reaction chamber by moving means. A seal closes the reaction chamber opening when the wafer carrier is placed in the reaction chamber. A conditioning chamber is located adjacent to the reaction chamber and includes a door. Preconditioning of the wafers before introduction in to the reaction chamber, and subsequent cooling outside of the reaction chamber, can be accomplished in the conditioning chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus for supporting a plurality of wafer-like substrates so as to be treatable in a plasma environment. At least three plate-like electrically conductive electrodes are provided. They are parallel to and spaced from one another along an axis. A support adjacent to each electrode supports a wafer-like substrate against at least one of the faces of at least one electrode of a pair of adjacent electrodes. A first conductive bus is conductively connected to a first set of alternate ones of the electrodes, and a second conductive bus is also provided. An individual capacitative coupling is respective to each member of a second set of the electrodes and is connected to the second bus so that each pair of adjacent electrodes and the respective capacitative coupling are in series connection, and all of the pairs of electrodes are in parallel connection.

Abstract: A chemical vapor reaction system including a closed reaction vessel. The vessel forms a reaction chamber which has an axis of length and a cross-section normal to the axis. An end closure is removable to provide access to the reaction chamber. Reactant material is supplied to the reaction vessel through at least one reactant supply conduit, which discharges reactant to the reaction chamber, and an exhaust conduit removes degradation products and excess reactant from the vessel. A boat is placed in a reaction region in the vessel and supports substrates to be treated. The substrates are stacked parallel to and spaced from one another along the axis. The boat includes a distributor which is placed upstream from the substrates, between the supply conduit and the substrates so as to distribute the reactant as it enters the reaction region. The exhaust conduit draws from an exhaust region downstream from the boat, which exhaust region extends at least for the axial length of the stack of substrates.

Abstract: A cross-flow reactor for single pass reaction of a plurality of semiconductor wafers with process gas at spaced locations within a heated reactor chamber. The process gas flows along a heated length of the chamber, counterflows to at least three spaced locations within the chamber, traverses the longitudinal axis of the chamber at the spaced locations and then exhausts from the chamber. In a particular embodiment, two or more different process gases are delivered as separate streams to the spaced locations for convergent cross-flowing thereat.