Abstract: In a chemical-vapor-deposition system, a method of reducing particulate contamination within a reaction chamber. In general, the chemical-vapor-deposition system contains a gas inlet conduit which connects a reaction chamber to a reactive gas source and a gas outlet conduit which connects the reaction chamber to a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump facilitates exhausting gas from the reaction chamber. The method of reducing particulate contamination in the system includes the steps of: filling, via said inlet conduit, the reaction chamber with a reactive gas; exhausting the reactive gas from the reaction chamber using the vacuum pump; isolating the reaction chamber from the vacuum pump to cease exhausting the chamber; backfilling, via the inlet conduit, the reaction chamber with the reactive gas; and preventing, during the backfilling step, generation of eddy currents in a portion of the outlet conduit by providing a particle restrictor within the outlet conduit.

Abstract: In an epitaxial reactor system using a vacuum pump which is connected to the reaction chamber by an exhaust line, particulate contaminants normally deposit in the exhaust line near its juncture with the reaction chamber. When the vacuum pump is isolated from the reaction chamber during a back-filling operation, these contaminants can be entrained in the currents of gas normally produced in the back-filling operation. A removable baffle device having the shape of a truncated cone and including a wafer catching device that holds a disk shaped particulate baffle member is placed in the exhaust line at its juncture with the reaction chamber to prevent these particles from re-entering the reaction chamber.

Abstract: In an epitaxial reactor system using a vacuum pump which is connected to the reaction chamber by an exhaust line, particulate contaminants normally deposit in the exhaust line near its juncture with the reaction chamber. When the vacuum pump is isolated from the reaction chamber during a back-filling operation, these contaminants can be entrained in the currents of gas normally produced in the back-filling operation. A removable baffle having the shape of a truncated cone is placed in the exhaust line at its juncture with the reaction chamber to prevent these particles from re-entering the reaction chamber.