Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for growing thin-films onto a substrate by exposing the substrate to alternate surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants for forming a thin-film onto the, substrate by means of said surface reactions. The apparatus comprises a vacuum vessel (1), a reaction chamber (2) with a reaction space into which the substrate can be transferred and which has infeed channels (6) for feeding therein the reactants used in said thin-film growth process, as well as outlet channels (4) for discharging gaseous reaction products and excess reactants'. According to the invention, said reaction chamber comprises a base part (9, 10) mounted stationary in respect to the interior of said vacuum vessel (1) and a movable part (18) adapted to be sealably closable against said'base part of said reaction chamber. The invention makes it possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrate load chamber and to reduce the degree of substrate contamination.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and an apparatus for feeding a gas phase reactant from a reactant source into a gas phase reaction chamber. In the method a reactant which is a liquid or solid at ambient temperature is vaporized from the reactant source at a vaporizing temperature; and the vaporized reactant is fed into the reaction chamber. According to the invention the reactant source and the reaction chamber are located in separate vessels which can be individually evacuated. By means of the invention it becomes possible to change and load new reactant chemical without breaking the vacuum of the reaction chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for growing thin films onto a substrate by exposing the substrate to alternate surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants for forming a thin film onto the substrate by means of said surface reactions. The apparatus comprises a vacuum vessel (1), a reaction chamber (2) with a reaction space into which the substrate can be transferred and which has infeed channels (6) for feeding therein the reactants used in said thin film growth process, as well as outlet channels (4) for discharging gaseous reaction products and excess reactants. According to the invention, said reaction chamber comprises a base part (9, 10) mounted stationary in respect to the interior of said vacuum vessel (1) and a movable part (18) adapted to be sealably closable against said base part of said reaction chamber. The invention makes it possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrate load chamber and to reduce the degree of substrate contamination.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for growing thin films onto a substrate by exposing the substrate to alternate surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants for forming a thin film onto the substrate by means of said surface reactions. The apparatus comprises a vacuum vessel (1), a reaction chamber (2) with a reaction space into which the substrate can be transferred and which has infeed channels (6) for feeding therein the reactants used in said thin film growth process, as well as outlet channels (4) for discharging gaseous reaction products and excess reactants. According to the invention, said reaction chamber comprises a base part (9, 10) mounted stationary in respect to the interior of said vacuum vessel (1) and a movable part (18) adapted to be sealably closable against said base part of said reaction chamber. The invention makes it possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrate load chamber and to reduce the degree of substrate contamination.