Abstract: In the thermal treatment of substrates, a susceptor is used to hold at least one substrate. The susceptor can be heated with a heater and driven in rotation about a rotation axis by a rotary drive. Means are provided to influence the heat transfer to or from the susceptor in a locally limited manner, synclyronzed with the rotary movement of the susceptor, to equalize local temperature differences on the rotating susceptor. In particular, a temperature control gas with changing heat conduction properties is periodically fed in a pulsed manner through a feed opening into a gap between the susceptor and a cooling unit.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: During a process involving one or more process steps of a process phase, in which a substrate is located in the process chamber of a CVD reactor, a process temperature and a pressure are each set and a process gas flow is fed into the process chamber by way of control data delivered by a controller in accordance with a formula stored in the controller. Additionally, sensors are used to determine measurement data from which a current fingerprint is calculated and then compared with a historic fingerprint. The fingerprint includes only values or groups of values that are obtained from measured values that are recorded during one or more conditioning steps of a conditioning phase in which a conditioning temperature and a conditioning pressure are each set and a conditioning gas flow is fed into the process chamber in accordance with control data specified by the formula.

Abstract: In the thermal treatment of substrates, a susceptor is used to hold at least one substrate. The susceptor can be heated with a heater and driven in rotation about a rotation axis by a rotary drive. Means are provided to influence the heat transfer to or from the susceptor in a locally limited manner, synchronized with the rotary movement of the susceptor, to equalize local temperature differences on the rotating susceptor. In particular, a temperature control gas with changing heat conduction properties is periodically fed in a pulsed manner through a feed opening into a gap between the susceptor and a cooling unit.

Abstract: A susceptor for a CVD reactor includes a bearing surface for supporting a substrate holder. A carrier gas is fed into an inner radial zone, in order to floatingly cushion a substrate holder supported above the bearing surface. The gas fed into the inner radial zone leaves a second radial zone through discharge channels and to a slight extent through a gap surrounding the second radial zone and assigned to a third radial zone. The cross-sectional area of the discharge channels and the radial length of the gap are dimensioned such that the volumetric flow of the gas through the discharge channels is greater than through the gap if the latter has a gap height of 200 ?m.

Abstract: 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 device. Heat is transported from the 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.

Abstract: A cover plate, for a CVD reactor, has a circumferential edge extending on a circular arc line, or a plurality of identically configured cover plates can be arranged in a circle such that their respective outer edges extending along circular arcs complement each other to form a complete circle. Storage spaces for substrates or substrate holders supporting substrates are located within the surface of the cover plate. The cover plate has openings which tunnel through the cover plate, and through which the upper side of a susceptor is visible, so that an optical temperature measurement can be carried out through the respective openings.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for a thermal treatment, in particular a coating of a substrate, includes a heating device which is regulated by a regulating device which interacts with a first temperature sensor device. In order to counteract a temperature drift of the first temperature sensor device, a second temperature sensor device is used to detect the temperature drift and recalibrate the first temperature sensor device. The second temperature sensor device is used to measure the surface temperature of a substrate. This measured value is compared with a desired value, and if the desired value deviates from the measured actual value, a correction factor is formed and is used to apply the measured value used to regulate the heating device to the first temperature sensor device in order to bring the actual temperature value measured by the second temperature sensor device closer to the associated desired temperature value.