Presented herein are reactors for growing or depositing semiconductor films or devices. The reactors disclosed may be used for the production of III-V materials grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE).

A compositionally-graded thin film is formed on a substrate by atomic layer deposition. A mixing system provides a homogeneous gaseous mixture having a controllable ratio of first and second reactive gaseous species. The first and second reactive gaseous species each react with a third reactive gaseous species but do not react with each other. A deposition unit includes first and second reactive gas zones. The homogeneous gaseous mixture is provided to the first reactive gas zone, and the third reactive gaseous species is provided to the second reactive gas zone. The mixing system is controlled to change the ratio of the first and second reactive gaseous species as a function of time as the substrate is moved relative to the deposition unit such that the deposited material has a variable composition as a function of height above the substrate.

High pressure spatial chemical vapor deposition apparatuses and related process are disclosed for forming thin films on a substrate. An enclosure includes plural process chambers fluidly isolated from each other by radial separating barriers. Each chamber contains a different source gas comprising volatile reactive species. The substrate is supported beneath the chambers on a rotating heated susceptor. Rotation of the susceptor carries the substrate in a path which consecutively exposes the substrate to the volatile reactive species in each process chamber. The gases first mix in the gaseous boundary layer formed adjacent the substrate. A thin film gradually grows in thickness on the substrate with each successive pass and exposure to the reactive species in each process chamber. The tool pressure and boundary layer thickness may be dynamically varied during the film formation process run via a programmable controller to alter the film composition and features formed on the substrate.

A gas mixing device includes: a cylindrical portion including an upper surface which is closed; a gas outflow passage formed in a central portion of a bottom surface of the cylindrical portion, and extends downward; a plurality of gas stream guide walls disposed to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction along an edge of an opening formed by the gas outflow passage in the bottom surface, and installed to be rotationally symmetrical to a center of the cylindrical portion, the gas stream guide walls protruding toward the upper surface; and a gas inlet part installed between the gas stream guide walls and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, and into which a gas to be mixed flows.

A gas distribution system is disclosed in order to obtain better film uniformity on a substrate in a cross-flow reactor. The better film uniformity may be achieved by an asymmetric bias on individual injection ports of the gas distribution system. The gas distribution may allow for varied tunability of the film properties.

A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a processing zone in which a semiconductor substrate may be processed, a process gas source in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber for supplying a process gas into the vacuum chamber, a showerhead module through which process gas from the process gas source is supplied to the processing zone of the vacuum chamber, and a substrate pedestal module. The substrate pedestal module includes a pedestal made of ceramic material having an upper surface configured to support a semiconductor substrate thereon during processing, a stem made of ceramic material, and a backside gas tube made of metallized ceramic material that is located in an interior of the stem. The metallized ceramic tube can be used to deliver backside gas to the substrate and supply RF power to an embedded electrode in the pedestal.

A technique capable of adjusting a thickness balance of a film between substrates stacked in a process chamber of a substrate processing apparatus, includes a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: (a) supplying source gas to substrates through a first nozzle vertically disposed along a stacking direction of the substrates in a process chamber where the substrates are stacked and accommodated; and (b) supplying reactive gas to the substrates through a second nozzle provided with opening portions and vertically disposed along the stacking direction of the substrates in the process chamber while adjusting a partial pressure balance of the reactive gas in the stacking direction of the substrates to a desired state along the stacking direction of the substrates, wherein an opening area of each of the opening portions increases along a direction from an upstream side to a downstream side of the second nozzle.

Various examples related to fabrication of thermally stable ultra-high density particle-in-cavity (PIC) nanostructures. In one example, a method includes disposing an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) template onto a surface of a substrate; removing, from the AAO template, a support layer disposed on a side of the AAO template opposite the surface of the substrate; etching nanocavities into the surface of the substrate using the AAO template as an etch mask; and removing the AAO template from the surface of the substrate. The method can include fabricating the AAO template on an aluminum substrate by anodization of an aluminum film and removing the AAO template from the aluminum substrate after formation of the support layer on the AAO template.

Chemical deposition reactor assembly configured for formation of coatings on surfaces of fluid-permeable materials, such as porous materials, by chemical deposition is provided, the reactor assembly includes a reaction chamber configured to receive, at least in part, a fluid-permeable substrate with a target surface to be coated; at least one reactive fluid intake line configured to mediate a flow of reactive fluid into the reaction chamber, and an inert fluid delivery arrangement with at least one enclosed section configured to mediate a flow of inert fluid through the substrate towards its' target surface such, that at the surface the flow of inert fluid encounters the flow of reactive fluid, whereby a coating is formed at the target surface of the fluid-permeable substrate.

A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a processing zone in which a semiconductor substrate may be processed, a process gas source in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber for supplying a process gas into the vacuum chamber, a showerhead module through which process gas from the process gas source is supplied to the processing zone of the vacuum chamber, and a substrate pedestal module. The substrate pedestal module includes a pedestal made of ceramic material having an upper surface configured to support a semiconductor substrate thereon during processing, a stem made of ceramic material, and a backside gas tube made of metallized ceramic material that is located in an interior of the stem. The metallized ceramic tube can be used to deliver backside gas to the substrate and supply RF power to an embedded electrode in the pedestal.