Device for generating vapor from solid or liquid starting material for CVD or PVD apparatus

Abstract

In a device for generating a vapor for a CVD or PVD apparatus, at least two thermal transfer bodies are arranged successively in the direction of flow of a carrier gas. The device also includes an inlet pipe for feeding an aerosol to one of the thermal transfer bodies for vaporization of the aerosol by bringing the aerosol particles into contact with thermal transfer surfaces of the thermal transfer body. At least one of the thermal transfer bodies has an opening for an inlet pipe that has a first flow channel for feeding the aerosol in and a second flow channel for feeding a carrier gas in. Gas passage openings are provided through which the carrier gas flows out of the second flow channel into the first flow channel. The second flow channel is sealed in the area of the mouth of the inlet pipe.

Claims

1. A device for generating a vapor for a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus, the device comprising: at least two thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) arranged successively in a housing (12) in a direction of flow of a carrier gas and having thermal transfer surfaces, the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) including an upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) and a downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3), such that the carrier gas that flows out of the upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) flows into the downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3); and an inlet pipe (4, 5) for feeding an aerosol to one of the thermal transfer bodies (2, 3) for vaporization of the aerosol by bringing particles of the aerosol into contact with the thermal transfer surfaces, wherein at least one of the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) has an opening (6, 7, 8) in which the inlet pipe (4, 5) is located, wherein the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) are heated to different thermal transfer temperatures, a thermal transfer body (1) located first in the direction of flow being a preheating body for the carrier gas, which is fed through a carrier gas feed line (11) located upstream from the upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) into the housing (12), in which housing (12) the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) are arranged successively in the direction of flow such that the carrier gas flows through all of the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3), and either the inlet pipe (4, 5) is guided through the opening (6, 7, 8) of at least one of the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) and leads into a spacing gap (9, 10) between the upstream and the downstream thermal transfer bodies (1, 2; 2, 3) or a mouth (4, 5) of the inlet pipe (4, 5) is arranged in at least one of the thermal transfer bodies (2, 3).

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the opening (6, 7) is associated with the upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) and the mouth (4, 5) of the inlet pipe (4, 5) is arranged in the direction of flow before the downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3) or in the downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3).

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) are made of an open-pored solid foam having a porosity of 100 to 500 pores per inch, a proportion of all open areas on a surface of the solid foam being greater than 90%.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) are electrically conductive and have electrical contacts (20, 21) for conducting an electrical current for heating each of the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) to their respective thermal transfer temperatures.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) are heated such that the thermal transfer temperature of the downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3) is greater than the thermal transfer temperature of the upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2).

6. A device for generating a vapor for a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus, the device comprising: at least two thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) having thermal transfer surfaces, each of the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) heated to a thermal transfer temperature, the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) including an upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) and a downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3), such that carrier gas that flows out of the upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) flows into the downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3); a carrier gas feed line (11) located upstream of the upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) for feeding the carrier gas into a housing (12) containing the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3); and an inlet pipe (4) for feeding an aerosol to one of the thermal transfer bodies for vaporization of the aerosol by bringing particles of the aerosol in contact with the thermal transfer surfaces, wherein the carrier gas feed line (11) and the inlet pipe (4) are distinct channels, wherein the inlet pipe has means (29, 30; 27) for allowing the aerosol flowing in a direction of (S) through the inlet pipe (4) to emerge from a mouth (4) of the inlet pipe (4) in an expanded form.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the inlet pipe (4) has a first flow channel (23) for feeding the aerosol into the housing (12) and a second flow channel (24) for additionally feeding the carrier gas into the housing (12), wherein gas passage openings (29, 30) are provided through which the carrier gas flows out of the second flow channel (24) into the first flow channel (23) and wherein the second flow channel (24) is sealed in an area of the mouth (4) of the inlet pipe.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein first ones of the gas passage openings (29) lead into the first flow channel (23) at such an angle to the direction of flow (S) of the aerosol that the carrier gas flowing through the first gas passage openings (29) generates turbulence in the first flow channel (23), and the second flow channel (24) encloses the first flow channel (23).

9. The device of claim 8, wherein second ones of the gas passage openings (30) are arranged in the first flow channel (23) at such an angle to the direction of flow (S) of the aerosol that the carrier gas flowing through the second gas passage openings (30) generates a vortex in the area of the mouth (4) about an axis aligned in the direction of flow (S).

10. The device of claim 9, wherein a pipe (33) forming the first flow channel (23) has a rotationally symmetrical widening (27) in the area of the mouth (4).

11. The device of claim 10, wherein a section of the inlet pipe (4, 5) located in an opening (6, 7, 8) of at least one of the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) is enclosed by an insulating sleeve (28).

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising means for cooling a wall of the first flow channel (23) through which the aerosol flows.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the means for cooling includes the first flow channel (23) through which a coolant is conducted.

14. A device for generating a vapor for a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus, the device comprising: at least two thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) that are each heated to a thermal transfer temperature, the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) including an upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) and a downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3), such that carrier gas that flows out of the upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) flows into the downstream thermal transfer body (2, 3); an inlet pipe (4, 5) for introducing an aerosol to at least one of the thermal transfer bodies, wherein at least one of the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3) has an opening (6, 7, 8) in which the inlet pipe (4, 5) is located; a carrier gas feed line (11) located upstream from the upstream thermal transfer body (1, 2) for feeding in the carrier gas to a housing (12) containing the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3); and a return flow check valve (18, 19) arranged downstream of the carrier gas feed line (11) and upstream of the thermal transfer bodies (1, 2, 3), wherein the return flow check valve (18, 19) is formed by two adjacent plates extending over an entire flow cross section of the housing (12), the return flow check valve (18, 19) having openings (18, 19) that are offset with respect to each other in a direction transverse to a direction of flow of the aerosol, wherein a mouth of the inlet pipe (4, 5) for introducing the aerosol is located downstream of the return flow check valve (18, 19).

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the carrier feed gas line (11) feeds only carrier gas.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the enclosed drawings. Shown are:

(2) FIG. 1 shows, in the form of a longitudinal section, a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which a vaporization device is located upstream from a CVD reactor;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which the gas outlet area of the last thermal transfer body 3 in the direction of flow is simultaneously a gas inlet area of a processing chamber 15;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a third exemplary embodiment of the invention, also in a longitudinal sectional representation along line III-III in FIG. 4;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the section along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the section along line V-V in FIG. 3;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a sixth exemplary embodiment of the invention;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of an inlet pipe according to the invention;

(11) FIG. 10 shows the longitudinal section through the inlet pipe shown in FIG. 9;

(12) FIG. 11 shows the section along line XI-XI in FIG. 10 and

(13) FIG. 12 shows the section along line XII-XII in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(14) The devices, which are shown only schematically in the drawings, are used to deposit OLED layers on substrates 14 lying on a cooled susceptor 13 in a processing chamber 15. Process gas produced from vaporized aerosols is fed into the processing chamber 15. This is done with the aid of a carrier gas that is fed through a carrier gas feed line 11 into the housing 12 of a vaporizer. Several thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 are located in the vaporizer. The thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 extend over the entire cross-sectional surface of the vaporizer housing 12 and are arranged successively in the direction of flow. As a result, the carrier gas fed through the carrier gas infeed opening 11, which can be an inert gas, H.sub.2, N.sub.2 or a noble gas, flows through all of the thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 in the direction of flow.

(15) In the exemplary embodiments, a thermal transfer body 1 arranged highest in the direction of flow forms a preheating body for preheating the carrier gas. However, a provision can also be made that the preheating of the carrier gas takes place outside of the vaporizer housing 12, so that the thermal transfer body arranged first in the direction of flow of the carrier gas within the vaporizer housing 12 is a vaporization body for one of the aerosols it.

(16) Two vaporization bodies 2, 3 arranged successively in the direction of flow are provided which lie downstream from the preheating body 1 in all exemplary embodiments. Aerosols that are different from one another are fed into the vaporization bodies 2, 3 by means of feed lines 4, 5. This is done in such a way that a first aerosol with a low vaporization temperature is vaporized through the inlet pipe 4 in an upstream vaporization body 2 and a second aerosol having a higher vaporization temperature is fed into a second vaporization body 3 that is arranged downstream from the first vaporization body 2.

(17) The preheating body 1 and the two vaporization bodies 2, 3 arranged downstream therefrom are each formed by a thermal transfer body. The thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 are made of a solid foam. The solid foam has open cells and a porosity in the range between 400 and 100 pores per inch.

(18) The feeding-in of the aerosols is done according to the invention through pipe-shaped feed lines 4, 5 that project through openings 6, 7, 8 of thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 or are inserted into openings 6, 8 of the thermal transfer bodies 2, 3. The openings preferably extent in the direction of flow of the carrier gas, the inlet pipes then being inserted either in the direction of flow or counter to the direction of flow into the opening 6, 7, 8.

(19) In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, only one vaporization body 2 is provided. It is located together with a preheating body 1 for the carrier gas in the housing 12 of the vaporization device. The preheating body 1, i.e., the upstream thermal transfer body 1, is spaced apart in the direction of flow from the downstream thermal transfer body 2, i.e., a vaporization body. A spacing gap 9 is thus formed between the two thermal transfer bodies 1, 2. The mouths 4 of inlet pipes 4 that engage through openings 6 of the thermal transfer body 1 in the direction of flow of the carrier gas 11 lead to this spacing gap 9. The inner diameter of the openings 6 corresponds to the outer diameter of the inlet pipes 4, so that the inlet pipes 4 rest with contact against the inner wall of the opening 6. An aerosol is fed through the feed lines 4 into the spacing gap 9. The aerosol is transported together with the carrier gas preheated by passage through the preheating body 1 into the second thermal transfer body 2. There, the particles of the aerosol come into touching contact with the thermal transfer surfaces of the thermal transfer body 2. Vaporization heat is fed to the particles of the aerosol, so that a vaporized aerosol emerges together with the carrier gas from the gas outlet area of the thermal transfer body 2. The heat is supplied by means of electrical current. The vapor and the carrier gas exit the vaporizer 12 through a gas outlet opening 22 and travel into a gas inlet member 16 of a CVD reactor 17. The carrier gas and the vaporized aerosol pass through the gas outlet openings of the gas inlet member 16 into the processing chamber 15. The inlet pipes 4 are made of metal and insulated from the thermal transfer body 1 by means of insulating sleeves 28.

(20) In the second exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, another thermal transfer body 3 is arranged beneath the thermal transfer body 2. A second spacing gap 10 forms between the thermal transfer body 2 and the thermal transfer body 3. Inlet pipes 5 for feeding a second aerosol into the spacing gap 10 lead to the spacing gap 10. The inlet pipes 5 are located in openings 7 of the thermal transfer body 1 and openings 8 of the thermal transfer body 2. The second aerosol is thus conducted through the inlet pipe 5 through both thermal transfer bodies 1 and 2.

(21) The thermal transfer bodies 2, 3 can also be operated at the same thermal transfer temperature. Preferably, however, the downstream thermal transfer body 3 has a higher thermal transfer temperature than the upstream thermal transfer body 2 or the preheating body 1. In this way, it is possible to vaporize a second aerosol in the thermal transfer body 3 that has a higher vaporization temperature than the first aerosol, which is fed through feed lines 4 into the intermediate space 9 and into the thermal transfer body 2.

(22) Unlike the first exemplary embodiment, the gas outlet area 3 of the last thermal transfer body 3 in the direction of flow forms an infeed area through which the vaporized aerosol enters the processing chamber 15 together with the carrier gas.

(23) In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the three thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 arranged successively in the direction of flow rest in a contacting manner against each other, so that there are no spacing gaps between the thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 arranged successively in the direction of flow. In this exemplary embodiment, the mouth 4 of the inlet pipe 4 is located in an upstream section of the first vaporization body 2. Like the first inlet pipe 4, the second inlet pipe 5 penetrates through an opening of the first thermal transfer body 1 in the direction of flow and, in addition, an opening 8 of the second thermal transfer body 2 in the direction of flow, so that the mouth 5 of the inlet pipe 5 leads into an upstream section of the third thermal transfer body 3. Here, too, two different aerosols are vaporized at different temperatures in different thermal transfer bodies 2, 3.

(24) The vaporization energy is supplied by feed line as electrical current. For this purpose, the thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 have electrical contact areas 20, 21. In the exemplary embodiment, the thermal transfer bodies have a rectangular outline, so that the electrical contact areas 20, 21 are associated with mutually opposing narrow side walls of the thermal transfer body 1, 2, 3.

(25) The fourth exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6 also shows a return flow check valve that is formed by two plate-shaped return flow stop plates 18, 19. The two return flow stop plates 18, 19 are located in the direction of flow between the infeed opening 11 for feeding in the carrier gas and the first thermal transfer body 1 in the direction of flow. The inlet pipes 4, 5 penetrate through the return flow stop plates 18, 19. They have appropriate openings for this purpose. Essential features on the return flow stop plates 18, 19 are openings 18 of the return flow stop plate 18 and openings 19 of the return flow stop plate 19. The openings 18 and 19 are offset with respect to each other in the direction of flow, so that a carrier gas passing from the carrier gas feed line 11 into the housing 12 must first pass through the openings 18 of the upstream return flow stop plate 18, upon which it is diverted into a spacing gap between the two return flow stop plates 18, 19 and then emerges through the openings 19 of the downstream return flow stop plate 19. The return flow stop plate arrangement is intended to prevent vapor of a generated aerosol emerging from the upstream surface of the thermal transfer bodies from getting into the upper area of the vaporization housing 12.

(26) In the fifth exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the aerosol is not fed through inlet pipes 4, 5 inserted into the thermal transfer bodies 1, 2 in the direction of flow of the carrier gas, but through inlet pipes 4, 5 that are inserted counter to the direction of flow of the carrier gas into openings 6, 7, 8 of the thermal transfer bodies 2, 3. The inlet pipes 4, 5 are supplied here from below, as it were. The inlet pipe 4 through which the first aerosol passes into the intermediate space 9 between the preheating body 1 and the first vaporization body 2 thus penetrates through openings 7, 6 of both vaporization bodies 2, 3. Here, too, and like in all of the exemplary embodiments, the outer walls of the inlet pipes 4, 5 and the outer walls of the insulating sleeve 28 enclosing the inlet pipes 4, 5 rest in a contacting manner against the inner wall of the respective opening 6, 7, 8 of the respective thermal transfer body 1, 2, 3.

(27) The inlet pipe 5, whose mouth 5 is arranged in the second intermediate space 10 between the vaporization body 2 and the vaporization body 3, penetrates through only one opening 8 of the downstream vaporization body 3 in the direction of flow.

(28) The sixth exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8 shows a vaporization device 12 in which, similarly to the third exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, three thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 are arranged in immediate succession in the direction of flow of the carrier gas. In addition, this exemplary embodiment has the above-described return flow stop plate arrangement 18, 19.

(29) Here, the mouth 4 of the inlet pipe 4 leads into the preheating body 1, particularly directly below its upper edge. The mouth 5 of the feed line 5 is located directly beneath the upper edge of the first vaporization body 2. Here, the inlet pipe 5 is located in an opening 8 of the vaporization body 3. The inlet pipe 4 is located in an opening 6 of the vaporization body 2 and penetrates through an opening 7 of the vaporization body 3.

(30) FIGS. 9 to 12 show an inlet pipe 4 embodied according to the invention. The inlet pipe 4 consists of two concentrically nested pipes 33, 34, the upper and lower edge of the inner pipe 33 being connected in a gas-tight manner to the upper and lower edge of the outer pipe 34. The pipe opening of the inner pipe 33 forms a first flow channel 23 through which an aerosol can be conducted that is fed through an axial infeed opening 25 into the first flow channel 23. The inner pipe 33 is widened radially outward in the area of the mouth 4 of the inlet pipe 4. The opening-side end segment of the outer pipe 34 is enclosed by a sleeve 28 made of insulating material. The pipes 33, 34 themselves are made of metal, particularly stainless steel.

(31) The outer pipe 34 has a total of four radial infeed openings 26 through which a carrier gas can be fed into the flow channel 24 that is located between inner pipe 33 and outer pipe 34. The flow channel 24 is connected via first passage openings 29 and second passage openings 30 to the first, inner flow channel 23. The gas passage openings 29, 30 formed in this way are embodied by small-diameter bores, thus enabling gas flows to pass through at a high flow velocity. The first gas passage openings 29 have an inclination, so that then gas jets emerging there enter the flow channel 23 obliquely to the direction of flow S. The gas passage openings 29 can have not only an inclination in the direction of flow S, but also an inclination in the tangential direction, whereby the gas flows emerging from them can also produce a vortex. The first gas passage openings 29 are used to generate turbulence within the first flow channel 23. The first gas passage openings 29 are arranged upstream from the second gas passage openings 30. Several first gas passage openings 29 are provided in the circumferential direction and in the direction of extension of the inlet pipe 4. A gas flow that cools the wall of the flow channel 23 can flow through the flow channel 24 in order to prevent the temperature within the inlet pipe from exceeding a temperature that leads to a vaporization of the aerosol or to a melting of solid aerosol particles. Recondensation or melting that might occur then could otherwise block the inlet pipe.

(32) The second gas passage openings 30 are located near the mouth 4. Here, too, several second gas passage openings 30 are provided both in the circumferential direction and in the direction of extension of the inlet pipe 4. The bores forming the gas passage openings 30 have a tangential angle to the inner pipe 33, whereby the gas jets emerging from the second gas passage openings 30 can impose a vortex on the aerosol flow flowing in the direction of flow S. In combination with the widening 27, this leads to an expansion of the gas flow emerging from the mouth 4. Moreover, the bores forming the second gas passage openings 30 can also have an inclination with respect to the direction of extension of the inlet pipe 4.

(33) The widening 27 extends to the lower edge of the outer pipe 34, thus forming the mouth-side closure of the flow channel 24. As a result of the vortex produced in the mouth area, a motion component aligned transverse to the direction of extension of the inlet pipe 4 is imparted to the aerosol flow leaving the mouth, whereby the aerosol is distributed more uniformly in a spacing gap 9, 10 than would be the case if a gas flow oriented in the direction of extension of the inlet pipe 4 were to emerge from the mouth 4.

(34) The reference numeral 31 designates a threaded section with which the inlet pipe 4 can be screwed into a housing (not shown). For the contacting of a screw tool, a screw tool contact profile 32 is provided in the form of two opposing flat surfaces.

(35) The foregoing embodiments serve to explain the inventions included overall by the application which develop the prior art at least through the following combinations of features, each independently, namely:

(36) A device that is characterized in that at least one of the thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 has an opening 6, 7, 8 in which an inlet pipe 4, 5 is located.

(37) A device that is characterized in that the inlet pipe 4, 5 is guided through the opening 6, 7, 8 of the thermal transfer body 1, 2, 3 and leads to a spacing gap 9, 10 between two mutually adjacent thermal transfer bodies 1, 2; 2, 3 or to another thermal transfer body 2, 3.

(38) A device that is characterized in that the opening 6, 7 is associated with an upstream thermal transfer body 1, 2 and the mouth 4, 5 of the inlet pipe 4, 5 is arranged in the direction of flow before a downstream thermal transfer body 2, 3 or in a downstream thermal transfer body 2, 3.

(39) A device that is characterized in that a first upstream thermal transfer body 1 in the direction of flow is a preheating body for the carrier gas that can be fed through a carrier gas feed line 11 into a housing 12, in which housing 12 the thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 are arranged successively in the direction of flow such that the carrier gas flows through all of the thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3.

(40) A device that is characterized in that the thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 are made of an open-pored solid foam having a porosity of 500 to 100 pores per inch, the proportion of all open areas on the surface of the solid foam particularly being greater than 90%.

(41) A device that is characterized in that the thermal transfer body is electrically conductive and has electrical contacts 20, 21 for conducting an electrical current for the purpose of heating the thermal transfer body 1, 2, 3 to a thermal transfer temperature.

(42) A device that is characterized in that thermal transfer bodies 1, 2, 3 arranged successively in the direction of flow can be heated to different temperatures, the thermal transfer temperature of one downstream thermal transfer body 2, 3 being greater than the thermal transfer temperature of an upstream thermal transfer body 1, 2.

(43) A device that is characterized in that the inlet pipe has means 29, 30, 27 for allowing the aerosol flow passing in the direction of flow S through the inlet pipe 4 to emerge from the mouth 4 in expanded form.

(44) A device that is characterized in that the inlet pipe 4 has a first flow channel 23 for feeding the aerosol in and a second flow channel 24 for feeding a carrier gas in, wherein gas passage openings 29, 30 are provided through which the carrier gas can flow out of the second flow channel 24 into the first flow channel 23 and wherein a provision is particularly made that the second flow channel 24 is sealed in the area of the mouth 4 of the inlet pipe.

(45) A device that is characterized in that first gas passage openings 29 lead into the first flow channel 23 at such an angle to the direction of flow S of the aerosol that the carrier gas flow passing through the first gas passage openings 29 generates turbulence in the first flow channel 23, a provision particularly being made that the second flow channel 24 encloses the first flow channel 23.

(46) A device that is characterized in that second gas passage openings 30 are arranged in the first flow channel 23 at such an angle to the direction of flow S of the aerosol that a carrier gas flow passing through the second gas passage openings 30 generates a vortex in the area of the mouth 4 about an axis aligned in the direction of flow S.

(47) A device that is characterized in that a pipe 33 forming the first flow channel 23 has a particularly rotationally symmetrical widening 27 in the area of the mouth 4.

(48) A device that is characterized in that the section of the inlet pipe 4, 5 located in the opening 6, 7, 8 is enclosed by an insulating sleeve 28.

(49) A device that is characterized by means for cooling the wall of the flow channel 23 through which the aerosol flows.

(50) A device that is characterized in that the means for cooling has a flow channel 23 through which a coolant can be conducted.

(51) A device that is characterized in that a return flow check valve 18, 19 is arranged before the thermal transfer body 1 in the direction of flow, which return flow check valve 18, 19 is particularly formed by two tightly adjacent plates extending over the entire flow cross section that have openings 18,19, the openings 18,19 of plates different from each other being arranged so as to be offset from each other transverse to the direction of flow.

(52) All disclosed features (alone or in combination with each other) are essential to the invention. The disclosed content of the associated/enclosed priority documents (copy of prior application) is hereby also fully incorporated into the disclosure of the application, also for the purpose of incorporating features of these documents into claims of the present application. With their features, the subclaims characterize independent inventive developments of the prior art, particularly for the purpose of filing divisional applications on the basis of these claims.

(53) TABLE-US-00001 List of Reference Symbols: 1 thermal transfer body 2 thermal transfer body 3 thermal transfer body 3 underside 4 inlet pipe 4 mouth 5 inlet pipe 5 mouth 6 opening 7 opening 8 opening 9 spacing gap 10 spacing gap 11 carrier gas feed line 12 housing 13 susceptor 14 substrate 15 processing chamber 16 gas inlet member 17 CVD reactor 18 return flow stop plate 18 opening 19 return flow stop plate 19 opening 20 electrical contacts 21 electrical contacts 22 gas outlet opening 23 flow channel 24 flow channel 25 infeed opening 26 infeed opening 27 widening 28 insulating sleeve 29 gas passage opening 30 gas passage opening 31 threaded section 32 screw tool contact profile 33 inner pipe 34 outer pipe