Patent · US Expired

Highly uniform silicon carbide epitaxial layers

US6297522A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
6References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 11, 2000
Grant dateOct 2, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 11, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S148/148
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

An improved chemical vapor deposition method is disclosed that increases the uniformity of silicon carbide epitaxial layers and that is particularly useful for obtaining thicker epitaxial layers. The method comprises heating a reactor to a temperature at which silicon carbide source gases will form an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide on a substrate in the reactor; and then directing a flow of source and carrier gases through the heated reactor to form an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide on the substrate with the carrier gases comprising a blend of hydrogen and a second gas in which the second gas has a thermal conductivity that is less than the thermal conductivity of hydrogen so that the source gases deplete less as they pass through the reactor than they would if hydrogen is used as the sole carrier gas.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.