Keyed wafer carrier

US9816184B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Veeco Instruments Inc. · US

Inventors

• Sandeep Krishnan · Kozhikode, IN
• Keng Moy · Berkeley Heights, US
• Alexander I. Gurary · Bound Brook, US
• Matthew King · Montville, US
• Vadim Boguslavskiy · Princeton, US
• Steven Krommenhoek · Annandale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 20, 2012
• Grant date: Nov 14, 2017
• Expiry date: Apr 5, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/68792
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A structure for a chemical vapor deposition reactor desirably includes a reaction chamber having an interior, a spindle mounted in the reaction chamber, and a wafer carrier releasably mounted onto the spindle for rotation therewith. The spindle desirably has a shaft extending along a vertical rotational axis and a key projecting outwardly from the shaft. The wafer carrier preferably has a body defining oppositely-facing top and bottom surfaces and at least one wafer-holding feature configured so that a wafer can be held therein with a surface of the wafer exposed at the top surface of the body. The wafer carrier desirably further has a recess extending into the body from the bottom surface of the body and a keyway projecting outwardly from a periphery of the recess along a first transverse axis. The shaft preferably is engaged in the recess and the key preferably is engaged into the keyway.