KR101458195B1 - Batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus and method for forming the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus (100) and a method of forming the same are disclosed. The batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a chamber 110 for providing a space in which an epitaxial layer is formed and a boat 120 on which a plurality of substrates 10 are placed, ), The chamber (110) providing a space in which the epitaxial layer is formed; A boat 120 including a plurality of supports 121 for supporting a plurality of substrate holders 130 on which a plurality of substrates 10 are mounted; A heater 140 for applying heat to the plurality of substrates 10; A gas supply unit 150 for supplying a process gas into the chamber 110; And a gas evacuation unit 160 for exhausting the process gas to the outside of the chamber 110.

Batch type, epitaxial layer, epitaxial process, epitaxial growth, boat, rotation

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus and a method for forming the batch type epitaxial layer,

The present invention relates to a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus and a method of forming the batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus and method for forming the epitaxial layer, Type epitaxial layer forming apparatus capable of uniformly forming an epitaxial layer on a substrate, and a method of forming the same.

Description of the Related Art [0002] Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor light emitting devices that convert current into light and have been widely used as light sources for display images of electronic devices including information communication equipment. In particular, unlike conventional lighting such as incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, it has been known that energy efficiency can be reduced up to 90% by converting electric energy into light energy. Thus, it is widely known that the device can replace fluorescent lamps or incandescent lamps .

The manufacturing process of such an LED element can roughly be divided into an epi process, a chip process, and a package process. The epitaxial process refers to a process for epitaxial growth of a compound semiconductor on a substrate and the chip process refers to a process for producing an epitaxial chip by forming an electrode on each part of a substrate on which epitaxial growth is performed, A lead is connected to an epitaxial chip manufactured in this way and the package is packaged so that light is emitted to the outside as much as possible.

Among these processes, the epi process is the most critical process for determining the luminous efficiency of an LED device. This is because, when the compound semiconductor is not epitaxially grown on the substrate, defects are generated in the crystal and such defects act as a nonradiative center to lower the luminous efficiency of the LED device.

Liquid phase epitaxy (LPE), vapor phase epitaxy (VPE), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are used for the epitaxial process, Particularly, the MOCVD (Metal Organic CVD) method among the CVD methods is a method of forming an epitaxial layer by using an organic raw material. Since the growth control of the epitaxial layer is superior to other methods, It is one.

A method of forming an epitaxial layer on a substrate using a conventional MOCVD method will be briefly described as follows. First, a plurality of substrates are loaded into a chamber for providing a heat treatment space, and an organic raw material is supplied through a supply pipe while heating the inside of the chamber by a heater at a high temperature, thereby growing an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates.

However, according to such a conventional method, the supplied organic raw material is not uniformly distributed on a plurality of substrates, so that a uniform epitaxial layer can not be formed on a plurality of substrates. As a result, a high-efficiency LED element having the same quality can not be mass-produced, and productivity and efficiency of the process are deteriorated.

In addition, there is a problem in that deposition material is fixed to a wall or a supply pipe inside the chamber while the epitaxial layer is formed on a plurality of substrates, and maintenance of the internal components of the chamber is not easy.

The present invention relates to a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus capable of uniformly forming an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates by rotating a boat on which a plurality of substrates are placed while an epitaxial layer is formed on a plurality of substrates And a method of forming the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus and a method of forming the batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus capable of mass-producing a high-efficiency LED element having the same quality by uniformly forming an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates do.

The present invention also provides a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus capable of minimizing the deposition of deposition material in a chamber while forming an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates, And a method of forming the same.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that a boat on which the plurality of substrates are seated while the epitaxial layer is formed is provided with a chamber In the direction of rotation.

In order to achieve the above object, a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus according to the present invention is a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus for forming an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates, wherein the epitaxial layer is formed A chamber for providing a space to be filled; A boat including a plurality of supports for supporting a plurality of substrate holders on which the plurality of substrates are mounted; A heater for applying heat to the plurality of substrates; A gas supply unit for supplying a process gas into the chamber; And a gas evacuation unit for evacuating the process gas to the outside of the chamber, wherein the boat rotates in the chamber while the epitaxial layer is formed.

The chamber has a dual chamber structure composed of an inner chamber and an outer chamber, and a cooling gas can be supplied between the inner chamber and the outer chamber.

The batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus includes: a rotating shaft connected to the boat; And rotating means for rotating the rotating shaft.

The heater may be a coil-shaped heater capable of induction heating the inside of the chamber.

The substrate holder may comprise graphite.

The surface of the graphite may be coated with silicon carbide (SiC).

The substrate holder may be inclined from a central portion to an edge portion of the substrate holder, and the thickness of the substrate holder may be kept constant.

The substrate holder may be inclined from the central portion to the edge portion of the substrate holder, and the thickness of the substrate holder may gradually decrease.

The upper surface of the substrate holder may be flat, and the lower surface of the substrate holder may be inclined from the central portion of the substrate holder to the edge portion.

The gas supply unit may be installed at one side of the boat, and the gas exhaust unit may be installed at another side opposite to one side of the boat.

The gas supply unit may be installed at one side of the chamber, and the gas exhaust unit may be installed at another side of the chamber opposite to the one side of the chamber.

Wherein the gas supply unit includes a gas supply pipe through which a process gas is supplied from the outside; And a plurality of gas injection units connected to the gas supply pipe and injecting the process gas supplied to the gas supply pipe into the chamber, wherein the gas exhaust unit includes a plurality of gas injection units for sucking the process gas injected from the plurality of gas injection units Gas suction portions; And a gas exhaust pipe connected to the plurality of gas suction units and exhausting the process gas sucked in by the plurality of gas suction units to the outside.

The plurality of gas injecting units and the plurality of gas sucking units may be installed in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of substrate holders.

The gas supply pipe and the gas exhaust pipe have a double pipe structure composed of an inner pipe and an outer pipe, and a cooling gas may be supplied between the inner pipe and the outer pipe.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a batch type epitaxial layer comprising: providing a plurality of substrate holders on which a plurality of substrates are mounted in a chamber for providing a space in which the epitaxial layers are formed; Characterized in that the boat is rotated in the chamber while the epitaxial layer is being formed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to uniformly form an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates by rotating a boat on which the plurality of substrates are placed while an epitaxial layer is formed on the plurality of substrates.

Further, according to the present invention, an epitaxial layer is uniformly formed on a plurality of substrates, and a high-efficiency LED element having the same quality can be mass-produced.

Further, the present invention minimizes the deposition of deposition material in the chamber during the formation of the epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates, and has the effect of easily maintaining the inside of the chamber even in repeated processes.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain features, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in connection with an embodiment. It is also to be understood that the position or arrangement of the individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar functions throughout the several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view showing a configuration of an epitaxial layer forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, an apparatus 100 for forming an epitaxial layer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber 110, a boat 120, a substrate holder 130 on which a plurality of substrates 10 are mounted, A heater 140, a gas supply unit 150, and a gas exhaust unit 160.

First, a chamber 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a function of providing a space for forming an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates 10, Can be performed. Such a chamber 110 is configured to maintain optimal process conditions, and the shape may be manufactured in the form of a square or a circle. In addition, the material of the chamber 110 may be made of quartz glass so that deformation does not occur in the subsequent heat treatment process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the chamber 110 may have a dual chamber structure including an inner chamber 111 and an outer chamber 112. At this time, a predetermined passage may be formed in the space between the inner chamber 111 and the outer chamber 112 to allow the cooling gas 113 to flow through the passage. Generally, the process for forming the epitaxial layer on the substrate 10 may be performed by supplying the deposition material into the chamber 110 and heating the chamber 110 to a temperature of about 800 ° C to 1200 ° C. The supplied evaporation material may be supplied to the substrate 10 in conformity with the original purpose to form an epitaxial layer, but may adhere to the inner wall of the chamber 110 to form a predetermined aggregate. However, according to the present embodiment, the deposition of the deposition material on the inner wall of the chamber 110 can be minimized by forming the chamber 110 in a dual chamber structure and supplying the cooling gas 113 through the passages formed therebetween .

A boat 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate holder 130 installed in the chamber 110 to load a plurality of substrates 10 and a substrate holder 130 mounted on the substrate holder 130. During the epitaxial process, And can support the substrate holder 130 that has been formed. Each of the components of the boat 120 may be made of quartz glass so that deformation does not occur even in a repeated heat treatment process.

As shown in FIG. 1, the boat 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of supports 121 and a connecting member 122 connecting the plurality of supports 121. First, the plurality of support rods 121 are arranged in layers to perform a function of loading and supporting a substrate holder 130 on which a plurality of substrates 10 are mounted. Each of the support bars 121 may be formed to be slightly larger than the size of the substrate 10 so that the substrate holder 130 can be stably supported. Next, the connection member 122 can perform a function of connecting and fixing a plurality of supports 121. It is preferable that the number of the connection members 122 is set so that loading / unloading of the substrate holder 130 into the boat 120 can be smoothly performed. The boat 120 according to the present invention may be provided with two connecting members 122 facing each other.

In addition, the boat 120 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be rotated in the chamber 110 while the epitaxial layer is formed on the plurality of substrates 10. [ For this purpose, the boat 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a rotating shaft 123 connected to the boat 120 and a rotating means for rotating the rotating shaft 123. The rotating means may be a driving motor (not shown) that receives power from the outside and provides power to rotate the boat 120 around the rotating shaft 123.

Referring to FIG. It can be seen that a plurality of substrate holders 130 on which a plurality of substrates 10 are mounted are supported by the supports 121 of the boats 120, respectively. The boat 120 in the chamber 110 is rotated while the epitaxial layer is formed on the plurality of substrates 10 so that rotation of the substrate holder 130 supported by the support 121 is also performed , So that the effect that the plurality of substrates 10 are simultaneously rotated can be realized. As the plurality of substrates 10 are rotated at the same time, the process gas can be uniformly distributed on the plurality of substrates 10, and furthermore, the epitaxial layers can be uniformly distributed on the plurality of substrates 10 It is possible to achieve the effect of being formed.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the support base 121 of the boat 120 and the substrate holder 130 have a circular shape in order to smoothly perform rotation. However, the support base 121 and the substrate holder 130 are not limited thereto, There will be.

Next, the heater 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be installed inside or outside the chamber 110 to perform a function of applying heat required for the epitaxial process to a plurality of substrates 10 . The heater 140 is preferably configured to raise the temperature of the substrate 10 to a temperature of about 1200 ° C or higher, so that the epitaxial growth of the substrate 10 can be smoothly performed.

Meanwhile, the heater 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may use a heating method using a halogen lamp or a resistance heating element to heat a plurality of the substrates 10, but it is preferable to use an induction heating method . Induction heating refers to a method of heating a conductive object such as a metal by using electromagnetic induction. In order to use such an induction heating method, the heater 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber 110, And a coil-shaped heater 140 capable of induction heating the inside thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a high frequency alternating current is applied to the inside of the chamber 110 from the coil heater 140 so that the substrate holder 130 including the conductive material is heated, The heating of the plurality of substrates 10 placed on the substrate 10 can be performed. In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the components of the apparatus 100 for forming an epitaxial layer other than the substrate holder 130 may be formed of nonconductive materials (for example, quartz glass). In this case, only the substrate holder 130 can be heated by the heater 140, so that deposition of the deposition material on the remaining components inside the chamber 110 can be minimized.

Next, the substrate holder 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform a function of stably supporting the plurality of substrates 10 during the epitaxial process. The substrate holder 130 has a space in which a plurality of substrates 10 can be placed, and the space can be formed to be somewhat concave so as to stably support the substrate 10 to a side surface thereof. The number of such spaces may be variously changed according to the number of the substrates 10 to be mounted on the substrate holder 130.

As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the heater 140 may be constituted by a coil-shaped heater 140 capable of induction heating the inside of the chamber 110, May comprise a conductive material, particularly graphite. Such graphite is not only excellent in strength but also excellent in conductivity and can be suitably heated by an induction heating method. At this time, the surface of the graphite may be coated with silicon carbide (SiC). Since silicon carbide is excellent in high temperature strength and hardness and has a high thermal conductivity, it is possible to prevent the graphite molecules from being dispersed during heating and to easily perform heat transfer to the substrate 10. [ The material of the substrate holder 130 is not necessarily limited to graphite and may be amorphous carbon, diamondlike carbon, glasslike carbon or the like if necessary .

Referring also to Figures 2 to 4, The substrate holder 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured in various forms to further improve the uniformity of the epitaxial layer.

 2, the substrate holder 130a according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed so as to be inclined from the central portion to the edge portion of the substrate holder 130a, and the thickness of the substrate holder 130a is maintained constant . Accordingly, the process gas injected from the gas spraying unit 153 can be uniformly distributed throughout the substrate holder 130a, and the uniformity of the epitaxial layer formed on the plurality of substrates 10 can be further improved have.

3, the substrate holder 130b according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed so as to be inclined from the central portion to the edge portion of the substrate holder 130b, To the central portion. Accordingly, the process gas injected from the gas spraying unit 153 can be uniformly distributed throughout the substrate holder 130b, and the uniformity of the epitaxial layer formed on the plurality of substrates 10 can be further improved have.

4, the substrate holder 130c according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a flat upper surface and an inclined lower surface from the central portion of the substrate holder 130c to the edge portion have. Accordingly, the high-frequency induction current applied by the heater 140 can be uniformly distributed throughout the substrate holder 130c, and the uniformity of the epitaxial layer formed on the plurality of substrates 10 can be further improved .

The apparatus for forming an epitaxial layer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate holder 130 on which a plurality of substrates 10 are mounted, And a holder transfer robot (not shown). According to the present embodiment, by employing the holder transfer robot, an automated system can be realized, and ultimately productivity can be maximized.

Next, a gas supply unit 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of supplying a process gas required for forming an epitaxial layer into the chamber 110. [ The process gas supplied into the chamber 110 through the gas supply unit 150 may be variously modified depending on the type of the epitaxial layer to be formed on the substrate 10 or the method of forming the epitaxial layer. For example, in order to form an epitaxial gallium nitride (GaN) layer on a plurality of substrates 10 by MOCVD, TMG (trimethylgallium), TEG (triethylgallium), NH ₃ , It will be possible.

1, a gas supply unit 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a gas supply pipe 154 through which a process gas is supplied from the outside, a plurality of gas injection units 153 that inject process gas, As shown in FIG. 1, the gas exhaust part 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a gas suction part 163 for sucking a process gas and a gas exhaust pipe 164 for exhausting a process gas to the outside And the like.

First, the gas supply unit 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of supplying a process gas necessary for forming an epitaxial layer from the outside. The gas supply pipe 154 may be connected to the chamber 110 via a manifold (not shown) connected to the lower end of the chamber 110 through a means such as a fixing flange (not shown) As shown in FIG.

The plurality of gas injection units 153 are connected to the gas supply unit 150 to supply the process gas supplied from the gas supply unit 150 to the inside of the chamber 110, (As shown in FIG. 1) to the substrate holder 130, which is in one-to-one correspondence with the gas supply unit 150). The gas jetting unit 153 may be made of a material having high high temperature strength so as to withstand high temperatures and may be configured in the form of a nozzle capable of jetting a process gas in a hole formed at an end thereof.

Next, the plurality of gas suction units 163 according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform a function of sucking the process gas injected from the gas spray unit 153. In this case, the gas suction part 163 can suck the process gas injected from the gas spray part 153, which is in one-to-one correspondence with the gas suction part 163. That is, the process gas is injected from the specific gas injecting unit 153 to the substrate holder 130 corresponding to the one-to-one correspondence with the specific gas injecting unit 153. The injected process gas passes over the substrate holder 130, 130 to one-to-one correspondence with the gas suction part 163. Of course, the process gas may pass over the substrate holder 130 and supply the deposition material to a plurality of substrates 10 seated on the substrate holder 130. According to this embodiment, a plurality of gas injecting units 153 and a plurality of gas sucking units 163 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of substrate holders 130, The amount of gas can be controlled uniformly. Therefore, the epitaxial layer can be uniformly formed on the plurality of substrates 10, and a high-efficiency LED element having the same quality can be mass-produced.

Next, the gas injection tube according to one embodiment of the present invention can perform a function of exhausting the process gas sucked by the gas suction unit 163 to the outside. The gas injection pipe is connected to the chamber 110 through a manifold (not shown) connected to the lower end of the chamber 110 through a means such as a fixing flange (not shown) And may be formed in an inverted U shape as shown in FIG.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas supply pipe 154 and the gas exhaust pipe 164 are connected to each other by a double pipe structure including inner pipes 151 and 161 and outer pipes 152 and 162, Structure. At this time, a predetermined passage may be formed in the space between the inner pipes 151 and 161 and the outer pipes 152 and 162 so that the cooling gas can flow through the passages. According to the embodiment of the present invention, deposition of the evaporation material around the gas supply pipe 154 and the gas exhaust pipe 164 can be minimized.

Meanwhile, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus 100a according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5, an apparatus 100a for forming an epitaxial layer according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a gas supply unit 150a and a gas exhaust unit 160a disposed outside the chamber 110a, The gas exhaust part 160a is installed on one side of the chamber 110a and the other side opposite to the one side of the chamber 110a. The epitaxial layer forming apparatus 100a according to another embodiment of the present invention is different from the epitaxial layer forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment in that the gas supply unit 150a and the gas exhaust unit 160a are disposed outside the chamber 110a, The detailed description of the constituent elements and the functions of the constituent elements will be omitted.

According to the present embodiment, the gas supply unit 150a and the gas exhaust unit 160a may be disposed outside the chamber 110a to effectively transmit heat applied from the heater 140a to the inside of the chamber 110a In addition, the structure of the chamber 110a can be simplified and designed.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken in conjunction with the present invention. Variations and changes are possible. Such variations and modifications are to be considered as falling within the scope of the invention and the appended claims.

1 is a view showing a configuration of an epitaxial layer forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 4 are views showing various aspects of a substrate holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a view showing a configuration of a batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the Related Art

10: substrate

100: epitaxial layer forming device

110: chamber

120: Boat

121: Support

130: substrate holder

140: heater

150: gas supply unit

160: gas exhaust part

Claims (16)

A batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus for forming an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates, wherein a boat on which the plurality of substrates are seated while the epitaxial layer is formed is provided with a space in which the epitaxial layer is formed Rotating in the chamber, A rotary shaft connected to the boat, and a rotating means for rotating the rotary shaft, Wherein the boat includes a plurality of supports for supporting a plurality of substrate holders on which the plurality of substrates are mounted, Wherein the lower surface of each of the plurality of substrate holders is formed so as to be inclined downward from the central portion of the substrate holder toward the edge portion. A batch type epitaxial layer forming apparatus for forming an epitaxial layer on a plurality of substrates, A chamber providing a space in which the epitaxial layer is formed; A boat including a plurality of supports for supporting a plurality of substrate holders on which the plurality of substrates are mounted; A heater for applying heat to the plurality of substrates; A gas supply unit for supplying a process gas into the chamber; And A gas exhaust unit for exhausting the process gas to the outside of the chamber, Lt; / RTI > The boat rotates in the chamber while the epitaxial layer is formed, A rotary shaft connected to the boat, and a rotating means for rotating the rotary shaft, Wherein the lower surface of each of the plurality of substrate holders is formed so as to be inclined downward from the central portion of the substrate holder toward the edge portion. 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein the chamber has a dual chamber structure comprising an inner chamber and an outer chamber, And a cooling gas can be supplied between the inner chamber and the outer chamber. delete 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein the heater is a coil-shaped heater capable of induction heating the inside of the chamber. 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein the substrate holder comprises graphite. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > 8. < / RTI > The method according to claim 6, Wherein the surface of the graphite is coated with silicon carbide (SiC). delete delete delete 3. The method of claim 2, The gas supply unit is installed on one side of the boat, Wherein the gas exhaust part is provided on the other side opposite to one side of the boat. 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein the gas supply unit is installed at one side of the chamber, Wherein the gas exhaust part is provided on the other side opposite to one side of the chamber. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, Wherein the gas supply unit includes a gas supply pipe through which a process gas is supplied from the outside; And a plurality of gas injection units connected to the gas supply pipe and injecting the process gas supplied to the gas supply pipe into the interior of the chamber, Wherein the gas exhaust part comprises: a plurality of gas suction parts for sucking the process gas injected from the plurality of gas injection parts; And a gas exhaust pipe connected to the plurality of gas suction units and exhausting the process gas sucked in by the plurality of gas suction units to the outside. 14. The method of claim 13, Wherein the plurality of gas injection portions and the plurality of gas suction portions are provided so as to correspond one to one with the plurality of substrate holders. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, Wherein the gas supply unit and the gas exhaust unit have a double tube structure including an inner tube and an outer tube, and a cooling gas can be supplied between the inner tube and the outer tube. delete

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