1990 Chemical Boundary Layers in CVD.pdfVIP

Chemical Boundary Layers in CVD I. Irreversible Reactions M. H. J. M. de Croon and L. J. Giling Department of Experimental Solid State Physics III, R.I.M., Faculty of Science, University of Nijmegen, 6525ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands ABSTRACT Because of the coupling of the temperature dependence of gas-phase reaction rate constants with the steep tempera- ture gradient, present in most CVD reactors, a thin chemical reaction boundary layer can be defined in the gas phase just above the susceptor. This boundary layer will be present under all operating conditions, including lower pressures and ir- respective of the kinetic regime of the deposition reaction or the existence of flow and temperature boundary layers. Using this chemical boundary layer concept it proves to be possible to derive deposition rate equations not only for the gas- phase transport limited regime but also for the gas-phase kinetic regime, or for the case where surface reactions are rate limiting. Chemical vapor deposition CVD is an important tech- and the width of the reactor much larger than h; thus, be- nique nowadays to grow electronically active and insulat- cause of the large aspect ratio we may describe this reactor ing layers for all kind of solid-state devices. Studies that as a two-dimensional system with sufficient accuracy. In have been performed over the last few decades have this system, the suscept0r which is at the bottom wall, is mainly dealt with growth, doping, or technical aspects. held at temperature Ts, whereas the upper wall is cooled Flow dynamics, reactor design, and depletion effects also and kept at a constant temperature To, which we suppose have received some attention to date, and interest is still to be equal to the inlet temperature of the gases. A large growing 1-13 , so one can say that understan