Patent ID: 6562140
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: C23C,C30B

Abstract:
An apparatus for growing thin films onto a substrate by exposing the substrate to alternate surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants for forming a thin film onto the substance by means of said surface reactions, the apparatus comprising:a reaction chamber into whose reaction space said substrate can be transferred; inlet channels connected to said reaction chamber for feeding therein said reactants used in said thin film growth process; and outlet channels connected to said reaction chamber for discharging gaseous reaction products and excess reactants, wherein said reaction chamber comprises at least two parts, at least one part being movable with respect to the remaining part(s) of the reaction chamber and adapted to be sealably closable against said remaining part of said reaction chamber; the parts of the reaction chamber are contained in a vacuum vessel, both during processing and during loading/unloading of a substrate; and said vacuum vessel and said reaction chamber have independent hearing means for independently controlling an internal temperature of said vacuum vessel and said reaction chamber.