Patent ID: 8021487

Claim:
A wafer carrier for a CVD reactor comprising: (a) a plate of a non-metallic refractory material having oppositely-facing upstream and downstream surfaces, the plate having a central region and a peripheral region, the plate having wafer-holding features adapted to hold a plurality of wafers exposed at the upstream surface of the plate in the peripheral region; and (b) a hub formed at least in part from one or more materials other than the non-metallic refractory material of the plate, the hub being formed separately from the plate, the hub being attached to the plate in the central region so that the plate surrounds the hub, the hub having a spindle connection adapted to releasably engage a spindle of a CVD reactor so as to mechanically connect the plate with the spindle when the carrier is installed in the reactor and to disengage from the spindle when the carrier is removed from the reactor, the hub being attached to the plate so that the wafer carrier, including the plate and hub, can be installed in the reactor and removed from the reactor as a unit, wherein the hub includes an upstream hub element, at least a part of the upstream hub element overlying a portion of the upstream surface of the plate in the central region and a downstream hub element, at least a part of the downstream hub element overlying a portion of the downstream surface of the plate in the central region so that at least a part of the central region of the plate is disposed between the upstream and downstream hub elements, the hub further including a fastener urging the upstream and downstream hub elements towards one another so that the plate is clamped between the upstream and downstream hub elements.