Thermo-Flow Structure and Epitaxial Uniformity in Large-Scale Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactors with Rotating Susceptor and Inlet Flow Control

Abstract

The transport phenomena in large-scale metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactors with a rotating susceptor are investigated by numerical simulation of thin-film epitaxial growth of gallium arsenide. We are mainly concerned with the thermo-flow structure, its influence on epitaxial growth rate, and the means of improving epilayer flatness. The effects of susceptor rotation and thermo-flow conditions on gas flow, temperature and concentration fields are studied. The present results show the flow structure and transport characteristics in various flow regimes. A parameter map and the associated correlations of boundary curves of the flow-mode transition are proposed. It is demonstrated that the epilayer flatness can be tuned either by properly controlling the vortex strength in a rotation-dominated flow regime and/or by employing an inlet flow control technique proposed in the present work.