Susceptor design by numerical analysis in horizontal CVD reactor

Thermal-fluid analysis was performed to understand the thermal behavior in the horizontal CVD reactor thereby to design a susceptor which has a uniform deposition rate during silicon EPI growing. Four different types of susceptor designs, standard (no hole susceptor), hole 1 (240 mm), hole 2 (150 mm) and hole 3 (60 mm), were simulated by CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) tool. Temperature, gas flow, deposition rate and growth rate were calculated and analyzed. The degree of flatness of EPI wafer loaded on the susceptor was computed in terms of silicon growth rate. The simulation results show that the temperature and thermal distribution in the wafer are greatly dependent on inner diameter of hole susceptor and demonstrate that the introduction of hole in the susceptor can degrade wafer flatness. Maximum temperature difference appeared around holes. As the diameter of the hole decreases, flatness of the wafer becomes poor. Among the threes types of susceptors with the hole, optimal design which resulted a good uniform flatness () was obtained when using hole 1.