IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,404,601
Granted Patent B2
US 12,404,601 · App. 18/028,685 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Method for growing crystals

Inventors: Robert Ebner (Leonding, AT); Kanaparin Ariyawong (Leonding, AT); Ghassan Barbar (Neunkirchen, DE); Chih-Yung Hsiung (Leonding, AT)
Assignee: EBNER Industrieofenbau GmbH
C30B23/002C30B23/06C30B25/10C30B25/16C30B29/36
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,404,601
App. No.
18/028,685
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for growing crystals using PVT or PVD or CVD, includes: providing: a chamber for crystal growth, a crucible in the chamber including at least one deposition section with a seed crystal and a base material for crystal growth, at least one temperature monitoring device, a gas supply device and at least one fluid inlet and outlet, and a pressure monitoring device; evacuating the chamber using a pumping device; flushing the chamber with inert gas; heating the chamber to a growth temperature of 2000 to 2400° C. using at least one heating device; decreasing pressure to 0.1 to 100 mbar; supplying a dopant (during a growth process); regulating process parameters in the growth process; increasing chamber pressure at the growth process end; cooling down the chamber; wherein the heating of the chamber from an ambient temperature to the growth temperature occurs within 10 to 10000 minutes.

Claims (28)

1. A method for growing crystals by means of PVT or PVD or CVD or epitaxial sublimation, comprising the steps;

providing a chamber ( 11 ) for the crystal growth;

providing a crucible ( 1 ), which is arranged in the chamber ( 11 ), and which crucible ( 1 ) comprises at least one deposition section with a seed crystal ( 2 ) and a base material ( 3 ) for growing a crystal;

providing at least one temperature monitoring device ( 6 ),

providing a gas supply device ( 4 ) and at least one fluid inlet and outlet ( 17 ),

providing a pressure monitoring device ( 8 ),

evacuating the chamber ( 11 ) by means of a pumping device ( 9 )

flushing the chamber ( 11 ) with an inert gas,

heating the chamber ( 11 ) to a growth temperature of 2000 to 2400° C. by means of at least one heating device ( 5 );

decreasing the pressure to 0.1 to 100 mbar;

supplying a dopant;

regulating the process parameters in the growth process

increasing the pressure in the chamber ( 11 ) at the end of the growth process

cooling down the chamber ( 11 )

wherein the heating of the chamber ( 11 ) from an ambient temperature to the growth temperature occurs within 10 to 10000 minutes and

wherein a resistance measuring device is provided, wherein the resistance measuring device determines the Si and/or C content in the gas phase in the chamber ( 11 ) by a resistance measurement ( 18 ), which detects a change in a specific resistance due to the deposition of Si.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an open loop and closed loop control device ( 7 ) is provided, which is connected to the at least one temperature monitoring device ( 6 ) and the at least one heating device ( 5 ) and regulates a heating power dependent on a temperature measured.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the open loop and closed loop control device ( 7 ) is connected to the gas supply device ( 4 ) and pressure monitoring device ( 8 ) and regulates the pressure of the chamber ( 11 ) dependent on the temperature.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one heating device ( 5 ) comprises an RF coil ( 14 ) and/or a resistance heater ( 10 ).

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a spectroscopic measuring device ( 19 ) is further provided.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the open loop and closed loop control device ( 7 ) is connected to the resistance measuring device and regulates the heating power and/or the pressure dependent on the Si and/or C content determined by the resistance measuring device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling of the chamber ( 11 ) is carried out in a regulated manner with a cooling speed of 0.1 to 30° C./min.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling of the chamber ( 11 ) is carried out by means of a cooling fluid.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the cooling of the chamber ( 11 ) is carried out by controlling the heating power by means of the open loop and closed loop control device ( 7 ).

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber ( 11 ) is brought to a pressure of 700 to 900 mbar during flushing with the inert gas.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature monitoring device ( 6 ) comprises a pyrometer and the dopant is nitrogen.

12. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the spectroscopic measuring device ( 19 ) is an atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) measuring device or a mass spectrometry measuring device.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the inert gas is argon.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 13, 2024
From: EBNER, ROBERT; ARIYAWONG, KANAPARIN; BARBAR, GHASSAN; HSIUNG, CHIH-YUNG
To: EBNER INDUSTRIEOFENBAU GMBH
Reel/Frame 067717/0381 →
Priority Claims (1)
AT A 50821/2020 · Sep 28, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230357951A1 · Nov 9, 2023
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