Ina T Martin

US Patent:

20120315405, Dec 13, 2012

Filed:

Feb 25, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/580595

Inventors:

Marc Landry - Golden CO, US
Ina Martin - Garfield Heights OH, US
Maxim Shub - Golden CO, US
Charles Teplin - Golden CO, US
John Mariner - Avon Lake OH, US
James Portugal - Irvine CA, US

Assignee:

ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC - Golden CO

International Classification:

C23C 16/32

US Classification:

427587, 118723 R

Abstract:

A hot wire chemical vapor deposition apparatus for use in depositing thin films such as amorphous or epitaxial silicon upon a surface of a wafer or substrate by cracking a source or precursor gas such as silane. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber and a source of precursor gas operable to inject the precursor gas into the chamber. The HWCVD apparatus also includes a heater with a support surface exposed to the deposition chamber, and the heater is operable to heat a substrate positioned upon the support surface. The apparatus includes a catalytic decomposition assembly with a filament positioned between the heater and the precursor gas inlet for selectively passing a current through the filament to resistively heat material of the filament. The filament material may be carbide such as tantalum carbide, which may be coated on a graphite core.