In Situ Cleaning Process of Silicon Carbide Epitaxial Reactor

Abstract

In order to develop the in situ cleaning process using chlorine trifluoride gas for a silicon carbide epitaxial reactor, the etching conditions and process were studied for removing the silicon carbide film formed on the susceptor. The formed silicon carbide film consisted of stacked layers of a polycrystalline 4H-like silicon carbide film, a polycrystalline 3C-silicon carbide film and a silicon-rich silicon carbide film. The average etching rate of the formed film was about four times higher than the silicon carbide coating film of the carbon susceptor. By adjusting the etching temperature to less than 330°C, the formed silicon carbide films could be removed without significant damage to the susceptor.