Wafer support device and method for removing lift pin therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10998219-B2
Application number	US-201615180247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Jun 13, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A wafer support device includes a susceptor, at least one lift pin, at least one lift pin support base and at least one pad. The susceptor has a bottom surface and a top surface configured to support a wafer. The susceptor has at least one through hole extending between the bottom surface and the top surface. The lift pin is at least partially telescopically received in the through hole of the susceptor. The lift pin support base has at least one coupling feature thereon. The pad is detachably coupled with the coupling feature and supports the lift pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wafer support device, comprising:
a susceptor having a bottom surface and a top surface configured to support a wafer, the susceptor having at least one through hole extending between the bottom surface and the top surface, wherein the through hole includes a first end portion and a second end portion that is above the first end portion and that has a width less than a width of the first end portion;
at least one lift pin at least partially telescopically received in the through hole of the susceptor and having a width greater than the width of the second end portion of the through hole of the susceptor, wherein the lift pin comprises at least one lift pin rod, at least one lift pin body, and at least one lift pin holder detachably connecting the lift pin body to the lift pin rod;
at least one lift pin support base having at least one coupling feature thereon; and
at least one pad detachably coupled with the coupling feature and supporting the lift pin, wherein a topmost surface of the pad is inside the coupling feature and the coupling feature is sized to allow the lift pin rod, the lift pin body, and the lift pin holder to pass therethrough.

2. The wafer support device of claim 1 , wherein the pad is toollessly coupled with the coupling feature.

3. The wafer support device of claim 1 , wherein the coupling feature is a recess in the lift pin support base, and the topmost surface of the pad is received in the recess.

4. The wafer support device of claim 3 , wherein the recess has at least one positioning hole therein, and the pad has at least one positioning pin received in the positioning hole.

5. The wafer support device of claim 1 , wherein the coupling feature is a spot-faced aperture, and the spot-faced aperture is sized to allow at least the lift pin rod to pass therethrough.

6. The wafer support device of claim 1 , wherein the coupling feature is a spot-faced aperture, and the spot-faced aperture is sized to allow at least the lift pin rod with the lift pin holder to pass therethrough.

7. The wafer support device of claim 1 , wherein the lift pin support base comprises:
a ring portion in a C shape, the coupling feature present on the ring portion; and
a handle portion connected to the ring portion.

8. The wafer support device of claim 1 , wherein the susceptor comprises:
a supporting pate; and
an electrostatic chuck present on the supporting pate, wherein the through hole extends through the supporting pate and the electrostatic chuck.

9. The wafer support device of claim 8 , wherein the electrostatic chuck has at least one cathode therein.

10. The wafer support device of claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the lift pin rod abuts the topmost surface of the pad.

11. A wafer support device, comprising:
a susceptor having a bottom surface and a top surface configured to support a wafer, the susceptor having at least one through hole extending between the bottom surface and the top surface, wherein the though hole includes a first end portion and a second end portion that is above the first end portion and that has a width less than a width of the first end portion and the first end portion of the through hole is defined by an inner sidewall of the susceptor;
at least one lift pin including:
a lift pin body telescopically received in the second end portion of the through hole of the susceptor;
a lift pin rod coupled to the lift pin body, telescopically received in the first end portion of the through hole of the susceptor, and having a sidewall directly facing the inner sidewall of the susceptor, wherein a width of the lift pin rod is greater than the width of the second end portion of the through hole of the susceptor; and
a lift pin holder configured to detachably connect the lift pin body to the lift pin rod;
at least one lift pin support base having top and bottom surfaces and at least one coupling feature that extends between the top and bottom surfaces of the lift pin support base, wherein the coupling feature of the lift pin support base and the through hole of the susceptor at least partially vertically overlap with each other, and the coupling feature is sized to allow the lift pin rod, the lift pin body, and the lift pin holder to pass therethrough; and
at least one pad detachably covering the coupling feature of the lift pin support base, wherein a bottommost surface of the pad is above the bottom surface of the lift pin support base.

12. The wafer support device of claim 11 , wherein the coupling feature of the lift pin support base has a diameter substantially equal to or greater than that of the lift pin.

13. The wafer support device of claim 11 , wherein the coupling feature of the lift pin support base has a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion is present between the susceptor and the bottom portion, and the top portion has a diameter greater than that of the bottom portion.

14. The wafer support device of claim 13 , wherein the pad is at least partially received in the top portion.

15. The wafer support device of claim 13 , wherein the diameter of the bottom portion is substantially equal to or greater than that of the lift pin.

16. The wafer support device of claim 11 , wherein the lift pin holder is telescopically received in the first end portion of the through hole of the susceptor.

17. The wafer support device of claim 16 , wherein the lift pin holder has a width greater than the width of the second end portion of the through hole of the susceptor.

18. A wafer support device comprising:
a susceptor configured to support a wafer thereon and formed with a through hole, wherein the through hole includes a first end portion and a second end portion that is above the first end portion and that has a width less than a width of the first end portion;
a lift pin rod configured to be received in the through hole in the susceptor and including a top that has a width less than a width of the through hole in a bottom surface of the susceptor;
a lift pin body configured to be received in the through hole in the susceptor;
a lift pin holder configured to detachably connect the lift pin body to the lift pin rod and to be received in the first end portion of the through hole of the susceptor and having a width greater than the width of the second end portion of the though hole of the susceptor; and
a lift pin support base configured to support a bottom surface of the lift pin rod thereon and formed with a coupling feature, wherein the coupling feature is sized to allow the lift pin holder to pass therethrough.

19. The wafer support device of claim 18 , wherein the width of the lift pin rod is less than a width of the coupling feature in the lift pin support base.

20. The wafer support device of claim 18 , further comprising a pad detachably coupled to the coupling feature and has a T-shaped cross-section.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hu zong-han
• SHIH Yu-Shan
• Chang Chen-Liang
• Lee Chin-Szu

Classifications

• H10P72/722

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/7612 Primary

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• Y10T279/23

  with magnetic or electrostatic means · CPC title

• Y10T279/33

  Member applies axial force component · CPC title