Processing chamber and method for centering a substrate therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9371584-B2
Application number	US-201113044474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2011
Priority date	Mar 9, 2011
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A processing chamber and a method for centering a substrate therein is provided. In one embodiment, the processing chamber includes a chamber body, a support structure, lift pins, alignment pins and restriction assemblies. The support structure has an upper surface and is disposed in the chamber body. The lift pins, alignment pins and restriction assemblies are disposed on the upper surface. The lift pins are applied for bearing the substrate. Each of the alignment pins has a conical contact surface which can be extended from the upper surface to contact the edges of the substrate to provide lateral forces to center the substrate on the lift pins. Additionally, when the alignment pins and the lift pins are retracted, the substrate is lowered and placed between the restriction assemblies disposed on the upper surface to prevent the substrate from inadvertently moving laterally from the centered position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing chamber comprising:
a chamber body;
a support structure disposed in the chamber body, the support structure having an upper surface configured to support a substrate thereon;
a plurality of lift pins extendable through the upper surface for spacing the substrate above the upper surface and retractable to set the substrate on the upper surface;
a plurality of alignment pins disposed through the support structure, each of the alignment pins having a conical contact surface, the alignment pins arranged in two pairs of parallel rows, each row having an orientation 90 degrees offset from the adjacent row, the conical contact surface movable between a retracted position below the upper surface of the support structure and an extended position above the upper surface of the support structure, wherein the conical contact surface disposed above the upper surface of the support structure when in the extended position contacts an edge of the substrate to provide a lateral force on an edge of the substrate to center the substrate on the upper surface of the support structure; and
a plurality of restriction assemblies, arranged in a rectangular pattern, coupled to and projecting above the upper surface in a position to retain the substrate between the plurality of restriction assemblies after centering by, and retraction of, the alignment pins.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface has a first portion and a second portion surrounding the first portion, the plurality of lift pins are disposed on the first portion, the alignment pins are disposed along an edge of the first portion, and the restriction assemblies are disposed on the second portion adjacent to an edge of the first portion.

3. The processing chamber of claim 2 , wherein the first portion extends above the second portion.

4. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein each of the lift pins has a ball element disposed in a cavity formed in a top end of the lift pin for bearing the substrate.

5. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the lift pins are disposed inward of the alignment pins.

6. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein each row of alignment pins comprises at least two alignment pins disposed on opposite sides of a center line of the support structure.

7. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber is a PECVD chamber.

8. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the lift pins are independently movable relative to the alignment pins.

Assignees

• Kim Kyung-Tae
• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Kim Kyung-Tae

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

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

• H10P72/7608

  characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers · CPC title

• H10P72/7606

  characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring · CPC title

• H10P72/127

  characterised by the substrate support · CPC title

• H10P72/50

  for positioning, orientation or alignment · CPC title