Tel Manufacturing and Engineering of America, Inc.

Tel Fsi, Inc.

Sean Moore

William P Inhofer

Edward Hanzlik

Todd K Maciej

Brian D Hansen

Lance Van Elsen

The present invention provides lift pin strategies with a reduced risk of causing contamination due to the up and down actuation of lift pins. The present invention provides a lift pin system that uses electromagnetic actuation strategies in order to raise and lower lift pins. The electromagnetic forces act remotely on the lift pins so that direct contact or coupling of the lift pins to actuation components is not required. This avoids contamination that otherwise would be associated with friction and associated lubricants used for mechanical actuation strategies.

Magnetic integrated lift pin system for a chemical processing chamber

Cleaning systems and methods for semiconductor fabrication use rotatable and optionally translatable chuck assemblies that incorporate magnetic levitation and rotation functionality to cause chuck rotation. The rotating chuck components do not physically contact other chuck components when levitated and rotating. This eliminates corresponding components whose friction or lubricants might generate contamination. The low friction chuck functionality of the present invention is useful in any fabrication tool in which a workpiece is supported on a rotating support during a treatment. The chuck is particularly useful in cryogenic cleaning treatments. By avoiding the use of lubricants for this rotating interface, process chambers can be evacuated and/or vented up to higher pressures much faster. This significantly reduces cycle time for cryogenic treatments.

Magnetically levitated and rotated chuck for processing microelectronic substrates in a process chamber

A wafer edge lift pin of an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device is described. The wafer edge lift pin includes an offset top section containing a notch portion to support and laterally confine the wafer. The notch portion horizontally sweeps away from the wafer along a radius so that rotation adjusts lateral confinement of the wafer. A base section below the top section has a diameter greater than a diameter of the top section across the notch portion to help strengthen the pin and to allow perpendicular mounting. A bottom section has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the base section and provides a boss feature to mount the lift pin. The apparatus includes a process chamber where the wafer is processed, a chuck assembly on which the wafer is loaded. At least three wafer edge lift pins move the wafer up and down.

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Maple Grove, MN, United States of America

Sean Moore