The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 12, 2026
Filed:
Sep. 01, 2023
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, Hsinchu, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, Hsinchu, TW;
Abstract
A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a wafer chuck configured to hold a wafer on a top surface thereof. A plurality of lift-pin holes vertically extends through a chuck body of the wafer chuck. A plurality of lift pins are located in the plurality of lift-pin holes. A plurality of vacuum seal assemblies is located on a bottom portion of a respective one of the plurality of lift pins. Each vacuum seal assembly within the plurality of vacuum seal assemblies includes a respective set of ring segments that are configured to be assembled into a respective contiguous structure under a condition of an upward gas flow within a respective lift-pin hole selected from the plurality of lift-pin holes. Leaks in a vacuum seal between the wafer and the wafer chuck can be remedied by formation of at least one contiguous structure that provides an additional vacuum seal.