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:
Jun. 02, 2026
Filed:
May. 13, 2020
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Aaron Berke, Portland, OR (US);
John Floyd Ostrowski, Lake Oswego, OR (US);
Santosh Kumar, Beaverton, OR (US);
Boon Kang Ong, Beaverton, OR (US);
Robert Rash, West Linn, OR (US);
Ian Waller, Sherwood, OR (US);
Lawrence Kingrey, Oregon City, OR (US);
Brett M. Herzig, San Jose, CA (US);
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
In one example, the disclosed apparatus is a substrate contact-ring to support a substrate. The substrate contact-ring includes a peripheral structure sized and configured to support the substrate within the substrate contact-ring. The peripheral structure includes a substantially flat ring-section, and a spaced array of contact fingers mechanically coupled to the substantially flat ring-section. Each of the spaced array of contact fingers is resiliently movable to engage an edge of the substrate supported within the substrate contact-ring. A proximal end of each of the contact fingers is mechanically coupled to the flat ring section of the substrate contact-ring and a distal end of each of the contact fingers is resiliently movable radially inwardly and outwardly of the substrate contact-ring to alternately engage and release the edge of the substrate when the substrate is alternately being supported or removed from the substrate contact-ring. Other apparatuses and methods are disclosed.