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:
Aug. 30, 2005
Filed:
Mar. 01, 2001
Dmitry Lubomirsky, Cupertino, CA (US);
Sheshraj Tulshibagwale, Cupertino, CA (US);
Donald Olgado, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Avi Tepman, Cupertino, CA (US);
Dmitry Lubomirsky, Cupertino, CA (US);
Sheshraj Tulshibagwale, Cupertino, CA (US);
Donald Olgado, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Avi Tepman, Cupertino, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A lifting mechanism includes a plurality of lift pins which may be driven separately and independently upward to engage an alignment surface of the chamber using ambient atmospheric pressure as the chamber is evacuated by a pump. In the illustrated embodiment, each lift pin includes a piston which is exposed to the internal chamber pressure on one side of the piston, and is exposed to the external ambient pressure on the other side of the piston. As the pump evacuates the chamber, the internal chamber pressure decreases, causing each lift pin piston to drive the associated lift pin upward. Once all the lift pins have securely engaged the alignment surface, the lift pins may be clamped to a linking mechanism to permit a motor to actuate the lift pins during processing operations.