Substrate processing chamber
First Claim
1. A processing chamber adapted to process a substrate, comprising:
- a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure;
a pedestal fixedly mounted in the chamber enclosure and adapted to support the substrate during processing;
an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing;
a lift mechanism adapted to selectively raise and lower the edge ring; and
a substrate lifter adapted to lift the substrate from the pedestal, wherein the lift mechanism is adapted to raise the substrate lifter simultaneously with the edge ring.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber includes a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure, and a pedestal mounted in the chamber and adapted to support a substrate during processing. Also included in the processing chamber are substrate lifters adapted to lift the substrate from the pedestal, and an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing and/or a pumping ring adapted to cover an exhaust channel in the enclosure during processing. A lift plate is adapted to be raised by an actuator. The lift plate contacts a substrate lifter to raise the substrate lifter, and the lift plate also has an extension that extends upwardly from the lift plate. The extension contacts and raises the edge ring and/or the pumping ring simultaneously with actuation of the substrate lifter.
392 Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A processing chamber adapted to process a substrate, comprising:
-
a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure;
a pedestal fixedly mounted in the chamber enclosure and adapted to support the substrate during processing;
an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing;
a lift mechanism adapted to selectively raise and lower the edge ring; and
a substrate lifter adapted to lift the substrate from the pedestal, wherein the lift mechanism is adapted to raise the substrate lifter simultaneously with the edge ring. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A processing chamber adapted to process a substrate, comprising:
-
a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure;
a pedestal fixedly mounted in the chamber enclosure and adapted to support the substrate during processing;
an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing;
a lift mechanism adapted to selectively raise and lower the edge ring; and
a pumping plate adapted to cover an exhaust channel in the enclosure;
wherein the lift mechanism raises the pumping plate with the edge ring.
-
-
9. A processing chamber adapted to process a substrate, comprising:
-
a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure;
a pedestal mounted in the chamber enclosure and adapted to support the substrate during processing;
a substrate lifter adapted to lift the substrate from the pedestal;
an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing; and
a lift mechanism adapted to simultaneously raise the edge ring while raising the substrate lifter relative to the pedestal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 29, 30)
-
-
13. A processing chamber adapted to process a substrate, comprising:
-
a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure;
a pedestal in the chamber enclosure and adapted to support the substrate during processing;
an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing; and
a lift mechanism adapted to selectively raise and lower the edge ring, the lift mechanism moving the edge ring between a first position at which the edge ring shields the edge of the substrate during processing and a second position above the first position, the edge ring being held at the second position during loading of the substrate into the chamber enclosure.
-
-
18. A processing chamber adapted to process a substrate, comprising:
-
a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure;
a pedestal mounted in the chamber enclosure and adapted to support the substrate during processing;
a pumping plate adapted to cover an exhaust channel in the enclosure; and
a lift mechanism adapted to selectively raise and lower the pumping plate.
-
-
23. A processing chamber adapted to process a substrate, comprising:
-
a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure;
a pedestal fixedly mounted in the chamber enclosure and adapted to support the substrate during processing;
a substrate lifter adapted to lift the substrate from the pedestal;
an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing;
a pumping plate adapted to cover an exhaust channel in the enclosure during processing;
an actuator; and
a lift plate adapted to be raised by the actuator, the lift plate also being adapted to contact the substrate lifter to raise the substrate lifter, the lift plate having an extension that extends upwardly from the lift plate, the extension being adapted to contact and raise the edge ring and the pumping plate.
-
-
25. A method of operating a substrate processing chamber, comprising:
-
providing a substrate lifter adapted to lift a substrate from a pedestal in the chamber;
providing an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing;
providing a pumping plate adapted to cover an exhaust channel in the chamber during processing; and
using a lift mechanism to actuate the substrate lifter and to simultaneously raise the edge ring and the pumping plate.
-
-
26. A method of operating a substrate processing chamber that includes an edge ring, a pumping ring and a substrate lifter, the method comprising:
-
moving a lift mechanism in a first range of movement to raise the edge ring and the pumping ring without raising the substrate lifter; and
moving the lift mechanism in a second range of movement to simultaneously raise the edge ring, the pumping ring and the substrate lifter.
-
-
27. A processing chamber adapted to process a substrate, comprising:
-
a chamber body which defines a chamber enclosure;
a pedestal fixedly mounted in the chamber enclosure and adapted to support the substrate during processing;
a substrate lifter adapted to lift the substrate from the pedestal;
an edge ring adapted to shield an edge of the substrate during processing;
a pumping ring adapted to cover an exhaust channel in the enclosure during processing; and
a lift mechanism adapted to (a) move in a first range of movement to simultaneously raise the edge ring and the pumping ring without raising the substrate lifter, and (b) move in a second range of movement to simultaneously raise the edge ring, the pumping ring and the substrate lifter.
-
-
28. An actuator assembly adapted to be installed on a substrate processing chamber, comprising:
-
an assembly housing adapted to be mounted to an underside of the substrate processing chamber;
an actuator mounted at a lower end of the assembly housing, the actuator having a plunger that extends upwardly from the actuator into the assembly housing;
a sleeve in which the plunger moves; and
a bellows having a first flange at a first end of the bellows attached to the plunger and having a second flange at a second end of the bellows attached to the actuator.
-
Specification