# US 10,121,689 B2 · Moment cancelling pad raising mechanism in wafer positioning pedestal for semiconductor processing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,689 B2 - Document ID: US10121689B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/934,808 - Filed: 2018-03-23 - Published: 2018-07-26 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-02 - Assignees: Lam Research Corporation - Applicants: Lam Research Corporation - Inventors: Paul Konkola; Karl F. Leeser; Easwar Srinivasan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121689B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/458: characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber - C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus} - C23C 16/4584: {the substrate being rotated} - C23C 16/4586: {Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices} - C23C 16/50: using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)} - H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD} - H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction} - H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection} - H10P 72/7612: {characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins} - H10P 72/7624: {characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support} - H10P 72/7626: {characterised by the construction of the shaft} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An assembly used in a process chamber for depositing a film on a wafer including a pedestal assembly having a pedestal movably mounted to a main frame. A lift pad rests upon the pedestal and moves with the pedestal. A raising mechanism separates the pad from the pedestal, and includes a hard stop fixed to the main frame, a roller attached to the pedestal assembly, a slide moveably attached to the pedestal assembly, a lift pad bracket interconnected to the slide and a pad shaft extending from the lift pad, a lever rotatably attached to lift pad bracket, a ferroseal assembly surrounding the pad shaft, and a yoke assembly offsetting a moment to the ferroseal assembly when the lever rotates. When the pedestal assembly moves upwards, the lever rotates when engaging with the upper hard stop and roller, and separates the pad from the pedestal by a process rotation displacement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An assembly for use in a process chamber for depositing a film on a wafer, comprising: a lift pad configured to support a wafer resting on a pad top surface of the lift pad; a pad shaft extending from a bottom of the lift pad and having a central axis, the pad shaft configured for movement of the lift pad along the central axis; a pedestal having a pedestal top surface that is centered about the central axis; a recess in the pedestal top surface and having a recess top surface, wherein the pedestal is configured to support the lift pad resting on the recess top surface, the pad shaft extending through a travel space that extends through the pedestal along the central axis; and a bearing assembly configured for centering the pad shaft in the travel space of the pedestal over a temperature range. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing assembly comprises: an outer stack positioned adjacent to an inner wall of the pedestal that defines the travel space and including an outer sapphire bushing; and an inner stack positioned adjacent to an outer surface of the pad shaft and including an inner sapphire bushing, wherein the inner sapphire bushing contacts the outer sapphire bushing when centering the pad shaft in the travel space of the pedestal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein the sapphire composition of both the inner sapphire bushing and the outer sapphire bushing accommodates for the thermal mismatch between the pad shaft and the pedestal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein the outer sapphire bushing and the inner sapphire bushing have conical cross sections. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein the outer stack is confined between a centering chamfer in the pedestal and a first snap ring snapped into the inner wall, and wherein the inner stack is confined between a centering chamfer in a cap of the pad shaft that is connected to the bottom of the lift pad and a second snap ring snapped into the outer surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The assembly of claim 5, wherein the outer stack comprises: the first snap ring; a first load distribution washer adjacent to the first snap ring; a first spring wave washer adjacent to the first load distribution washer; a first load centering and distribution washer adjacent to the first spring wave washer; and the outer sapphire bushing adjacent to the first load centering and distribution washer and adjacent to the centering chamfer in the pedestal; and wherein the inner stack comprises: the second snap ring; a second load distribution washer adjacent to the second snap ring; a second spring wave washer adjacent to the second load distribution washer; a second load centering and distribution washer adjacent to the second spring wave washer; and the inner sapphire bushing adjacent to the second load centering and distribution washer and adjacent to the centering chamfer in the cap of the pad shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein a length of the inner sapphire bushing is configured to separate the lift pad from the pedestal top surface a distance to accommodate an end-effector to place the wafer on the lift pad. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein a length of the inner sapphire bushing is configured to separate the lift pad from the pedestal top surface a distance to accommodate rotation of the lift pad with respect to the pedestal top surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the temperature range is a high temperature range at or above 300 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing assembly is configured for centering the pad shaft in the travel space of the pedestal when the pad shaft is moving relative to the pedestal to raise and lower the lift pad with respect to the pedestal top surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing assembly is configured for centering the pad shaft in the central shaft and pedestal when the pad shaft is rotating relative to the central shaft, wherein the lift pad is configured to rotate relative to the pedestal top surface when separated from the pedestal between at least a first angular orientation and a second angular orientation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the pad top surface is approximately sized to a wafer diameter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the pad top surface is smaller than a wafer diameter, and wherein the pedestal top surface surrounds the lift pad when the lift pad is in a lowered position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The assembly of claim 13, wherein the pad top surface and the pedestal top surface are coplanar when the lift pad is in a lowest position. ### Claim 15 A high temperature bearing assembly, comprising: a pedestal having a travel space that is centered along a central axis; a pad shaft positioned within the travel space, the pad shaft having a cap, the pad shaft configured for movement along the central axis; an outer stack positioned on an inner wall of the pedestal that defines the travel space, the outer stack confined between a centering chamfer in the pedestal and a first snap ring snapped into the inner wall, the outer stack including an outer sapphire bushing; and an inner stack positioned on an outer surface of the pad shaft between a centering chamfer in the cap of the pad shaft and a second snap ring snapped into the outer surface, the inner stack including an inner sapphire bushing, wherein the inner sapphire bushing contacts the outer sapphire bushing when the pad shaft moves relative to the pedestal when centering the pad shaft in the travel space of the pedestal over a temperature range. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The high temperature bearing assembly of claim 15, further comprising: a lift pad configured to support a wafer resting on a pad top surface of the lift pad, wherein the cap of the pad shaft connects to a bottom of the lift pad, wherein the pad shaft extends from the bottom of the lift pad along the central axis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The assembly of claim 15, wherein the outer stack comprises: the first snap ring; a first load distribution washer adjacent to the first snap ring; a first spring wave washer adjacent to the first load distribution washer; a first load centering and distribution washer adjacent to the first spring wave washer; and the outer sapphire bushing adjacent to the first load centering and distribution washer and adjacent to the centering chamfer in the pedestal; and wherein the inner stack comprises: the second snap ring; a second load distribution washer adjacent to the second snap ring; a second spring wave washer adjacent to the second load distribution washer; a second load centering and distribution washer adjacent to the second spring wave washer; and the inner sapphire bushing adjacent to the second load centering and distribution washer and adjacent to the centering chamfer in the cap of the pad shaft. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The assembly of claim 17, wherein the outer sapphire bushing and the inner sapphire bushing have conical cross sections. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The assembly of claim 18, wherein the inner sapphire bushing has a bottom angled surface, wherein the second load centering and distribution washer has an angled surface that opposes the bottom angled surface of the inner sapphire bushing, wherein the outer sapphire bushing has a top angled surface, wherein the first load centering and distribution washer has an angled surface that opposes the top angled surface of the outer sapphire bushing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The assembly of claim 15, wherein the temperature range is a high temperature range at or above 300 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The assembly of claim 15, wherein the high temperature bearing assembly is configured for centering the pad shaft in the travel space of the pedestal when the pad shaft is vertically displaced relative to the pedestal, wherein a length of the inner sapphire bushing defines an upper limit of vertical displacement of the pad shaft relative to the pedestal. ### Claim 22 The assembly of 15, wherein the high temperature bearing assembly is configured for centering the pad shaft in the pedestal when the pad shaft is rotating relative to the pedestal top surface between at least a first angular orientation and a second angular orientation.