# US 10,501,844 B2 · Fine leveling of large carousel based susceptor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,844 B2 - Document ID: US10501844B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/657,721 - Filed: 2017-07-24 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-25 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Kaushal Gangakhedkar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501844B2 ## CPC - C23C 14/505: {for rotation of the substrates} - C23C 16/45551: {for relative movement of the substrate and the gas injectors or half-reaction reactor compartments} - C23C 16/4584: {the substrate being rotated} - H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel} - H10P 72/7621: {characterised by supporting two or more semiconductor substrates} - H10P 72/7624: {characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support} - 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 Pedestal assemblies with a thermal barrier plate, a torque plate and at least one kinematic mount to change a plane formed by the thermal barrier plate are described. Susceptor assemblies and processing chambers incorporating the pedestal assemblies are also described. Methods of leveling a susceptor to form parallel planes between the susceptor surface and a gas distribution assembly surface are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pedestal assembly comprising: a thermal barrier plate with a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness, a center opening extends through the thickness of the thermal barrier plate at a center of the thermal barrier plate, at least one torque opening extending through at least the bottom surface of the thermal barrier plate, and at least one leveling hole extending through the thickness of the thermal barrier plate, the at least one leveling hole located a distance from the center opening; a torque plate below the thermal barrier plate, the torque plate having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness, a center opening extending through the thickness of the torque plate, at least one torque rod extending from the top surface of the torque plate, the at least one torque rod aligned with the at least one torque opening in the thermal barrier plate; and at least one kinematic mount assembly positioned within at least one leveling hole in the thermal barrier plate, the kinematic mount assembly comprising a mounting stud having an inner surface, an outer surface and a length defined by a top surface and a bottom surface, the mounting stud sized to fit within the leveling hole, the kinematic mount assembly including a lockdown screw positioned to contact the inner surface of the mounting stud and move along the length of the mounting stud. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pedestal assembly of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the mounting stud is below the top surface of the thermal barrier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pedestal assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the mounting stud has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a larger diameter than the lower portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pedestal assembly of claim 3, wherein the lower portion of the inner surface of the mounting stud comprises screw threads. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The pedestal assembly of claim 4, wherein the screw threads of the lower portion have a pitch in the range of about 25 to about 50. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The pedestal assembly of claim 4, wherein there is a horizontal ledge separating the upper portion and the lower portion, the horizontal ledge providing a physical barrier to prevent a head of the lockdown screw with a diameter larger than the diameter of the lower portion from moving past the horizontal ledge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The pedestal assembly of claim 4, wherein the outer surface of the mounting stud comprises outer screw threads and the leveling hole in the thermal barrier plate comprises screw threads complementary to the outer screw threads of the mounting stud. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pedestal assembly of claim 1, wherein the lockdown screw has a lower surface with a convex shape and the torque plate further comprises a recess aligned with and sized to cooperatively interact with the lower surface of the lockdown screw. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pedestal assembly of claim 1, wherein there are at least three mounting studs, each mounting stud in a different leveling hole in the thermal barrier plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pedestal assembly of claim 1, wherein at least three torque pins pass through the thermal barrier plate to extend a distance above the top surface of the thermal barrier plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pedestal assembly of claim 1, further comprising a support post connected to the torque plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The pedestal assembly of claim 11, wherein the support post includes a centering pillar that passes through the center hole of the torque plate and the center hole of the thermal barrier plate. ### Claim 13 A susceptor assembly comprising: a susceptor having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness, the susceptor having a plurality of recesses formed in the top surface sized to support a substrate for processing, a center opening extends from the bottom surface of the susceptor at least partially through the thickness, at least one susceptor torque opening extending from the bottom surface of the susceptor and at least three susceptor leveling holes extends through the thickness of the susceptor; a thermal barrier plate with a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness, the top surface of the thermal barrier plate positioned adjacent to the bottom surface of the susceptor, a center opening extends through the thickness of the thermal barrier plate at a center of the thermal barrier plate, at least one torque opening extending through the thickness of the thermal barrier plate and is aligned with the at least one susceptor torque opening, and at least three leveling holes extending through the thickness of the thermal barrier plate, each leveling hole aligned with a leveling hole in the susceptor; a torque plate below the thermal barrier plate, the torque plate having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness, a center opening extends through the thickness of the torque plate and is aligned with the center opening in the thermal barrier plate, at least one torque rod extends from the torque plate through the at least one torque opening in the thermal barrier plate and into the at least one susceptor torque opening; and at least three kinematic mount assemblies, each kinematic mount assembly positioned in different leveling holes in the thermal barrier plate, each kinematic mount assembly comprising a mounting stud having an inner surface, an outer surface and a length defined by a top surface and a bottom surface, the mounting stud sized to fit within the leveling hole, the kinematic mount assembly including a lockdown screw positioned to contact the inner surface of the mounting stud and move along the length of the mounting stud. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The susceptor assembly of claim 13, wherein the inner surface of each mounting stud has an upper portion and a lower portion separated by a horizontal ledge, the upper portion having a larger diameter than the lower portion, the horizontal ledge providing a physical barrier to prevent a head of the lockdown screw from passing horizontal ledge. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The susceptor assembly of claim 14, wherein the lower portion of the inner surface of the mounting stud comprises screw threads. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The susceptor assembly of claim 15, wherein the screw threads of the lower portion have a pitch in the range of about 25 to about 50. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The susceptor assembly of claim 14, wherein the outer surface of the mounting stud comprises outer screw threads and the leveling hole in the thermal barrier plate comprises screw threads complementary to the outer screw threads of the mounting stud. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The susceptor assembly of claim 14, wherein the lockdown screw has a lower surface with a convex shape and the torque plate further comprises a recess aligned with and sized to cooperatively interact with the lower surface of the lockdown screw.