# US 10,770,335 B2 · Substrate supporting apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,335 B2 - Document ID: US10770335B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/315,507 - Filed: 2016-07-06 - Published: 2019-10-10 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-06 - Assignees: ACM Research (Shanghai) Inc. - Applicants: ACM Research (Shanghai) Inc. - Inventors: Fufa Chen; Zhiyou Fang; Jun Wu; Hui Wang; Fuping Chen; Wenjun Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770335B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/78: using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection} - H10P 72/3308: {Vertical transfer of a single workpiece} - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - H10P 72/7608: {characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers} - H10P 72/7611: {characterised by edge profile or support profile} - 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 72/7624: {characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support} - H10P 72/7626: {characterised by the construction of the shaft} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A substrate supporting apparatus (300) for cleaning a back side of a substrate (107) is provided. The substrate supporting apparatus (300) has a hollow shaft (319) and a rotary spindle (303). The rotary spindle (303) is set in the hollow shaft (319) and a spacing is formed between an outer wall of the rotary spindle (303) and an inner wall of the hollow shaft (319). The outer wall of the rotary spindle (303) defines a blocking wall (322) and a recess (324) to prevent particles in the spacing from entering a gas groove (325) which is formed on the hollow shaft (319) and supplies gas to a front side of the substrate (107), avoiding the particles contaminating the front side of the substrate (107), which improves the quality of semiconductor devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate supporting apparatus, comprising: a rotatable chuck for supporting a substrate, defining a plurality of first injecting ports and a plurality of second injecting ports, the first injecting ports connecting to a gas pipe for supplying gas to the substrate and sucking the substrate by Bernoulli effect, the second injecting ports connecting to another gas pipe for supplying gas to the substrate and lifting the substrate; a plurality of locating pins disposed at the top surface of the rotatable chuck, the plurality of locating pins being divided into a first group of locating pins and a second group of locating pins, every locating pin being driven by an independent cylinder, the cylinders which drive the first group of locating pins connecting to a gas pipe, the cylinders which drive the second group of locating pins connecting to another gas pipe; a hollow shaft, an inner wall of the hollow shaft defining four gas grooves, each gas groove configured to supply gas to a corresponding one of the gas pipes for supplying gas to the substrate and sucking the substrate by Bernoulli effect, the another gas pipe for supplying gas to the substrate and lifting the substrate, the gas pipe connecting to the cylinders which drive the first group of locating pins, or the another gas pipe connecting to the cylinders which drive the second group of locating pins; a rotary spindle, being set in the hollow shaft and a spacing formed between an outer wall of the rotary spindle and the inner wall of the hollow shaft; two pairs of seal rings, wherein one pair of seal rings is disposed at opposite sides of one gas groove which supplies gas to the cylinders for driving the first group of locating pins, one pair of seal rings is disposed at opposite sides of one gas groove which supplies gas to the cylinders for driving the second group of locating pins; wherein the hollow shaft defines an exhaust port between two adjacent gas grooves, wherein one gas groove supplies gas to the cylinders for driving the first group of locating pins or the second group of locating pins, one gas groove supplies gas to the first injecting ports or the second injecting ports, wherein the outer wall of the rotary spindle defines a blocking wall corresponding to the exhaust port of the hollow shaft and a recess matching the gas groove which supplies gas to the first injecting ports or the second injecting ports. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blocking wall is in right angle, polygon or arc. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotary spindle connects to the rotatable chuck, and wherein the rotary spindle is configured to rotate in the hollow shaft, but the hollow shaft is non-rotating. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the four gas grooves are ring-shaped. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft defines four inlet ports, every inlet port connects to one gas groove. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the four gas pipes respectively rotate along with the rotary spindle when the rotary spindle is driven to rotate in the hollow shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein every first injecting port is inclined and formed an angle with respect to the bottom surface of the rotatable chuck. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein every second injecting port is vertical and perpendicular to the rotatable chuck. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two groups of locating pins are disposed alternately, the two groups of locating pins alternately position the substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The substrate supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of guiding pillars disposed at the top surface of the rotatable chuck, every guiding pillar protruding to form a holding portion for holding the substrate, the side surface of every guiding pillar serving as a guiding surface for guiding the substrate to be put on the holding portion exactly.