# US 11,443,925 B2 · Substrate support and plasma processing apparatus

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- Number: US 11,443,925 B2
- Document ID: US11443925B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/871,464
- Filed: 2020-05-11
- Published: 2020-11-19
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-14
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Takehiro Ueda; Jun Hirose
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443925B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32733: {Means for moving the material to be treated}
- H01J 37/3255: {Material}
- H01J 37/32568: {Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means}
- H01J 37/32697: {Electrostatic control}
- H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder}
- H10P 72/04: {Apparatus for manufacture or treatment}
- H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks
- H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks}
- 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}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A substrate support for use in a plasma processing chamber includes a substrate support body, a lifter pin and a lift mechanism. The substrate support body has a pin through-hole and the pin through-hole has a female-threaded inner wall. The lifter pin has a base segment, an intermediate segment, and a leading segment. The lifter pin is inserted into the pin through-hole, the intermediate segment is male-threaded, and the male-threaded intermediate segment is screwable to the female-threaded inner wall. The lift mechanism is configured to vertically move the lifter pin relative to the substrate support body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate support for use in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
a body having a pin through-hole, the pin through-hole having a female-threaded inner wall;
a lifter pin having a base segment, an intermediate segment, and a leading segment, the lifter pin being inserted into the pin through-hole, the intermediate segment being male-threaded, the male-threaded intermediate segment being screwable to the female-threaded inner wall; and
a lift mechanism to vertically move the lifter pin relative to the body,
wherein the lifter pin is movable between an upper position and a lower position, and wherein the male-threaded intermediate segment of the lifter pin is released from the female-threaded inner wall while the lifter pin is at the upper position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate support according to claim 1, wherein the lift mechanism rotates the lifter pin to vertically move the lifter pin at a first rate while the male-threaded intermediate segment is fitted to the female-threaded inner wall; or
the lift mechanism vertically moves the lifter pin at a second rate different from the first rate while the male-threaded intermediate segment is released from the female-threaded inner wall.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The substrate support according to claim 2, wherein
a top face of the leading segment comprises a material having higher wear resistance than that of a material of the substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The substrate support according to claim 3, further comprising:
an electrostatic chuck.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The substrate support according to claim 1, wherein a top face of the leading segment comprises a material having higher wear resistance than that of a material of the substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The substrate support according to claim 1, further comprising:
an electrostatic chuck.

### Claim 7

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
a chamber having a plasma processing space;
a plasma generator to form a plasma from at least one gas in the plasma processing space; and
a substrate support disposed in the plasma processing space, the substrate support comprising:
a body having a pin through-hole, the pin through-hole having a female-threaded inner wall;
a lifter pin having a base segment, an intermediate segment, and a leading segment, the lifter pin being inserted into the pin through-hole, the intermediate segment being male-threaded, the male-threaded intermediate segment being screwable to the female-threaded inner wall; and
a lift mechanism to vertically move the lifter pin relative to the body,
wherein the lifter pin is movable between an upper position and a lower position, and wherein the male-threaded intermediate segment of the lifter pin is released from the female-threaded inner wall while the lifter pin is at the upper position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
the lift mechanism rotates the lifter pin to vertically move the lifter pin at a first rate while the male-threaded intermediate segment is fitted to the female-threaded inner wall; or
the lift mechanism vertically moves the lifter pin at a second rate different from the first rate while the male-threaded intermediate segment is released from the female-threaded inner wall.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
a top face of the leading segment comprises a material having higher wear resistance than that of a material of the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:
an electrostatic chuck.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a top face of the leading segment comprises a material having higher wear resistance than that of a material of the substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:
an electrostatic chuck.