Apparatus and methods to transfer substrates into and out of a spatial multi-substrate processing tool

A process chamber comprising:

• a support assembly comprising:
• a rotatable center base defining a rotational axis, the rotatable center base movable along the rotational axis;
• at least two support arms extending from the center base, each of the support arms having an inner end in contact with the center base, a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness of the support arms;
• a support shaft at an outer end of each of the support arms;
• a substrate support on each of the support shafts, the substrate support having a support surface and bottom surface defining a thickness of the substrate support, the bottom surface spaced a distance from the top surface of the support arm;
• at least three primary lift pins positioned within openings in each of the substrate supports, each of the primary lift pins having a top end and a bottom end defining a length of the primary lift pin, at least a portion of the bottom end extending from the bottom surface of the substrate support, the primary lift pins and openings configured to cooperatively interact to prevent the primary lift pins from passing fully through the bottom surface of the substrate support;
• at least three secondary lift pins positioned within openings in the support arms, the secondary lift pins aligned with the primary lift pins, each of the secondary lift pins having a top end and a bottom end defining a length, at least a portion of the bottom end extending from the bottom surface of the support arm, the secondary lift pins and openings in the support arms configured to cooperatively interact to prevent the secondary lift pins from passing fully through the bottom surface of the support arms;
• and
• an actuation plate positioned a distance from the rotational axis to align with the outer end of the support arms, the actuation plate having an actuation surface spaced a distance from the bottom surface of the support arm and the bottom surface of the secondary lift-pins,
• wherein the support assembly is movable between a process position in which there is a space between the bottom ends of the primary lift pins and the top ends of the secondary lift pins, and a transfer position in which one of the support arms is aligned with the actuation plate and the bottom end of the primary lift pins are in direct contact with the top ends of the secondary lift pins,
• and, in the transfer position, the primary lift pins are extended above a top surface of the substate support by movement of the support assembly along the rotation axis toward the actuation plate to lift the secondary lift pins and the primary lift pins.