Aligner station with lifting mechanism
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorMichael Carl Hankes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aligner station includes an aligner stage configured to support a carrier of a process kit ring. The aligner stage is configured to rotate to correct an alignment of the carrier and of the process kit ring supported by the carrier relative to a target orientation. The aligner station further includes a lift mechanism configured to lift the process kit ring from the carrier. The aligner stage is further configured to rotated while the process kit ring is lifted from the carrier by the lift mechanism to align the carrier with respect to the process kit ring. The lift mechanism is further configured to lower the process kit ring back onto the carrier that is aligned with the process kit ring.
Claims20
An aligner station, comprising:
- an aligner stage configured to support a carrier of a process kit ring, wherein the aligner stage is configured to rotate to correct an alignment of the carrier and of the process kit ring supported by the carrier relative to a target orientation;
- and
- a lift mechanism configured to lift the process kit ring from the carrier;
- wherein the aligner stage is further configured rotate while the process kit ring is lifted from the carrier by the lift mechanism to align the carrier with respect to the process kit ring;
- and
- wherein the lift mechanism is further configured to lower the process kit ring back onto the carrier that is aligned with the process kit ring.
An aligner, comprising:
- an aligner stage configured to rotate to align a carrier of a replaceable part of a substrate processing system;
- multiple lift pins configured to lift the replaceable part from the carrier;
- a sensor configured to sense a first angular orientation error of the carrier and a second angular orientation error of the replaceable part supported on the carrier;
- and
- a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
- receive first sensor data indicative of the first angular orientation error and second sensor data indicative of the second angular orientation error;
- cause the aligner stage to rotate the carrier and the replaceable part to a first target orientation with respect to the aligner to correct for the second angular orientation error;
- cause the multiple lift pins to lift the replaceable part from the carrier;
- cause the aligner stage to rotate the carrier to a second target orientation with respect to the replaceable part to correct for the first angular orientation error while the replaceable part is lifted from the carrier and supported by the multiple lift pins;
- and
- cause the multiple lift pins to set the replaceable part onto the carrier.
A method, comprising:
- determining, based on sensor data received from an aligner tool, a first angular orientation error of a process kit ring carrier placed on an aligner stage of the aligner tool and a second angular orientation error of a process kit ring carried on the process kit ring carrier;
- causing the aligner stage to rotate the process kit ring carrier and the process kit ring to a first target orientation with respect to the aligner tool to correct for the second angular orientation error;
- causing multiple lift pins of the aligner tool to lift the process kit ring from the process kit ring carrier;
- causing the aligner stage to rotate the process kit ring carrier to a second target orientation with respect to the process kit ring to correct for the first angular orientation error while the process kit ring is lifted from the process kit ring carrier and supported by the multiple lift pins;
- and
- causing the multiple lift pins to set the process kit ring onto the process kit ring carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.