Semiconductor process equipment
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsBhaskar Prasad, Thomas Brezoczky, Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah, Mayank Dwivedi, Alexander Sendobry
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Abstract
A station for a substrate processing system that includes a magnetic levitation actuator assembly disposed in a first region of the station that is separated from a second region of the station by a membrane. The magnetic levitation actuator assembly is configured to contactlessly convey a carrier disposed in the second region to one or more positions within the second region.
Claims20
A magnetic levitation assembly for a processing station, comprising:
- a membrane comprising:
- a body comprising a non-ferromagnetic material, wherein the body has a first surface and a second surface;
- an array of first recesses formed in the first surface, each first recess comprises a pole portion;
- and
- an array of second recesses formed in the first surface, wherein the array of second recesses is positioned adjacent to the array of first recesses;
- a plurality of stators, each stator of the plurality of stators comprising one or more stator poles, wherein the one or more stator poles of each stator of the plurality of stators are disposed within corresponding pole portions of the first recesses;
- and
- a plurality of sensors at least partially disposed in the second recesses.
A magnetic levitation assembly for a processing station, comprising:
- a membrane comprising:
- a body including a first surface and a second surface;
- and
- a first recess formed in the first surface, the first recess including a first top sensor portion and a first interface surface surrounding a first pole portion;
- a frame member;
- a first top sensor attached to the frame member, the first top sensor disposed in the first top sensor portion;
- and
- a first stator including one or more first stator poles, the first stator engaged with the first interface surface and the one or more first stator poles are disposed in the first pole portion and a clearance is present between a surface of the first pole portion and the one or more first stator poles.
A magnetic levitation actuator assembly, comprising:
- a member including a first side and a second side;
- a linear array of linear stators coupled to the second side of the member;
- a linear array of top sensors coupled to the first side of the member, wherein the top sensors comprise magnetic field detection sensors, wherein at least one top sensor in the linear array of top sensors is disposed between adjacent linear stators in the linear array of linear stators;
- and
- one or more printed circuit boards coupled to the second side of the member in communication with the linear stators and the top sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.