Lift pin actuators for semiconductor processing systems and related methods

A method making a lift pin actuator, comprising:

• forming a castellated annulus having a first merlon and a second merlon spaced apart from the first merlon by a crenel;
• arranging the castellated annulus along a rotation axis
• connecting a first arm to the first merlon such that the first arm is tangent to the first merlon and extends outward from the castellated annulus;
• connecting a second arm to the second merlon such that the second arm is tangent to the second merlon, extends outward from the castellated annulus, and is spaced apart from the first arm by a radial gap;
• connecting a pin pad to the first arm and the second arm, the pin pad connected therethrough to the castellated annulus such that the pin pad is spaced apart from the castellated annulus by the radial gap and radially overlaps the crenel;
• and
• whereby the lift pin actuator is configured to nest a support member within the lift pin actuator during translation of the lift pin actuator along the rotation axis relative to the support member.

A material layer deposition method, comprising:

• at a lift pin actuator including a castellated annulus arranged along a rotation axis and having a first merlon and a second merlon spaced apart from the first merlon by a crenel;
• a first arm connected to the first merlon and extending outward from the castellated annulus;
• a second arm connected to the second merlon and extending outward from the castellated annulus, the second arm spaced from the first arm by a radial gap;
• and a pin pad connected to the castellated annulus by the first arm and the second arm, the pin pad spaced apart from the castellated annulus by the radial gap and radially overlapping the crenel,
• seating a substrate on a substrate support by translating the lift pin actuator along the rotation axis away from a substrate support fixed relative to a support member, a lift pin protruding from the substrate support withdrawing into the substrate support;
• heating the substrate;
• rotating the substrate support and the support member about the rotation axis;
• exposing the substrate to a material layer precursor, wherein the material layer precursor includes a silicon-containing material;
• depositing a material layer onto the substrate using the material layer precursor, wherein the material layer is an epitaxial silicon layer;
• registering the support member to the lift pin actuator;
• and
• unseating the substrate from the substrate support by nesting the lift pin actuator about the support member, the lift pin actuator radially overlapping the support member, the lift pin actuator unseating the substrate by driving the lift pin through the substrate support.