Detection method for seized traveling lift pins in wafer processing reactor systems

A reactor system with stuck lift pin detection, comprising:

• a reaction chamber;
• a susceptor with a cap for supporting wafers in an interior space of the reaction chamber;
• an elevator for raising and lowering the susceptor in the interior space;
• a lift pin supported by and extending vertically through the susceptor to travel between an up and a down position with movements of the susceptor by the elevator;
• a landing pad for receiving a base of the lift pin when the lift pin is in the down position;
• and
• a sensor assembly including a temperature sensor positioned within a passageway provided in the cap, wherein an output signal of the temperature sensor provides a sensed temperature of the cap.

A method for monitoring lift pin travel in a reaction chamber, comprising:

• with a temperature sensor, sensing a temperature of a susceptor cap at an operational state of the reaction chamber;
• comparing the temperature of the susceptor cap with a predefined range of expected temperatures for the operational state of the reaction chamber;
• and
• when the comparing determines the temperature of the susceptor cap is outside the predefined range of expected temperatures, generating an alert message or updating a graphical user interface (GUI) indicating a stuck lift pin condition.