US 7,922,440 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for centering a substrate in a process chamber

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsDale R. Du Bois, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Mark A. Fodor, Chiu Chan, Karthik Janakiraman

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for centering a substrate in a process chamber. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a substrate support having a support surface adapted to receive the placement of a substrate and a reference axis substantially perpendicular to the support surface, and a plurality of centering members extending above the support surface. Each centering member is biased into a first position and is movable to a second position by interacting with an opposing member. A movement between the first position and the second position thereby causes each centering member to releasably engage with a peripheral edge of the substrate to push the substrate in a direction toward the reference axis.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for positioning a substrate in a processing chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a support surface adapted to receive the substrate;
and
a plurality of centering members configured to center the substrate relative to a reference axis substantially perpendicular to the support surface, wherein the plurality of the centering members are movably disposed along a periphery of the support surface, each of the plurality of centering members is pivotally mounted on the substrate support via a shaft, and each of the plurality of centering members comprises:
a first end portion configured to contact a periphery edge of the substrate, wherein the first end portion is movable between a first position and a second position, a movement from the first position to the second position causes the centering member to move out of contact with the peripheral edge of the substrate, and a movement from the second position to the first position causes the centering member to contact the periphery edge of the substrate;
and
a weighted portion having an embedded mass of solid material with high density, wherein the first end portion and weighted portion are disposed on opposing sides of the shaft, and the weighted portion is configured to bias the first end portion towards the first position by gravity.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/171,594Filed 11 Jul 2008 · us provisional application
Priority: 12 Jul 2007
Published: US 2009/0017228 A115 Jan 2009
Granted: 12 Apr 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H10P 72/50
Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof: for positioning, orientation or alignment
Y10S 414/136
Associated with semiconductor wafer handling: including wafer orienting means
H10P
Generic processes or apparatus for the manufacture or treatment of devices covered
Y10S
Technical subjects covered by former uspc cross-reference art collections [xracs] and digests

Family

Application60/949,397Us provisional application · filed 12 Jul 2007
Application60/982,961Us provisional application · filed 26 Oct 2007
Application60/982,993Us provisional application · filed 26 Oct 2007
US 2009/0017228 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Jan 2009
US 7,922,440 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.