Low force substrate lift
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsMichael D. Willwerth, David Palagashvili
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for lifting substrates from substrate supports are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate lift may include: a substrate support having a plurality of lift pins movably disposed through the substrate support to selectively raise and lower a substrate; an actuator coupled to the plurality of lift pins to control the position of the plurality of lift pins, wherein the actuator has a first port for receiving air at a first pressure to cause the actuator to extend the plurality of lift pins and a second port for receiving air at a second pressure to cause the actuator to retract the plurality of lift pins; and a pressure regulator coupled to the actuator to reduce the first pressure to a magnitude that is less than that of the second pressure.
Claims19
A substrate lift, comprising:
- a substrate support having a plurality of lift pins movably disposed through the substrate support to selectively raise and lower a substrate;
- an actuator coupled to the plurality of lift pins to control the position of the plurality of lift pins, wherein the actuator has a first port for receiving air at a first pressure to cause the actuator to extend the plurality of lift pins and a second port for receiving air at a second pressure to cause the actuator to retract the plurality of lift pins;
- and
- a pressure regulator coupled to the actuator to reduce the first pressure of air flowing into the actuator to a magnitude that is less than that of the second pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.