Grounded chuck
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsMichael Brugger, Otto Lach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improved reduction of static charge in spin chucks is achieved by providing one or more pin assemblies which are formed from chemically inert material and which include an electrically conductive inlay.
Claims17
Device for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising a chuck adapted to maintain a wafer-shaped article in a predetermined orientation during a processing operation to be performed on the article, said chuck comprising a chuck body and a plurality of pin assemblies adapted and positioned relative to the chuck body so as to support a wafer-shaped article to be processed, wherein at least one of said pin assemblies is formed from a chemically inert material and includes an electrically conductive inlay at one end, said inlay being received in a recess formed in said pin assembly and being adapted to physically and electrically engage an electrically conductive needle bearing.
A structure for use in devices for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising a pin assembly, wherein said pin assembly is formed from a chemically inert conductive material and includes an electrically conductive inlay received in a recess formed at one end of said pin assembly, and wherein said pin assembly comprises a gear wheel formed in said chemically inert material and surrounding said recess, whereby said pin assembly can be driven by a gear mechanism meshing with said gear wheel and without contact between the gear mechanism and the inlay.
Pin assembly for use in a device for processing wafer-shaped articles, wherein said pin assembly is formed from a chemically inert conductive polymer material and includes an electrically conductive inlay received in a recess formed at one end of said pin assembly, wherein said pin assembly comprises a gear wheel formed in said chemically inert conductive polymer material and surrounding said recess, whereby said pin assembly can be driven by a gear mechanism meshing with said gear wheel and without contact between the gear mechanism and the inlay.
Device for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising a chuck adapted to maintain a wafer-shaped article in a predetermined orientation during a processing operation to be performed on the article, said chuck comprising a chuck body and a plurality of pin assemblies adapted and positioned relative to the chuck body so as to support a wafer-shaped article to be processed, wherein at least one of said pin assemblies is formed from a chemically inert material and includes an electrically conductive inlay at one end, said inlay being received in a recess formed in said pin assembly and being adapted to physically and electrically engage a bearing element;
- further comprising a gear mechanism engaging said plurality of pin assemblies so as to rotate each of said plurality of pin assemblies about its respective axis of rotation, said gear mechanism engaging the chemically inert material of said at least one pin assembly and being in non-contact with said inlay.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.