A pin assembly and plasma processing equipment

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of wafer processing equipment technology, and more particularly to a ejector pin assembly and plasma processing equipment, comprising a fixed base, a support sleeve, an ejector pin body, and a snap-fit ​​assembly. The fixed base is disposed on the inner wall of a process cavity, and the fixed base has an axially recessed mounting groove extending from the top to the bottom of the fixed base. The support sleeve is coaxially disposed within the mounting groove. The ejector pin body is at least partially coaxially disposed within the mounting groove and the support sleeve, and the ejector pin body has a snap-fit ​​groove recessed from its outer side wall towards the central axis. The snap-fit ​​assembly includes a first elastic element and a snap-fit ​​protrusion radially disposed and connected to the inner side wall of the support sleeve. The non-threaded connection method of this invention effectively avoids the problem of thread stripping caused by repeated tightening, ensuring that the ejector pin can be accurately reset to the preset position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer processing equipment technology, and more particularly to a pin assembly and plasma processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In etching equipment used in semiconductor wafer fabrication, the wafer carrier is typically fixed to a cavity base. To enable automated wafer transfer, the carrier has through holes containing vertically retractable ejector pins. During transfer, the ejector pins rise in a controlled manner, their tips passing through these holes to lift and receive the wafer. After transfer, the ejector pins descend to their lowest position, allowing the wafer to smoothly fall back onto the carrier surface, thus completing the transfer. However, the currently common threaded fixing method for ejector pins and ejector pin holders has significant drawbacks: the fine threads are prone to stripping after repeated tightening, preventing the ejector pins from reliably descending to the preset position; simultaneously, the ceramic or sapphire ejector pin bodies experience stress concentration during tightening, making them highly susceptible to breakage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to a pin assembly and a plasma treatment device. The purpose is to achieve rapid and reliable pin-locking and fixing of the pin body by setting a snap-locking assembly including a first elastic element and a snap-locking protrusion, which cooperates with the snap-locking groove on the outer side wall of the pin body.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an ejector pin assembly, comprising:

[0005] A fixed base is provided on the inner wall of the process cavity, and the fixed base has an axially recessed mounting groove extending from the top to the bottom.

[0006] A support sleeve is coaxially disposed within the mounting groove;

[0007] The ejector pin body is at least partially coaxially disposed within the mounting groove and the support sleeve, and the ejector pin body has a snap-fit ​​groove recessed from its outer side wall toward the central axis.

[0008] A snap-fit ​​assembly is disposed within the support sleeve. The snap-fit ​​assembly includes a first elastic element arranged radially and connected to the inner sidewall of the support sleeve, and a snap-fit ​​protrusion connected to the free end of the first elastic element. The process of installing the ejector pin body into the support sleeve includes a first stage when the snap-fit ​​groove and the snap-fit ​​protrusion are misaligned. In this stage, the snap-fit ​​protrusion is pressed by the outer sidewall of the ejector pin body and moves away from the central axis of the support sleeve, and the first elastic element is compressed. The second stage is when the snap-fit ​​groove and the snap-fit ​​protrusion are aligned. In this stage, the snap-fit ​​protrusion loses the pressure from the outer sidewall of the ejector pin body, and the first elastic element resets, allowing the snap-fit ​​protrusion to enter the snap-fit ​​groove to fix the ejector pin body by abutment snap-fit.

[0009] Optionally, the number of the snap-fit ​​protrusions and the number of the snap-fit ​​grooves are matched. The number of snap-fit ​​protrusions is set to N, and the N snap-fit ​​protrusions are arranged in a ring at equal intervals along the circumference of the support sleeve, so that when the ejector body is fixed, the circumference of the ejector body is subjected to a balanced resisting force, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3.

[0010] Optionally, the ejector pin assembly further includes an elastic connecting tube coaxially disposed within the mounting groove. The bottom end of the elastic connecting tube is connected to the top end of the support sleeve, and the top end of the elastic connecting tube is connected to the side wall of the mounting groove, so that the support sleeve can be slidably disposed within the mounting groove along the axial direction of the mounting groove by the axial deformation movement of the elastic connecting tube.

[0011] Optionally, the ejector pin assembly further includes a first limiting strip and a first limiting groove. The first limiting strip is fixed along the axial direction of the support sleeve on the outer side wall of the support sleeve. The first limiting groove is formed by recessing from the top end to the bottom end of the fixed base and is connected to the mounting groove. The first limiting strip is slidably disposed in the first limiting groove so that the movement of the support sleeve in the mounting groove is along the axial direction of the mounting groove.

[0012] Optionally, the ejector pin assembly further includes a sealing ring disposed at the top end of the fixed base. The sealing ring surrounds the opening of the mounting groove and its central axis coincides with the central axis of the mounting groove. The ejector pin body is axially slidably inserted into the sealing ring.

[0013] Optionally, the ejector pin assembly further includes an abutment plate and an adjusting screw;

[0014] The contact plate is slidably disposed in the mounting groove along the axial direction of the mounting groove and abuts against the bottom end of the support sleeve. A rotating groove is recessed from the top to the bottom in the middle of the contact plate.

[0015] The bottom wall of the mounting groove is coaxially provided with a threaded hole;

[0016] The adjusting screw is coaxially rotatably mounted on the abutment plate and located within the rotating groove. The adjusting screw is threaded into the threaded hole, so that by adjusting the depth of the adjusting screw inserted into the threaded hole, the abutment plate abuts against the support sleeve and moves axially within the mounting groove.

[0017] Optionally, the adjusting screw includes a horizontal section and a vertical section;

[0018] The horizontal section is coaxially rotatably disposed within the rotating groove, and the axial height of the horizontal section on the contact plate is less than or equal to the depth of the rotating groove;

[0019] The vertical section is movably inserted into the contact plate and partially disposed within the rotating groove, so that there is a gap between the horizontal section and the bottom of the rotating groove, and the vertical section is threaded into the threaded hole.

[0020] Optionally, the circumferential wall of the vertical section is provided with scale lines extending along its axial direction, so as to observe the adjustment height of the adjusting screw through the scale lines.

[0021] Optionally, the ejector pin assembly further includes a second limiting strip and a second limiting groove. The second limiting strip is fixed along the axial direction of the support sleeve on the inner side wall of the support sleeve. The second limiting groove is formed by recessing from the outer side wall of the ejector pin body towards the central axis. The second limiting strip is slidably disposed in the second limiting groove so that the ejector pin body can move along the central axis of the support sleeve within the support sleeve.

[0022] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a plasma processing apparatus, including a process chamber, a wafer carrier stage, and a ejector pin assembly disposed within the process chamber. The wafer carrier stage is disposed within the process chamber and has a through hole. The ejector pin body of the ejector pin assembly is movably disposed within the through hole.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0024] This invention achieves rapid and reliable snap-fit ​​fixing of the ejector pin body by setting a snap-fit ​​assembly including a first elastic element and a snap-fit ​​protrusion, which cooperates with the snap-fit ​​groove on the outer wall of the ejector pin body. This non-threaded connection method effectively avoids the problem of thread stripping caused by repeated tightening, ensuring that the ejector pin can be accurately reset to the preset position; at the same time, the snap-fit ​​fixing method avoids stress concentration during the tightening process, significantly reducing the risk of fracture of the brittle ejector pin body, thereby improving the reliability and service life of the ejector pin assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the ejector pin assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 An enlarged view of position A in the middle.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] 1. Fixed base; 1001. Mounting groove; 2. Support sleeve; 3. Ejector pin body; 31. Snap-fit ​​groove; 4. Snap-fit ​​assembly; 41. Snap-fit ​​protrusion; 42. First elastic element; 5. Elastic connecting tube; 6. First limiting strip; 7. First limiting groove; 8. Sealing ring; 9. Contact plate; 10. Rotation groove; 11. Threaded hole; 12. Adjusting screw; 121. Horizontal section; 122. Vertical section; 17. Second limiting strip; 18. Second limiting groove. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, but do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0030] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide an ejector pin assembly, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes a fixed base 1, a support sleeve 2, a pin body 3, and a snap-fit ​​assembly 4.

[0031] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the fixing base 1 is disposed on the inner wall of the process cavity. In other embodiments, it is not limited to being disposed only on the inner wall of the process cavity. The fixing base 1 has a mounting groove 1001 recessed from the top to the bottom along the axial direction. In this embodiment, the shape of the fixing base 1 includes, but is not limited to, a cylindrical structure, a cube, or a cuboid structure. The three-dimensional shape of the groove cavity of the mounting groove 1001 is preferably a cylindrical structure, but is not limited to a cylindrical structure.

[0032] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the support sleeve 2 is coaxially disposed within the mounting groove 1001; coaxiality can be understood as the central axis of the support sleeve 2 coinciding with the central axis of the groove cavity of the mounting groove 1001. The following description of coaxiality has the same meaning and will not be explained further.

[0033] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1As shown, the ejector body 3 is at least partially coaxially disposed within the mounting groove 1001 and the support sleeve 2, and the ejector body 3 has a snap-fit ​​groove 31 recessed from its outer side wall toward the central axis; preferably, the groove cavity of the snap-fit ​​groove 31 is arranged radially along the ejector body 3.

[0034] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the snap-fit ​​component 4 is disposed inside the support sleeve 2.

[0035] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the snap-fit ​​assembly 4 includes a first elastic element 42 arranged radially and connected to the inner sidewall of the support sleeve 2, and a snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 connected to the free end of the first elastic element 42. The process of installing the ejector body 3 on the support sleeve 2 includes a first stage when the snap-fit ​​groove 31 and the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 are misaligned. In this stage, the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 is squeezed by the outer sidewall of the ejector body 3 and moves away from the central axis of the support sleeve 2, and the first elastic element 42 is compressed. The second stage is when the snap-fit ​​groove 31 and the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 are aligned. In this stage, the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 loses the compression of the outer sidewall of the ejector body 3, and the first elastic element 42 resets, allowing the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 to enter the snap-fit ​​groove 31 to fix the ejector body 3 by abutment snap-fit.

[0036] In this embodiment, the engagement of the first elastic element 42 and the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 of the snap-fit ​​assembly 4 with the snap-fit ​​groove 31 on the ejector pin body 3 achieves rapid and reliable snap-fit ​​fixing of the ejector pin body 3. During installation, when the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 is misaligned with the snap-fit ​​groove 31 (first stage), the outer wall of the ejector pin body 3 will squeeze the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41, causing it to radially compress the first elastic element 42; when the snap-fit ​​groove 31 moves to be directly aligned with the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 (second stage), the first elastic element 42 resets and pushes the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 into the snap-fit ​​groove 31, thereby completing the fixing. This snap-fit ​​method avoids the stripping problem that is prone to occur in traditional thread fixing, ensures that the ejector pin can be accurately reset to the preset position, and reduces the stress concentration and fracture risk caused to the brittle material ejector pin body 3 during tightening, thereby improving the assembly efficiency and reliability of the assembly.

[0037] In one embodiment, the first elastic element 42 can be a component with axial compression and restoring characteristics, such as a helical spring, wave spring, or elastic rubber sleeve. It is radially arranged and connected to the inner wall of the support sleeve 2, with its free end connected to the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41. When the ejector pin body 3 is inserted into the support sleeve 2, the first elastic element 42 is compressed and undergoes radial elastic deformation. When the snap-fit ​​groove 31 is aligned with the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41, the first elastic element 42 pushes the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 into the groove by its own restoring force, thereby achieving rapid positioning and stable locking of the ejector pin.

[0038] In one embodiment, the cavity structures of the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 and the snap-fit ​​groove 31 can be mutually matching wedge-shaped or hemispherical contours. Specifically, the contact surface of the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 can be designed as a convex arc surface or an inclined guide surface, while the cavity of the snap-fit ​​groove 31 corresponds to a concave arc surface or an inclined sidewall. This mating structure allows the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 to be smoothly squeezed and contracted through the guiding effect of the inclined or arc surface when the ejector body 3 is inserted into the support sleeve 2; when the snap-fit ​​groove 31 moves to the alignment position, the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41 quickly snaps into the snap-fit ​​groove 31 under the push of the first elastic element 42, and achieves stable radial limiting through surface contact. The wedge-shaped or hemispherical mating form not only reduces assembly resistance but also enhances the anti-loosening ability after snapping, ensuring that the ejector can remain reliably fixed under vibration or impact environments.

[0039] In one embodiment, the number of the snap-fit ​​grooves 31 and the snap-fit ​​assembly 4 are the same; there are two snap-fit ​​grooves 31, which are arranged circumferentially along the ejector pin body 3. Preferably, the two snap-fit ​​grooves 31 are symmetrically arranged about the central axis of the ejector pin body 3. This embodiment, by setting two snap-fit ​​grooves 31 symmetrical about the central axis of the ejector pin body 3, and cooperating with the corresponding snap-fit ​​protrusions 41 in the snap-fit ​​assembly 4, can form a symmetrical and balanced resisting force in the circumferential direction of the ejector pin body 3. This symmetrical layout effectively avoids the skewing or jamming phenomenon caused by uneven force when the ejector pin body 3 is fixed, ensuring the straightness and stability of the ejector pin body 3 moving axially within the support sleeve 2. At the same time, the double snap-fit ​​groove 31 structure further enhances the reliability of the snap-fit ​​fixation, so that the ejector pin body 3 can still maintain a stable connection when subjected to vibration or impact, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and long-term durability of the ejector pin assembly in the precision wafer transfer process.

[0040] In one embodiment, the number of snap-fit ​​protrusions 41 and snap-fit ​​grooves 31 are matched. N snap-fit ​​protrusions 41 are arranged in a ring at equal intervals along the circumference of the support sleeve 2. This ensures that the ejector body 3 receives a balanced resistance force in its circumferential direction when it is fixed, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3. Arranging N snap-fit ​​protrusions 41 in a ring at equal intervals along the circumference of the support sleeve 2 and matching them with the snap-fit ​​grooves 31 on the ejector body 3 ensures that the ejector body 3 receives a uniformly distributed resistance force in its circumferential direction when it is fixed. This symmetrical layout effectively avoids the ejector body 3 from tilting or jamming due to uneven force, ensuring the straightness and stability of the ejector's axial movement within the support sleeve 2. Simultaneously, the multi-point balanced snap-fit ​​significantly enhances the rigidity and torsional resistance of the connection, allowing the ejector to remain reliably fixed even when subjected to vibrations or impacts during wafer transfer, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and long-term durability of the ejector assembly.

[0041] In one embodiment, the number of the snap-fit ​​protrusions 41 and the snap-fit ​​grooves 31 are matched. The number of snap-fit ​​protrusions 41 is N, and the N snap-fit ​​protrusions 41 are arranged along the axial direction of the support sleeve 2, and the N snap-fit ​​protrusions 41 are arranged on the same axial line. This axial arrangement structure can provide multi-level locking points at different height positions of the ejector pin body 3, which not only enhances the ejector pin's resistance to displacement under axial force, but also enables it to have an adjustable axial fixed position, thereby adapting to the flexible adjustment requirements of the ejector pin body 3's extension height under different working conditions, and improving the adaptability and reliability of the ejector pin assembly in the wafer transfer process.

[0042] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ejector pin assembly also includes an elastic connecting tube 5 coaxially disposed within the mounting groove 1001. The bottom end of the elastic connecting tube 5 is connected to the top end of the support sleeve 2, and the top end of the elastic connecting tube 5 is connected to the side wall of the mounting groove 1001. This allows the support sleeve 2 to slide axially within the mounting groove 1001 via the axial deformation of the elastic connecting tube 5. The addition of the elastic connecting tube 5 within the coaxially disposed mounting groove 1001, with its two ends connected to the top end of the support sleeve 2 and the side wall of the mounting groove 1001 respectively, enables the support sleeve 2 to achieve controllable axial sliding within the mounting groove 1001 via the axial deformation of the elastic connecting tube 5. Thus, the axial movement of the support sleeve 2 adjusts the axial movement of the locking protrusion 41, thereby changing the abutment height between the locking protrusion 41 and the locking groove 31, and consequently adjusting the height of the ejector pin body 3.

[0043] In one embodiment, the structure of the elastic connecting pipe 5 is preferably a corrugated pipe, but it is not limited to this; other flexible tubular structures with axial expansion and contraction and reset characteristics can also be used. The corrugated pipe's unique pleated wall design allows it to produce uniform elastic deformation when subjected to axial pressure, providing smooth buffering and precise reset force for the axial sliding of the support sleeve 2 within the mounting groove 1001. It is worth noting that the elastic connecting pipe 5 is always in a compressed state.

[0044] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ejector pin assembly further includes a first limiting strip 6 and a first limiting groove 7. The first limiting strip 6 is fixed to the outer wall of the support sleeve 2 along the axial direction of the support sleeve 2. The first limiting groove 7 is formed by recessing from the top end to the bottom end of the fixed base 1 and is connected to the mounting groove 1001. The first limiting strip 6 is slidably disposed in the first limiting groove 7 so that the movement of the support sleeve 2 in the mounting groove 1001 is along the axial direction of the mounting groove 1001. By fixing the first limiting strip 6 to the outer wall of the support sleeve 2 and correspondingly providing the first limiting groove 7 on the groove side wall of the mounting groove 1001 of the fixed base 1, the two form a sliding fit, which can effectively limit the movement direction of the support sleeve 2 in the mounting groove 1001, ensuring that it can only slide linearly along the axial direction of the mounting groove 1001. This guiding structure prevents the support sleeve 2 from circumferentially rotating or radially shifting during movement, thereby ensuring the verticality and positional accuracy of the ejector pin body 3 during lifting and lowering, and improving the stability and reliability of wafer transfer.

[0045] In one embodiment, multiple sets of the combined structure of the first limiting strip 6 and the first limiting groove 7 can be provided, and the multiple sets of combined structures are arranged in a ring at equal intervals around the central axis of the mounting groove 1001. By arranging the multiple sets of combined structures of the first limiting strip 6 and the first limiting groove 7 in a ring at equal intervals around the central axis of the mounting groove 1001, the supporting sleeve 2 can be uniformly guided and limited in its circumferential direction when sliding along the axial direction of the mounting groove 1001.

[0046] In one embodiment, the first limiting strip 6 and the first limiting groove 7 can be wedge-shaped, dovetail-shaped, or T-shaped contours that match each other. Specifically, the cross-section of the first limiting strip 6 can be designed as a trapezoidal, triangular, or T-shaped protrusion, while the first limiting groove 7 is formed with a corresponding matching groove shape. This non-circular mating structure can effectively limit the circumferential rotation or radial displacement of the support sleeve 2 within the mounting groove 1001, ensuring that it can only slide linearly along the axial direction of the mounting groove 1001, thereby guaranteeing the verticality and positional accuracy of the ejector pin body 3 during the lifting process.

[0047] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1As shown, the ejector pin assembly also includes a sealing ring 8 disposed at the top end of the fixed base 1. The sealing ring 8 surrounds the opening of the mounting groove 1001, and its central axis coincides with the central axis of the mounting groove 1001. The ejector pin body 3 can be axially slidably inserted into the sealing ring 8. This embodiment, by arranging the sealing ring 8 around the opening of the mounting groove 1001 and aligning its central axis with the central axis of the mounting groove 1001, effectively prevents plasma, reaction byproducts, or particulate contaminants from entering the mounting groove 1001 while the ejector pin body 3 axially slides through the sealing ring 8. This not only prevents contaminants from accumulating in the mounting groove 1001 and avoids jamming the movement of the support sleeve 2 and the ejector pin body 3, but also reduces corrosion and damage to precision structures such as the internal snap-fit ​​components 4, thereby significantly improving the long-term reliability and service life of the ejector pin assembly in harsh plasma environments.

[0048] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ejector pin assembly also includes an abutment plate 9 and an adjusting screw 12.

[0049] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the abutment plate 9 is slidably disposed within the mounting groove 1001 along the axial direction of the mounting groove 1001 and abuts against the bottom end of the support sleeve 2. A rotating groove 10 is recessed from the top to the bottom of the middle part of the abutment plate 9. A threaded hole 11 is coaxially disposed on the bottom wall of the mounting groove 1001. The adjusting screw 12 is coaxially rotatably disposed on the abutment plate 9 and disposed within the rotating groove 10. The adjusting screw 12 is inserted into the threaded hole 11 through a threaded engagement, so that by adjusting the depth of the adjusting screw 12 inserted into the threaded hole 11, the abutment plate 9 abuts against the support sleeve 2 and moves axially within the mounting groove 1001.

[0050] This embodiment uses the rotating adjusting screw 12 to screw into or out of the threaded hole 11, which can precisely control the axial position of the abutment plate 9 in the mounting groove 1001. Then, through cooperation with the elastic connecting tube 5, the axial height of the support sleeve 2 is adjusted, thereby changing the locked circumferential height of the ejector body 3 in the mounting groove 1001, so as to realize the height adjustment of the ejector body 3. Specifically, during the lifting and lowering process of the support sleeve 2, the support sleeve 2 is always in contact with the abutment plate 9. When the abutment plate 9 moves downward, the reset deformation of the elastic connecting tube 5 pushes the support sleeve 2 downward. When the abutment plate 9 moves upward, the abutment plate 9 pushes the support sleeve 2 upward. At this time, the elastic connecting tube 5 is compressed.

[0051] This structure enables precise and adjustable height of the ejector body 3, ensuring the relative positional accuracy between the top of the ejector body 3 and the surface of the wafer carrier during wafer transfer. At the same time, combined with the buffering effect of the elastic connecting tube 5, it can provide smooth guidance for the lifting and lowering of the ejector body 3 and effectively absorb contact impact, thereby improving the overall ease of adjustment, motion stability and long-term working reliability of the ejector assembly during wafer positioning and transfer.

[0052] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the adjusting screw 12 includes a horizontal section 121 and a vertical section 122. The horizontal section 121 is coaxially rotatably disposed within the rotating groove 10, and the axial height of the horizontal section 121 on the contact plate 9 is less than or equal to the depth of the rotating groove 10. The vertical section 122 is movably inserted into the contact plate 9 and partially disposed within the rotating groove 10, so that there is a gap between the horizontal section 121 and the bottom of the rotating groove 10. The vertical section 122 is threaded into the threaded hole 11. The axial height of the horizontal section 121 within the rotating groove 10 is limited to be less than or equal to the depth of the rotating groove 10, and a certain gap is maintained between the horizontal section 121 and the bottom of the rotating groove 10 after the vertical section 122 is movably inserted, so that the horizontal section 121 can rotate freely within the rotating groove 10 without frictional interference with the bottom of the groove. This gap provides the necessary space for the horizontal section 121 to rotate, while the vertical section 122 is threaded into the threaded hole 11, converting the rotational motion into precise axial displacement of the contact plate 9, thereby achieving fine adjustment of the height of the support sleeve 2 and the ejector body 3. This structure ensures both the smoothness of the adjustment process and the transmission accuracy, improving the reliability and convenience of the ejector assembly height adjustment.

[0053] In one embodiment, the circumferential wall of the vertical section 122 is provided with a scale line extending along its axial direction, so as to observe the adjustment height of the adjusting screw 12 through the scale line; thereby determining the height of the contact plate 9, and thus determining the height of the ejector pin body 3 within the mounting groove 1001. This embodiment directly reads the scale line value to intuitively and accurately determine the depth of the adjusting screw 12 screwed into the threaded hole 11, thereby determining the real-time height position of the contact plate 9 within the mounting groove 1001. Since the axial movement of the support sleeve 2 is controlled by the pushing or releasing of the contact plate 9, and the locking height of the ejector pin body 3 is indirectly adjusted through the axial position of the support sleeve 2, this scale line structure realizes quantitative observation and fine control of the extension height of the ejector pin body 3, effectively improving the operability and repeatability of the height adjustment of the ejector pin assembly during wafer transfer, and avoiding the deviations that may be caused by traditional empirical adjustment.

[0054] It is worth noting that, compared with the existing technology of directly adjusting the height of multiple sets of ejector bodies 3 by turning the threads, the present invention controls the height of the contact plate 9 by adjusting the rotation of the adjusting screw 12. This not only avoids the risk of stripping and breakage of the ejector body 3 due to repeated turning, but also significantly improves the adjustment accuracy and operational reliability.

[0055] Specifically, the ejector body 3 is first removed from the fixed base 1, and then the adjusting screw 12 is rotated by inserting an external tool into the mounting groove 1001 to adjust the axial height of the contact plate 9 and the snap-fit ​​protrusion 41, thereby adjusting the relative height of the ejector body 3 installed in the fixed base 1, and then adjusting the coplanarity of the top ends of multiple sets of ejector bodies 3.

[0056] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ejector pin assembly further includes a second limiting strip 17 and a second limiting groove 18. The second limiting strip 17 is fixed to the inner wall of the support sleeve 2 along the axial direction of the support sleeve 2. The second limiting groove 18 is recessed from the outer wall of the ejector pin body 3 towards the central axis. The second limiting strip 17 is slidably disposed within the second limiting groove 18, allowing the ejector pin body 3 to move along the central axis of the support sleeve 2 within the support sleeve 2. This embodiment, by fixing the second limiting strip 17 to the inner wall of the support sleeve 2 and correspondingly providing the second limiting groove 18 on the outer wall of the ejector pin body 3 to form a sliding fit, can effectively limit the movement direction of the ejector pin body 3 within the support sleeve 2, ensuring that it can only move linearly along the axial direction of the support sleeve 2. This guiding structure prevents the ejector pin body 3 from rotating circumferentially or shifting radially during movement, thereby ensuring the perpendicularity and positional accuracy of the ejector pin tip during wafer transfer, and improving the stability and reliability of wafer lifting and placement.

[0057] In one embodiment, the combination structure of the second limiting strip 17 and the second limiting groove 18 is configured in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of the combination structure are arranged in an equidistant ring around the central axis of the mounting groove 1001. This embodiment, by arranging the multiple sets of the combination structure of the second limiting strip 17 and the second limiting groove 18 in an equidistant ring around the central axis of the mounting groove 1001, ensures that the ejector pin body 3 is uniformly guided and limited circumferentially when moving along the axial direction of the support sleeve 2. This symmetrical layout effectively avoids the ejector pin body 3 from tilting or jamming during lifting, ensuring that its movement trajectory remains parallel to the central axis of the support sleeve 2, thereby improving the perpendicularity, positional accuracy, and movement stability of the ejector pin tip during wafer transfer. Simultaneously, the multiple sets of guiding structures share the load, enhancing resistance to torsion and offset, further improving the reliability and durability of the ejector pin assembly under long-term high-frequency use.

[0058] In one embodiment, the second limiting strip 17 and the second limiting groove 18 can be wedge-shaped, dovetail-shaped, or T-shaped contours that match each other. Specifically, the cross-section of the second limiting strip 17 can be designed as a trapezoidal, triangular, or T-shaped protrusion, while the second limiting groove 18 is formed with a corresponding matching groove shape. This non-circular mating structure can effectively limit the circumferential rotation or radial displacement of the ejector pin body 3 within the support sleeve 2, ensuring that it can only slide linearly along the axial direction of the support sleeve 2, thereby guaranteeing the perpendicularity and positional accuracy of the ejector pin tip during wafer transfer.

[0059] In one embodiment, in view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a plasma processing device, including a process chamber, a wafer carrier stage, and a ejector pin assembly disposed in the process chamber. The wafer carrier stage is disposed in the process chamber and has a through hole. The ejector pin body 3 of the ejector pin assembly is movably disposed in the through hole.

[0060] This embodiment integrates a pin assembly with a snap-fit ​​fixing structure into the process cavity of the plasma processing equipment, and allows the pin body 3 to move through the through-hole of the wafer carrier stage. This enables the pin body 3 to reliably rise and fall during wafer transfer, accurately completing the lifting and placement of the wafer. This structure effectively solves the problems of slippage, inaccurate pin reset, and easy breakage of brittle pins that are prone to occur in traditional threaded fixing methods. The elastic snap-fit ​​of the snap-fit ​​assembly 4 ensures the stability and service life of the pin operation, thereby improving the overall reliability and process accuracy of the plasma processing equipment in the automated wafer transfer process.

[0061] In one embodiment, the plasma processing equipment can be a plasma resist remover, a plasma chemical vapor deposition (PVD) system, or a plasma etching system, etc. By integrating the ejector pin assembly provided by this invention into the process chamber of such equipment, and using its snap-fit ​​fixing structure to replace the traditional threaded connection, failures caused by ejector pin slippage, inaccurate resetting, or brittle fracture during wafer transport can be effectively avoided. This ensures the stability and accuracy of wafer positioning and transport in processes such as resist removal, deposition, or etching, thereby improving the overall reliability of the equipment and the process yield.

[0062] While embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention described herein may have other embodiments and can be implemented or carried out in various ways.

Claims

1. A ejector pin assembly, characterized in that, include: A fixed base is provided on the inner wall of the process cavity, and the fixed base has an axially recessed mounting groove extending from the top to the bottom. A support sleeve is coaxially disposed within the mounting groove; The ejector pin body is at least partially coaxially disposed within the mounting groove and the support sleeve, and the ejector pin body has a snap-fit ​​groove recessed from its outer side wall toward the central axis. A snap-fit ​​assembly is disposed within the support sleeve. The snap-fit ​​assembly includes a first elastic element arranged radially and connected to the inner sidewall of the support sleeve, and a snap-fit ​​protrusion connected to the free end of the first elastic element. The process of installing the ejector pin body into the support sleeve includes a first stage when the snap-fit ​​groove and the snap-fit ​​protrusion are misaligned. In this stage, the snap-fit ​​protrusion is pressed by the outer sidewall of the ejector pin body and moves away from the central axis of the support sleeve, and the first elastic element is compressed. The second stage is when the snap-fit ​​groove and the snap-fit ​​protrusion are aligned. In this stage, the snap-fit ​​protrusion loses the pressure from the outer sidewall of the ejector pin body, and the first elastic element resets, allowing the snap-fit ​​protrusion to enter the snap-fit ​​groove to fix the ejector pin body by abutment snap-fit. An abutment plate is slidably disposed within the mounting groove along the axial direction of the mounting groove and abuts against the bottom end of the support sleeve. A threaded hole is coaxially provided on the bottom wall of the mounting groove. An adjusting screw is coaxially rotatably disposed on the abutment plate and is inserted into the threaded hole through a threaded engagement.

2. The ejector pin assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of snap-fit ​​protrusions and snap-fit ​​grooves are matched. There are N snap-fit ​​protrusions, which are arranged in an equal-distance ring along the circumference of the support sleeve to ensure that the circumference of the ejector body is subjected to a balanced resistance force when the ejector body is fixed. Here, N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3.

3. The ejector pin assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ejector pin assembly also includes an elastic connecting tube coaxially disposed in the mounting groove. The bottom end of the elastic connecting tube is connected to the top end of the support sleeve, and the top end of the elastic connecting tube is connected to the side wall of the mounting groove, so that the support sleeve can be slidably disposed in the mounting groove along the axial direction of the mounting groove by the axial deformation movement of the elastic connecting tube.

4. The ejector pin assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ejector pin assembly further includes a first limiting strip and a first limiting groove. The first limiting strip is fixed along the axial direction of the support sleeve on the outer side wall of the support sleeve. The first limiting groove is formed by recessing from the top end to the bottom end of the fixed base and is connected to the mounting groove. The first limiting strip is slidably disposed in the first limiting groove so that the movement of the support sleeve in the mounting groove is along the axial direction of the mounting groove.

5. The ejector pin assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ejector pin assembly also includes a sealing ring disposed at the top end of the fixed base. The sealing ring surrounds the opening of the mounting groove and its central axis coincides with the central axis of the mounting groove. The ejector pin body is axially slidably inserted into the sealing ring.

6. The ejector pin assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center of the contact plate has a rotating groove recessed from the top to the bottom.

7. The ejector pin assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The adjusting screw includes a horizontal section and a vertical section; The horizontal section is coaxially rotatably disposed within the rotating groove, and the axial height of the horizontal section on the contact plate is less than or equal to the depth of the rotating groove; The vertical section is movably inserted into the contact plate and partially disposed within the rotating groove, so that there is a gap between the horizontal section and the bottom of the rotating groove, and the vertical section is threaded into the threaded hole.

8. The ejector pin assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The vertical section has a scale line extending along its axial direction on its circumferential wall, through which the adjustment height of the adjusting screw can be observed.

9. The ejector pin assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ejector pin assembly further includes a second limiting strip and a second limiting groove. The second limiting strip is fixed to the inner side wall of the support sleeve along the axial direction of the support sleeve. The second limiting groove is formed by recessing from the outer side wall of the ejector pin body towards the central axis. The second limiting strip is slidably disposed in the second limiting groove so that the ejector pin body can move within the support sleeve along the central axis of the support sleeve.

10. A plasma processing device, characterized in that, The device includes a process cavity, a wafer carrier stage, and a ejector pin assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 disposed within the process cavity. The wafer carrier stage is disposed within the process cavity and has a through hole. The ejector pin body of the ejector pin assembly is movably disposed within the through hole.

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