Lifting device for lowering substrate

Abstract

To provide a lifting device and an assembly including a process chamber having a chamber flange which can extremely correctly adjust the position of a lifting rod and the position of a linear lifting movement path.SOLUTION: An assembly additionally includes a lifting device. The lifting device 1 has a drive housing 9 for a lifting rod linear drive 6, a drive housing flange 10, and a passage opening 11 surrounded by the drive housing flange 10. A lifting rod 5 is guided through the passage opening 11, and adjustment screws 8 are each screwed through an adjustment screw receiving opening in the drive housing flange 10. The adjustment screw receiving openings are spaced apart from each other in the drive housing flange 10, and a protrusion amount of the respective adjustment screw 8 over the drive housing flange 10 is adjustable by screwing that adjustment screw 8 through the respective receiving opening at differing depths.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lifting device for lowering a substrate onto a substrate support and for raising the substrate from the substrate support within a process chamber, particularly within a vacuum process chamber, the lifting device comprising a lifting rod, a lifting rod linear drive for reciprocating the lifting rod along a linear lifting and lowering movement path, and a plurality of adjusting screws for adjusting the position of the lifting and lowering movement path.

[0002] Such a type of lifting device is used within a process chamber to lower a substrate, such as a wafer or the like, onto a substrate support or to raise the substrate from the substrate support. In order to be able to carry out such a movement, the lifting rod is reciprocated along a linear lifting and lowering movement path by the lifting rod linear drive. Usually, it is necessary that the position of the lifting rod or the position of the linear lifting and lowering movement path can be adjusted very precisely.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 11,183,418 discloses a prior art of such a type. In this specification, the lifting rod linear drive is fixed to a support body consisting of a plurality of parts. In order to adjust the position of the lifting and lowering movement path, a groove is formed in this support body consisting of a plurality of parts, and a kind of flexure hinge is realized by this groove respectively. Adjusting screws are also disclosed in this specification, and these adjusting screws act on different partial regions of the support body and cooperate with the groove or the flexure hinge formed by the groove to enable adjustment of the position of the lifting rod or the linear lifting and lowering movement path.

[0004] The disadvantage of U.S. Patent No. 11,183,418 is that the support body consisting of a plurality of parts and the groove arranged in this support body are formed relatively complexly.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to improve the lifting device described at the beginning and to provide an alternative possibility for being able to adjust the position of the lifting and lowering movement path.

[0006] This problem is solved by the lifting device described in claim 1, according to the present invention.

[0007] Accordingly, according to the present invention, the lifting device comprises a drive housing for a linear drive device for a lifting rod, a drive housing flange, and a through opening surrounded by the drive housing flange, the lifting rod is guided through the through opening, and the adjustment screws are screwed in through adjustment screw housing openings provided in the drive housing flange, the adjustment screw housing openings are spaced apart from each other and arranged in the drive housing flange, and the amount of overhang of each adjustment screw beyond the drive housing flange on the mounting surface of the drive housing flange opposite to the drive housing is adjustable by screwing each adjustment screw into each adjustment screw housing opening to different depths.

[0008] Therefore, the adjustment screws are screwed in through corresponding adjustment screw receiving openings provided in the drive unit housing flange. Depending on how far each adjustment screw is screwed into the adjustment screw receiving openings provided in the drive unit housing flange, a certain amount of overhang of the adjustment screw remains on the assembly surface of the drive unit housing flange. By adjusting these overhang amounts through corresponding rotations of the adjustment screws, the position of the lifting rod, and consequently the position of the lifting motion trajectory, which is guided through corresponding through-openings provided in the drive unit housing flange, can be adjusted with great precision. The ends of the adjustment screws that extend beyond the drive unit housing flange on the assembly surface may be supported, for example, by the chamber flange. Preferably, a gap is formed between the chamber flange and the drive unit housing flange, and the gap width in the region of each adjustment screw can also be adjusted by each respective adjustment screw.

[0009] The present invention relates not only to the lifting device itself, but also to an assembly comprising a process chamber having a chamber flange, wherein the assembly additionally comprises the lifting device according to the present invention, the lifting device being fixed to the chamber flange by a drive housing flange, the lifting rod reaching into the chamber interior of the process chamber, and the position of the lifting motion trajectory of the lifting rod being adjustable by adjusting the amount of protrusion of each adjustment screw that extends beyond the drive housing flange on the mounting surface of the drive housing flange located on the side opposite to the drive housing.

[0010] The following is not necessarily required, but is preferable, and is specified to be a flat surface on the mounting surface of the drive unit housing flange that is located on the opposite side of the drive unit housing.

[0011] As mentioned at the beginning, the substrate can be lowered onto the substrate support by the lifting device, or in other words, placed on the substrate support, and can also be raised from the substrate support. In other words, the lifting device is, strictly speaking, a lifting and lowering device. However, for the sake of simplicity, it will be referred to simply as a lifting device in this specification.

[0012] Preferably, three precisely aligned adjustment screws are screwed into the drive unit housing flange through their respective adjustment screw receiving openings. In this way, the ends of the three adjustment screws or the amount of overhang of the three adjustment screws on the mounting surface of the drive unit housing flange can be clearly predetermined to form a single plane, which is suitable for precise adjustment of the linear vertical movement trajectory of the lifting rod.

[0013] To allow for the finest possible adjustments during the adjustment process, the adjustment screws preferably have fine threads. In particular in this regard, it has been specified that the adjustment screws preferably have a thread pitch in the range of 0.25 mm / rotation to 0.6 mm / rotation, preferably in the range of 0.3 mm / rotation to 0.5 mm / rotation.

[0014] In order to secure the drive unit housing flange to the chamber flange, a preferred variation of the lifting device has been identified in which, in addition to adjustment screws, the lifting device has a plurality of coupling screws for securing the drive unit housing flange to the chamber flange of the process chamber, each of which is guided through the drive unit housing flange. The coupling screws are also preferably spaced apart from each other and arranged on the drive unit housing flange.

[0015] In a preferred modification, the lifting device is specified to have a stopper for each coupling screw, for presetting the screwing depth of each coupling screw into the chamber flange. The stopper allows the drive housing flange to be fixed to the chamber flange such that a gap remains between the drive housing flange and the chamber flange. The position of the stopper allows the maximum gap width in the area of ​​each coupling screw to be preset, and the actual gap width can then be adjusted using adjustment screws.

[0016] There are various possibilities for forming stoppers in each coupling screw. For example, each stopper may be formed on the coupling screw itself. Alternatively, each stopper may be formed on a bushing, in which case each coupling screw is guided through the bushing.

[0017] In a preferred variation of the present invention, the lifting device is characterized by having a plurality of elastic preloading elements for applying an elastic preload to the drive unit housing flange toward the chamber flange of the process chamber or the aforementioned chamber flange. With this configuration, the elastic preload of the preloading elements can be directed so that they apply a preload to the drive unit housing flange toward the chamber flange, thereby allowing the adjustment screws to open or increase the gap between the drive unit housing flange and the chamber flange in the region of each adjustment screw, against the preload of the preloading elements, by screwing the adjustment screws in a correspondingly large amount into their respective adjustment screw receiving openings provided in the drive unit housing flange. As the amount of overhang beyond the drive unit housing flange on the assembly surface is reduced by a corresponding rotation of the adjustment screws, the preload of the preloading elements automatically works to reduce the gap between the chamber flange and the drive unit housing flange in this region. In other words, it may be specified that the elastic preload of each elastic preload element is directed in the opposite direction to the increase in the overhang of each adjustment screw that extends beyond the drive housing flange on the mounting surface located on the opposite side of the drive housing.

[0018] Each elastic preload element may be formed in an annular shape. Elastic preload elements may have a variety of configurations and may be made of different materials. A preload element is preferably at least one disc spring or set of disc springs. However, of course, other elastic bodies such as coil springs, elastomers, or similar materials can also be used as elastic preload elements. Elastic preload elements may be made of metal, elastomer, or other suitable materials.

[0019] It may be specified that one elastic preload element is assigned to each coupling screw. Particularly preferably, it is specified that each coupling screw of the coupling screws is guided through the coupling screw receiving opening of each preload element of the elastic preload element.

[0020] The substrate may be directly resting on the end of the lifting rod located correspondingly opposite the linear drive mechanism of the lifting rod, both when the substrate is lowered onto the substrate support and when the substrate is raised from the substrate support. However, a support plate, which is known in itself based on the prior art described at the beginning, may be placed on the aforementioned end of the lifting rod located opposite the linear drive mechanism of the lifting rod, and a lifting pin, which is guided through the substrate support, is supported on this support plate. In such a configuration, the lifting pin and, consequently, the substrate resting on the lifting pin are also raised by the upward movement of the lifting rod along the lifting motion trajectory. The same applies to downward movement. This is in itself known based on the prior art described at the beginning, so there is no need to describe it further. The support plate may also have an opening, through which the support rod holding the substrate support may be guided to move longitudinally in some cases.

[0021] The lifting device according to the present invention is used in conjunction with a process chamber or a vacuum process chamber, in which a substrate to be processed, such as a wafer, is processed in a special atmosphere and / or under a special pressure level within the chamber. A vacuum process chamber is a process chamber in which an operating state with a pressure of 0.001 mbar (millibar) or 0.1 Pascals or less can be obtained within the chamber. However, even if it is designed for standard atmospheric pressure, i.e., a pressure below 1 bar, it can also be called a vacuum chamber.

[0022] Further features and details of preferred configurations of the present invention will be described with reference to three variations of the present invention as examples.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a view of the process chamber equipped with the lifting device according to the present invention according to the first embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 2] It is a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line A-A shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line B-B shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a view showing an enlarged view of the region C shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is a view showing an enlarged view of the region D shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a state where the lifting rod is further raised compared to FIG. 2. [Figure 7] It is a view of the process chamber equipped with the lifting device according to the present invention according to the second embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 8] It is a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line E-E shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line F-F shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] It is a detailed view showing an enlarged view of the detail G shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] It is a detailed view showing an enlarged view of the detail H shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] It is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 8, but showing a state where the lifting rod is further raised compared to FIG. 8. [Figure 13] It is a view of the process chamber equipped with the lifting device according to the present invention according to the third embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 14] It is a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line I-I shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] It is a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line J-J shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 16] It is a view showing an enlarged view of the region K shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 17] It is a view showing an enlarged view of the region L shown in FIG. 15. [Figure 18] This is a cross-sectional view of the substrate support, similar to Figure 14, but showing the lifting rod in a further raised position compared to Figure 14.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the lifting device 1 according to the present invention, which is located on the underside of the process chamber 4. In this view of the process chamber 4 from below, the drive unit housing 9 of the lifting device 1 and the underside of the process chamber 4 are visible. Similarly, in this figure, the drive unit housing flange 10, the adjustment screw 8 screwed in through the corresponding adjustment screw housing opening 12, the coupling screw 15, the fixing screw 24 which will be further described below, and the support disc 25 are visible. Not only the drive unit housing flange 10, but also the support rod 26 can be seen in this view of the process chamber 4 from below. Furthermore, cutting lines AA and BB are also shown in Figure 1.

[0025] Figure 2 shows a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line AA shown in Figure 1. As can be clearly seen in Figure 2, the lifting device 1 has a lifting rod linear drive device 6, which is not shown in more detail here, and which can reciprocate the lifting rod 5 along a linear lifting motion track 7. Preferably, the lifting rod linear drive device 6 is configured to move the lifting rod 5 exclusively in two opposite directions along the lifting motion track 7. The lifting rod linear drive device 6 can be configured in a wide variety of known configurations. The lifting rod linear drive device 6 may be, for example, a corresponding pneumatic or hydraulic linear drive device. Electric linear drive devices or other known linear drive devices can be considered as well. In the illustrated embodiment, the lifting rod linear drive device 6 is, in any case, located in or surrounded by the drive device housing 9, as in other preferred configurations. The lifting device 1 has not only a drive unit housing 9 but also a drive unit housing flange 10 surrounding the through-opening 11. The lifting rod 5 is guided through the through-opening 11. The drive unit housing flange 10 may be integrally molded with the drive unit housing 9, as in this embodiment, but may be coupled to the drive unit housing 9 in other ways. The lifting rod 5 reaches into the chamber chamber 23 of the process chamber 4 through the through-opening 11 in any case. A corresponding bellows 27 is provided to seal the chamber chamber 23 against the drive unit housing 9. For coupling of the lifting device 1 with the drive unit housing flange 10, the process chamber 4 has a chamber flange 16. This chamber flange 16 also surrounds the chamber, through which the lifting rod 5 is guided. The mounting surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10 is oriented toward the chamber flange 16. A gap 30 exists between the mounting surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10 and the chamber flange 16, and the width of this gap 30, which will be explained in more detail below, can be adjusted using the adjustment screw 8.By appropriately screwing in or out the adjustment screw 8, the amount of protrusion 13 of the adjustment screw 8 beyond the mounting surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10 can be individually adjusted, so that appropriate adjustment of the position of the lifting motion trajectory 7 or the direction of the lifting rod 5 can be made using the adjustment screw 8. How this adjustment is specifically performed will be explained below with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of area C in Figure 2, and Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of area D in Figure 3.

[0026] At the end of the lifting rod 5 opposite to the lifting rod linear drive device 6, in this embodiment, a support plate 29 is provided that surrounds an opening 31 in an annular shape. In this embodiment, a support rod 26 is guided through the opening 31, and a substrate support 3 is fixed to this support rod 26. The substrate support 3 is located within the chamber 23 of the process chamber 4. During the processing process, the substrate 2 to be processed is placed on the substrate support 3. To introduce the substrate 2 into the chamber 23 of the process chamber 4 and to remove the substrate 2 from the chamber 23, the chamber wall of the process chamber 4 has a chamber opening 21 in a known form, and this chamber opening 21 can be closed by a valve, which is known but is not shown here. The substrate support 3 may be vertically height adjustable using the support rod 26 as shown here, but it can also be fixedly positioned within the chamber 23.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, the lifting pin 28 is guided through the substrate support 3 in any case. The lifting pin 28 is supported by a support plate 29. The support plate 29 can be directed with great precision by appropriate adjustment of the lifting rod 5. When the lifting rod 5 is raised upward along the lifting motion trajectory 7 by the lifting rod linear drive device 6, the lifting pin 28 supported by the support plate 29 is also moved upward, raising the substrate 2 placed on the substrate support 3. By lowering the lifting rod 5 downward along the lifting motion trajectory 7, the support plate 29 is also lowered. As a result, the lifting pin 28 and the substrate 2 placed on the lifting pin 28 also lower accordingly. In other words, in this embodiment, the lowering of the substrate 2 onto the substrate support 3 or the raising of the substrate 2 from the substrate support 3 using the lifting rod 5 is performed via the support plate 29 and the lifting pin 28. However, of course, there may be configurations that differ from these, in which the lifting rod 5 directly engages with the substrate 2 at its end, particularly at the end opposite to the lifting rod linear drive device 6, thereby allowing the substrate 2 to be raised from the substrate support 3 or lowered onto the substrate support 3. For this purpose, for example, an opening (not shown herein) may be provided in the substrate support 3, through which the lifting rod 5 can be adequately guided, thereby allowing the lifting rod 5 to directly reach the substrate 2.

[0028] Figure 3 shows this embodiment in a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line BB shown in Figure 1. Figure 6 shows this embodiment in a similar manner to Figure 2, but here the lifting rod 5 is raised vertically until the lifting rod 5 uses the support plate 29 and lifting pin 28 to raise the substrate 2 from the substrate support 3. During processing of the substrate 2, if the substrate 2 is placed on the substrate support 3 as shown in Figure 2, the substrate 2 can be grasped at the position shown in Figure 6, for example, by a suitable robot arm or similar device, and removed through the chamber opening 21, or conversely, moved from the outside through the chamber opening 21 into the chamber chamber 23 and lowered onto the lifting pin 28. The lowering of the substrate 2 is then similarly performed by moving the lifting rod 5 downward along the lifting motion trajectory 7.

[0029] Figure 4, which shows an enlarged view of detail C in Figure 2, shows one of the adjustment screws 8 that is screwed in through a corresponding adjustment screw housing opening 12 provided through the drive unit housing flange 10. The corresponding threads provided on the adjustment screw housing opening 12 and the adjustment screw 8 are not shown separately, but may be formed as is known in the prior art. These threads are typically male threads on the adjustment screw 8 and corresponding female threads on the drive unit housing flange 10 surrounding the adjustment screw housing opening 12. By screwing in and out of the adjustment screw 8, the amount of overhang 13 of each adjustment screw 8 beyond the drive unit housing flange 10 can be adjusted on the assembly surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10 located on the opposite side from the drive unit housing 9. The amount of overhang 13 also pre-sets the gap width 30 in the area of ​​each adjustment screw 8. The individual adjustment screws 8 and thus the adjustment screw housing openings 12 are spaced apart from each other and arranged in the drive unit housing flange 10, as can be clearly seen in Figure 1. Preferably, the drive unit housing flange 10 is provided with exactly three adjustment screws 8, each screwed in through one of the adjustment screw housing openings 12. Preferably, the adjustment screws 8 have appropriately fine threads, as mentioned at the beginning, so that the amount of overhang 13 beyond the mounting surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10 can be adjusted with great precision.

[0030] In addition to the adjustment screws 8, the lifting device 1 further has a number of coupling screws 15. These coupling screws 15 are guided through the drive unit housing flange 10 and work to secure the drive unit housing flange 10 to the chamber flange 16 of the process chamber 4. For this purpose, the threaded pins 32 of the coupling screws 15 are screwed into corresponding threaded holes 33 in the chamber flange 16. Preferably, the lifting device 1 is specified to have a stopper 18 for each coupling screw 15 to preset the screwing depth 17 of each coupling screw 15 into the chamber flange 16. That is, each coupling screw 15 is screwed through a corresponding opening in the drive unit housing flange 10 until the stopper 18 of the coupling screw 15 abuts against the chamber flange 16, thereby presetting the determined screwing depth 17. In the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, each stopper 18 is formed on a bushing 19, and each connecting screw 15 is guided through each bushing 19.

[0031] The coupling screws 15 are also preferably spaced apart from each other and guided through the drive unit housing flange 10. The embodiment shown herein illustrates that each coupling screw 15 may be located near each adjustment screw 8. However, this is not necessarily required.

[0032] In addition to the adjustment screws 8 and coupling screws 15, the lifting device 1 according to the present invention preferably has a plurality of elastic preloading elements 20 for applying an elastic preload to the drive unit housing flange 10 toward the chamber flange 16 of the process chamber 4. Preferably, as realized here, the preloading direction of the elastic preloading elements 20 is specified to be oriented such that the preloading elements 20 apply a preload to the drive unit housing flange 10 toward the chamber flange 16. In other words, the preload of the elastic preloading elements 20 acts in a direction that reduces the gap width of the gap 30 between the drive unit housing flange 10 and the chamber flange 16. This also means that the elastic preload of each elastic preloading element 20 acts in the opposite direction to the increase in the overhang 13 of each adjustment screw 8 beyond the drive unit housing flange 10 at the mounting surface located opposite to the drive unit housing 9.

[0033] The elastic preload elements 20 can be configured in various ways. The elastic preload elements 20 may be metal springs or other elastic bodies. In a preferred configuration, the elastic preload elements may be specified to be formed in annular shape, as shown herein. For example, as shown herein, disc springs can be used as the elastic preload elements 20. The disc springs may be individual disc springs or a set of disc springs, as shown in the embodiment herein. Particularly preferably, as shown herein, the coupling screws 15 are guided through the coupling screw receiving openings 22 of each of the elastic preload elements 20.

[0034] Regardless of the specific configuration, it is preferable that the adjustment screws 8 and the elastic preload elements 20 interact with each other to adjust the width of the gap 30 in each region of the adjustment screw 8. When the overhang 13 is increased by screwing each adjustment screw 8 in proportion to the adjustment screw receiving opening 12 in the drive unit housing flange 10, the gap width of the gap 30 in this region is also increased accordingly. In this case, the elastic preload elements 20 are compressed against the preload. Conversely, when the overhang 13 of the adjustment screw 8 on the mounting surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10 is decreased by rotating each adjustment screw 8 in proportion to the opposite direction, the preload of the elastic preload elements 20 works to reduce the gap width of the gap 30 in this region. This allows for extremely precise adjustment of the position of the drive unit housing flange 10 relative to the chamber flange 16, and consequently the position of the lifting motion trajectory 7 or the lifting rod 5, by appropriately adjusting the amount of adjustment screw 8 screwed in and out, and thus the amount of extension 13 of the adjustment screw 8 beyond the mounting surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10. As a result, in this embodiment shown here, the orientation and position of the support plate 29 in the chamber 23 are also automatically adjusted with extremely high precision.

[0035] The mounting surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10, located on the side opposite to the drive unit housing 9, is preferably formed as a flat surface. Preferably, the same applies to the corresponding surface of the chamber flange 16 facing the drive unit housing flange 10. However, both are not necessarily required. The mounting surface 14 and the correspondingly opposing surfaces of the chamber flange 16 may be formed in other ways.

[0036] As can be clearly seen in Figure 4, both elastic preload elements 20, formed here as disc springs, are sandwiched between the bush 19 and the drive unit housing flange 10. When the coupling screws 15 are screwed into the threaded holes 33 in the chamber flange 16 until they reach the stoppers 18, the bush 19 and the elastic preload elements 20 are held in place by the respective coupling screws 15 to prevent them from being lost. In this embodiment, to prevent the loss of the bush 19 and / or preload elements 20 even before the coupling screws 15 have been screwed into the chamber flange 16 through the drive unit housing flange 10, a fixing screw 24 is provided, particularly in Figure 5 or in the corresponding area D in Figure 3. These fixing screws 24, at their respective heads, press the bushings 19 and elastic preload elements 20 against the drive unit housing flange 10 using the support discs 25, as shown in Figure 5. This holds the bushings 19 and preload elements 20 immovably in their predetermined positions on the drive unit housing flange 10, even before the coupling screws 15 are present. Thus, in this first embodiment, the fixing screws 24 are purely mounting aids. Once the coupling screws 15 are sufficiently screwed through the drive unit housing flange 10 into the chamber flange 16, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the fixing screws 24 and support discs 25 are no longer necessary. Nevertheless, the fixing screws 24 and support discs 25 do not get in the way in this state and may be left in place.

[0037] Figures 7 to 12 show a second embodiment of the lifting device 1 according to the present invention in a corresponding chamber 4, in which the fixing screws 24 and support discs 25 are omitted. The second embodiment is equivalent to the first embodiment except for the differences described below, so only the differences will be discussed here. For other points regarding the second embodiment, refer to the description above for the first embodiment.

[0038] Similarly, in this second embodiment, Figure 7 shows a view of the lifting device 1 and chamber 4 from below. Similarly, Figures 8 and 12 show vertical cross-sectional views along the cutting line EE shown in Figure 7. In Figure 8, the lifting rod 5 is moved downward along the lifting motion trajectory 7 until the substrate 2 is placed on the substrate support 3. In the situation shown in Figure 12, the substrate 2 is raised from the substrate support 3 by moving the lifting rod 5 further upward. Figure 9 shows a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line FF. Figure 10 shows an enlarged view of the region G shown in Figure 8. Figure 11 shows an enlarged view of the region H shown in Figure 9. Figures 10 and 11 also clearly show the differences from the first embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that in this modified form, each bushing 19 is formed integrally with each connecting screw 15. This makes it possible in this embodiment to form each stopper 18 on each coupling screw 15 itself. The fixing screws 24 and support discs 25 are completely omitted in this embodiment. Instead, the interaction between the adjustment screw 8 and the elastic preload element 20 in this embodiment, and in particular, functions in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Here again, the position of the lifting motion track 7 is adjusted by the corresponding screwing in and / or screwing out of the adjustment screw 8 and consequently the corresponding overhang 13 of the adjustment screw 8 beyond the mounting surface 14 of the drive unit housing flange 10.

[0039] In the third embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 13 to 18, the differences from the first and second embodiments can again be found in the region of the coupling screws 15. In the third embodiment, the coupling screws 15 are formed as so-called shoulder bolts. That is, the stopper 18 of each coupling screw 15 is formed by a corresponding shoulder portion in the axial region of the coupling screw 15. The remaining axial portion of the coupling screw 15 is formed as a threaded pin 32, which is similarly screwed into a corresponding threaded hole 33 in the chamber flange 16. In this way, the stopper 18 similarly pre-sets the screwing depth 17 of the coupling screw 15. This can be seen particularly well in Figures 16 and 17. Figure 16 shows an enlarged view of region K shown in Figure 14, and Figure 17 shows an enlarged view of region L shown in Figure 15. In Figures 16 and 17, it can also be seen that the bushing 19 is completely omitted in this embodiment. Here, a support disc 25 is provided, supported on the head of each connecting screw 15. A preload element 20 is sandwiched between the support disc 25 and the drive unit housing flange 10.

[0040] Aside from the differences described above, the structure and functional form of this third embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, so for other points, refer to the description above for the first embodiment. It should also be noted that Figure 13 is a view of the lifting device 1 and process chamber 4 from below. Figures 14 and 18 similarly show vertical cross-sectional views along the cutting line II; Figure 14 shows the substrate 2 lowered onto the substrate support 3, and Figure 18 shows the substrate 2 lifted from the substrate support 3. Figure 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view along the cutting line JJ shown in Figure 13. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1. Lifting device 2 circuit boards 3. Substrate support 4 process chambers 5. Lifting rod 6. Lifting rod linear drive device 7. Lifting motion trajectory 8 Adjustment screws 9 Drive unit housing 10 Drive unit housing flange 11 Through-opening 12 Adjustment screw housing opening 13. Overhang 14 Assembly surface 15 connecting screws 16 Chamber flange 17 Screw-in depth 18 Stopper 19 Bush 20 Preloading elements 21 Chamber opening 22 Screw-receiving opening 23 Chamber 24 Fixing screws 25 Support disk 26 Support rod 27 Bellows 28 Elevating pins 29 Support plate 30 gap 31 Aperture 32 threaded pins 33 Threaded holes

Claims

1. A lifting device (1) for lowering a substrate (2) onto a substrate support (3) and lifting the substrate (2) from the substrate support (3) in a process chamber (4), in particular a vacuum process chamber, the lifting device (1) comprising: a lifting rod (5); a lifting rod linear drive (6) for reciprocating the lifting rod (5) along a linear lifting motion path (7); and a plurality of adjustment screws (8) for adjusting the position of the lifting motion path (7). The lifting device (1) comprises a drive unit housing (9) for the lifting rod linear drive unit (6), a drive unit housing flange (10), and a through-opening (11) surrounded by the drive unit housing flange (10), the lifting rod (5) is guided through the through-opening (11), the adjusting screws (8) are each screwed into an adjusting screw receiving opening (12) provided in the drive unit housing flange (10), the adjusting screw receiving openings (12) being arranged spaced apart from one another on the drive unit housing flange (10), and the amount of extension (13) of each of the adjusting screws (8) beyond the drive unit housing flange (10) at an assembly surface (14) of the drive unit housing flange located opposite the drive unit housing (9) can be adjusted by screwing each of the adjusting screws (8) into each of the adjusting screw receiving openings (12) to different depths.

2. 2. The lifting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that exactly three adjusting screws (8) are threaded into the drive housing flange (10) through each of the adjusting screw receiving openings (12), and / or the adjusting screws (8) each have a thread pitch in the range of 0.25 mm / revolution to 0.6 mm / revolution, preferably in the range of 0.3 mm / revolution to 0.5 mm / revolution.

3. 2. The lifting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that in addition to the adjusting screw (8), the lifting device (1) has a plurality of connecting screws (15) each guided through the drive device housing flange (10) for fixing the drive device housing flange (10) to a chamber flange (16) of the process chamber (4).

4. The lifting device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that for each of the coupling screws (15), a stop (18) is provided for presetting the screw-in depth (17) of each of the coupling screws (15) into the chamber flange (16).

5. 5. The lifting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the stoppers (18) is formed on each of the connecting screws (15) itself, or each of the stoppers (18) is formed on a respective bushing (19), and each of the connecting screws (15) is guided through each of the respective bushings (19).

6. The lifting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting device (1) has a plurality of elastic preload elements (20) for applying an elastic preload to the chamber flange (16) of the process chamber (4) or to the drive device housing flange (10) towards the chamber flange (16).

7. 7. The lifting device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the elastic preload of each elastic preload element (20) is directed in the opposite direction to the increase in the extension (13) of the respective adjusting screw (8) over the drive unit housing flange (10) at the assembly surface (14) located opposite the drive unit housing (9), and / or the elastic preload elements (20) are each formed annularly, preferably as at least one disc spring.

8. 4. The lifting device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the connecting screws (15) is guided through a connecting screw receiving opening (22) of each of the elastic preload elements (20).

9. 2. The lifting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting surface (14) of the drive housing flange (10) located on the side opposite the drive housing (9) is formed as a flat surface.

10. An assembly comprising a process chamber (4) having a chamber flange (16), 10. The assembly additionally comprises a lifting device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the lifting device (1) is fixed to the chamber flange (16) by the drive housing flange (10), the lifting rod (5) extends into the chamber interior (23) of the process chamber (4), and the position of the lifting movement path (7) of the lifting rod (5) is adjustable by adjusting the extension (13) of each of the adjusting screws (8) beyond the drive housing flange (10) at an assembly surface (14) of the drive housing flange (10) located opposite the drive housing (9).

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