Substrate lift assembly, system including substrate lift assembly and method of using the same

Abstract

To provide a substrate lift pin assembly, a system including the assembly, and a method of using the same.SOLUTION: An assembly may include one or more lift pins and a sensor for detecting one or more of presence and status information of the one or more lift pins. The system may be configured to provide an alarm and / or cease operation on the basis of the presence and / or status information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a substrate processing system, and more specifically, to methods and apparatuses for detecting the presence and / or condition of one or more lift pins in a substrate processing system.

Background Art

[0002] Substrate processing apparatuses can be used for various applications. For example, substrate processing apparatuses can be used in the manufacture of electronic devices such as semiconductor devices and solar power generation devices.

[0003] Typical electronic device manufacturing includes vapor deposition, etching, and / or cleaning of substrates. During such processing, the substrate is typically placed on a susceptor within a reaction chamber of a reactor system.

[0004] In some reactor system designs, including some ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) reactor systems or apparatuses, the substrate is loaded onto the susceptor when the susceptor is in the load / unload position, and then the susceptor is moved to a processing position for processing using a susceptor lift or elevator. When the processing is complete, the susceptor can be configured to move to the load / unload position.

[0005] To facilitate loading of the substrate onto the susceptor and removal from the susceptor, lift pins can be used to lift the substrate above the surface of the susceptor when the susceptor is in the load / unload position.

[0006] Due to several factors, lift pins can become clogged, damaged, or even broken, resulting in damage, breakage, or displacement of the substrate, which can affect substrate processing, for example, exacerbating variations in etching, cleaning, and / or deposition processes. Often, clogged or damaged lift pins may not be detected for a period of time. As a result, multiple substrates may be affected until the problem is detected.

[0007] Existing design approaches for detecting damaged or broken lift pins are not widely adopted or may not be effective. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method for accurately and cost-effectively detecting the occurrence of displaced or damaged lift pins in order to warn the user of the reactor system and / or stop production until the problem is identified and solved.

[0008] Any description of problems and solutions related to the related art is included in the present disclosure solely for the purpose of providing background information for the present disclosure, and it should not be considered an admission that any or all of the descriptions were known at the time the present invention was made. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] This summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are described in more detail in the "DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION", which are exemplary embodiments of the following disclosure. This "SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION" is not necessarily intended to identify the main features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0010] The present disclosure generally relates to a substrate lift assembly that uses lift pins to facilitate loading of a substrate, such as a wafer, onto a susceptor within a reaction chamber and removal of the substrate, such as a wafer, from the susceptor. Embodiments of the present disclosure will discuss in more detail below how to address various problems of conventional assemblies. Generally, the present disclosure provides an assembly that can detect the presence (e.g., absence or non-presence) and / or condition (e.g., damage) of lift pins during operation of a system including such an assembly. **Means for Solving the Problems**

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a substrate lift assembly is provided. The substrate lift assembly includes a susceptor, a plurality of lift pins extending through the body of the susceptor, a plate, a sensor, and a lift mechanism for moving the susceptor relative to the plate. According to an example of these embodiments, the sensor is configured to detect one or more of the presence information and condition information associated with one or more (e.g., each) of the plurality of lift pins. According to a further example, the plate includes a plurality of lift pin pads corresponding to each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins. According to a further example, the substrate lift assembly includes a plurality of sensors including the above sensor. In such a case, each of the plurality of sensors may be formed on or within the lift pin pads of the plurality of lift pin pads. The sensor may be, for example, a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, a diffusion sensor, a resistance temperature detector, a linear variable differential transformer, a load cell, a voltmeter, a strain gauge, a piezoelectric device, etc., or a configuration including them. In some cases, one or more sensors may be connected to the bottom surface of the plate. In some cases, the plate has an opening or a feedthrough, and at least a part of the sensor is within the feedthrough. According to a further example, the assembly includes a controller connected to one or more sensors. The controller may be configured to stop the operation of the assembly and / or the reactor system based on one or more of the presence information and condition information associated with each of the lift pins.

[0012] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided for detecting one or more of the presence and state of one or more lift pins. The method may comprise providing one or more lift pins within a susceptor, providing a sensor proximate to the one or more lift pins, moving the susceptor, and sensing one or more of the presence and state of each of the one or more lift pins. One or more of the presence and state may be detected using, for example, the force applied by one or more lift pins, light transmission, resistance value, linear movement of one or more lift pins, lift pin pad contact and / or release time associated with each or one or more lift pins, voltage, strain, and / or the like.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a system is provided. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the system includes a reaction chamber, a lift assembly (e.g., the lift assembly described above and elsewhere in the present disclosure), and a controller. The controller may be configured to move the susceptor and stop the operation of the assembly or system based on one or more of the presence information of the lift pins and the state information of the lift pins.

[0014] All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. These embodiments and other embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which is a specific embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the present disclosure is not limited to any particular one or more embodiments considered.

[0015] This specification has been set forth in the form of claims specifically pointing out and distinctly claiming what is regarded as embodiments of the present disclosure, but the advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from a reading of the description of some of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]

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MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0017] It will be understood that the elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, some dimensions of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to assist in the understanding of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Specific embodiments and examples are disclosed below, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the present disclosure extends to the specifically disclosed embodiments and / or uses of the present disclosure, as well as obvious variations and equivalents thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by the specific embodiments described herein.

[0019] As will be described in more detail below, various details and embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in connection with a reactor system used in the manufacture of electronic devices. For example, the assembly and system can be used in conjunction with a reactor system having one or more reaction chambers configured to deposit material on a substrate, etch material from a substrate, clean the surface of a substrate, and / or process the surface of a substrate.

[0020] The inventors have recognized the importance of sensing or detecting one or more of the presence information and status (e.g., breakage or damage) information associated with lift pins used to lift a substrate from a susceptor surface. The presence information and / or status information can be used to alert the operator of the reactor system to address problems and / or to stop the operation of the assembly and / or system.

[0021] The term "substrate" as used in this disclosure may be used to form a device, circuit, or film, or may refer to any one or more underlying materials on which a device, circuit, or film may be formed. The substrate may include a bulk material such as silicon (e.g., single crystal silicon), other Group IV materials such as germanium, or compound semiconductor materials such as GaAs, and may include one or more layers above or below the bulk material. Further, the substrate may have various topologies (such as recesses, lines, and the like) formed in or on at least a portion of the layers of the substrate.

[0022] Further in this disclosure, any two numbers of a variable may constitute an executable range of that variable, and any range shown may include or exclude endpoints. Additionally, any value of a variable shown (regardless of whether they are shown with "about") refers to an exact value or about that value, may include equivalents, and may refer to an average value, median value, representative value, majority, or the like. Further, in this disclosure, the terms "including", "constituted by", and "having" may, in some embodiments, independently refer to "typically or broadly comprising", "comprising", "consisting essentially of", or "consisting of". Further, this term can include "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of". "Substantially" can mean within about ±10 or ±5 percent in relative or absolute percentage. In this disclosure, none of the defined meanings necessarily exclude the ordinary and customary meanings in some embodiments.

[0023] Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 1 shows the system 100 in a loading / unloading configuration, and FIG. 2 shows the system 100 in a processing position.

[0024] In the illustrated embodiment, the system 100 includes a reactor or reaction chamber 101 including an upper chamber 102 and a lower chamber 104, a separation plate 106 between the upper chamber 102 and the lower chamber 104, a substrate lift assembly 103, a controller 105, a gas dispersion assembly 120, and an exhaust source 121.

[0025] The reaction chamber 101 may be a reaction chamber suitable for a gas-phase reaction, or may be configured to include such a reaction chamber. The reaction chamber 101 can be formed from a suitable material such as quartz, metal, or the like, and may be configured to hold one or more substrates for processing. The reactor system 100 may be configured to include any suitable number of reaction chambers 101, and optionally may be configured to include one or more substrate handling systems. The reaction chamber 101 may be configured as a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) reactor, a cyclic deposition process reactor (e.g., a cyclic CVD reactor), an ALD reactor, a PEALD (Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition) reactor, or the like, and any of them may be configured to include a plasma device such as a direct plasma device and / or a remote plasma device. The system 100 can be used to process substrates. Generally, substrate processing is performed in the upper chamber 102, and substrate loading and unloading are performed in the lower chamber 104.

[0026] The separation plate 106 may be configured as a substantially annular ring. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the separation plate 106 can be used to separate or provide a tortuous path for gas between the upper chamber 102 and the lower chamber 104 during substrate processing.

[0027] The substrate lift assembly 103 includes a susceptor 108, a plurality of lift pins 125, 126, a plate 107 (which can form the inner lower surface of the reaction chamber), one or more sensors 128, 130, and a lift mechanism 112 such as a movable (e.g., in the vertical direction) elevator. As will be described in more detail below, one or more sensors 128, 130 can be used to detect one or more of the presence information and status information associated with each of the plurality of lift pins 125, 126. In some cases, the system 100 includes a plurality of lift pin pads 148, 150 corresponding to each of the plurality of lift pins 125, 126. As will be discussed in more detail below, the lift pin pads 148, 150 may be formed on the plate 107, may be integral with the plate 107, or may be protrusions of the plate 107. In some cases, one or more sensors 128, 130 may be configured to be incorporated into their respective lift pin pads 148, 150. As another configuration, as will be described below, the sensors 128, 130 may be separated from the lift pin pads 148, 150. In these cases, the system may include the sensors 128, 130 but may not include the lift pin pads 148, 150.

[0028] The susceptor 108 has a susceptor upper surface 110, a susceptor bottom surface 111, and a susceptor body 113 extending therebetween. The susceptor body 113 can be formed of any suitable material such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or a ceramic such as aluminum nitride. The thickness of the susceptor body 113 between the upper surface 110 and the bottom surface 111 may be about 1 to about 22 mm or about 16 to about 22 mm. The substrate 114 may be located on the upper surface 110 and, as shown in FIG. 2, may be located in the processing region 116 when the susceptor 108 moves upward in the direction of arrow 118. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first sealing member 122 may be located on the susceptor 108 and may be removable from the susceptor 108, while the second sealing member 124 may be located between the upper chamber 102 and the lower chamber 104. In some embodiments, the second sealing member 124 may be positioned so as to be at least partially placed on the interface plate 106, or may be connected to the interface plate 106 or any other suitable portion of the reaction chamber 101.

[0029] The lift pins 125, 126 extend through the body 113 of the susceptor 108. As shown, each lift pin 125, 126 may be configured to have a top or head 127, 129, a lift pin body 131, 133, and a bottom or base 135, 137. The lift pin bodies 131, 133 extend between their respective heads 127, 129 and bases 135, 137. In the illustrated example, the cross-sections of the heads 127, 129 and the cross-sections of the bases 135, 137 are larger than the cross-sections of the lift pin bodies 131, 133. In some cases, only the cross-sections of the heads 127, 129 may be larger than the cross-sections of the lift pin bodies 131, 133. As shown, the upper sections 127, 129 may be received within recesses 139 in the susceptor 108 such that the upper portions of the upper sections 127, 129 are below the surface 110 during substrate processing. The bottoms / bases 135, 137 may be weighted and / or functionalized as will be described in more detail below. The number of lift pins 125, 126 can vary. However, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the substrate lift assembly 103 comprises a plurality of lift pins. This plurality may include, for example, three or more lift pins.

[0030] When used in connection with the lift pin pads 148, 150, the lift pins 125, 126 may be relatively short. For example, the height of the lift pins 125, 126 from the top of the heads 127, 129 to the bottom of the bases 135, 137 or the bottom of the bodies 131, 133 can be from about 45 mm to about 75 mm, or from about 50 to 70 mm. The cross-sectional dimensions of the heads 127, 129 can be from about 2 mm to about 6 mm, or from about 2 mm to about 4 mm. The cross-sectional dimensions of the bases 135, 137 can be from about 15 mm to about 30 mm, or from about 20 mm to about 25 mm.

[0031] The lift pins 125, 126 can be formed of any suitable material. For example, the lift pins 125, 126 can be formed of stainless steel or a ceramic material. In some cases, the lift pins 125, 126 can be formed of a high flexural strength and fracture resistant material, such as SiAlON (a ceramic alloy based on silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), oxygen (O), and nitrogen (N)), Si3N4, SiC, etc.

[0032] The plate 107 has a plate top surface 141 and a plate bottom surface 143. The plate top surface 141 may be close to (e.g., directly opposed to) the susceptor bottom surface 111. The plate bottom surface 143 is on the opposite side of the plate top surface 141.

[0033] When included in the configuration, the pin pads 148, 150 can have a height H of from about 75 mm to about 125 mm or from about 80 mm to about 120 mm. As described above, in some cases, the pin pads 148, 150 include sensors such as the sensors described in the present disclosure. In other cases, the pin pads do not include sensors but may be present and used in relation to other sensors described in the present disclosure. The use of the pin pads 148, 150 can be advantageous because the pin pads 148, 150 can make the lift pins 125, 126 shorter and reduce the risk of breakage of the lift pins 125, 126.

[0034] Sensors 128 and 130 can generally be configured to detect one or more of the presence information and status information associated with each of the plurality of lift pins 125 and 126. As will be described in more detail below, sensors 128 and 130 can be configured in various forms. In some cases, system 100 may be configured with one sensor for each of lift pins 125 and 126. In other configurations, system 100 may be configured with two or more sensors for each of lift pins 125 and 126. Further, as described below, in some cases, sensors 128 and 130 are provided within reaction chamber 101 / lower chamber 104, and in other cases, sensors 128 and 130 are provided outside reaction chamber 101 / lower chamber 104.

[0035] When pin pads 148 and 150 include sensors (e.g., sensors 128 and 130), sensors 128 and 130 can be other sensors such as, for example, magnetic sensors, capacitance sensors, optical sensors (such as sensor 302 described below), load cells, voltmeters, piezoelectric devices, or other sensors described in the present disclosure, or can be configured to include any of these.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, bases 135 and 137 may be configured to include magnets or magnetic materials. In this case, sensors 128 and 130 can include magnets and can utilize the force between sensors 128 and 130 and corresponding lift pins 125 and 126 to detect one or more of the status (e.g., clogging or breakage) of the lift pins and / or the position information of the lift pins. As another configuration, bases 135 and 137 may be configured to include conductive materials, and sensors 128 and 130 can utilize changes in capacitance to detect one or more of the status of the lift pins and / or the position information of the lift pins.

[0037] According to other embodiments, sensors 128, 130 may be load cells, or may be configured to include load cells. By using load cell sensors (for example, those configured as part of pin pads 148, 150, or those separated from pin pads 148, 150), it is possible to detect whether two or more (for example, all) of lift pins 125, 126 are substantially simultaneously lifted by the susceptor. When a pin is lifted, the load cell returns to a zero value and there is no load. If all load cells return to a zero value within a given threshold (for example, less than about 2 seconds or less than about 3 seconds), there is a high probability that none of the lift pins are clogged. If a lift pin is clogged, it may be observed that the load cell / sensor returns to a zero value earlier than other load cell / sensors. The probability that all lift pins 125, 126 are clogged is very low, and the probability that all three lift pins 125, 126 are clogged at substantially the same height is even lower.

[0038] In some examples, the sensor may be a piezoelectric device, or may be configured to include a piezoelectric device. For example, the above-described load cell may be configured to include a piezoelectric device.

[0039] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, an electromagnetic field is applied to pin pads 148, 150, and the voltage is measured using sensors 128, 130 to detect whether lift pins 125, 126 are at a desired position / distance from their respective sensors 128, 130. Sensors 128, 130 may be voltmeters, or may be configured to include voltmeters, in such cases. During operation, when lift pins 125, 126 are lifted by susceptor 108, a voltage is induced. The induced voltage may be based on the distance of lift pins 125, 126 (for example, bases 135, 137) from each sensor 128, 130. In an ideal scenario, it is expected that when lift pins 125, 126 move relative to the sensors, the outputs from all sensors 128, 130 will be the same. If there is a deviation from the baseline data, it indicates that the pin is clogged or damaged.

[0040] The lift mechanism 112 may, for example, be configured to include a shaft 142 and a motor 115. The motor 115 can be used to move the shaft 142 and the susceptor 108 from the loading / removing position as shown in FIG. 1 to the processing position as shown in FIG. 2.

[0041] The gas dispersion assembly 120 may be a showerhead assembly or may be configured to include a showerhead assembly. As an example, the gas dispersion assembly 120 may be configured to include a showerhead plate 123 that includes a plenum region 152 and a plurality of holes 154.

[0042] The exhaust source 121 may, for example, be configured to include one or more vacuum sources. Exemplary vacuum sources include configurations comprising one or more dry vacuum pumps and / or one or more turbo molecular pumps.

[0043] The controller 105 may be configured to perform the operations of the system 100 and the substrate lift assembly 103. Further, the controller 105 may be configured to be connected, either wired or wirelessly, to one or more sensors such as the sensors 128, 130 described in this disclosure. As described above, the controller 105 may be configured to perform operations (e.g., send a warning signal and / or stop an operation) based on one or more of the presence information and the status information respectively associated with the lift pins. In some cases, the controller 105 may be or may include a programmable logic controller as described in this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 3 illustrates a substrate lift assembly 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Although not shown, the assembly 300 may be configured to include a susceptor such as susceptor 108. The assembly 300 includes a lift pin 125, (optionally) a lift pin pad 148, a plate 107, and a sensor 302 that includes an emitter 304 and a detector 306. The sensor 302 may be an optical sensor. The emitter 304 and the detector 306 may be configured to detect the presence or absence of the lift pin 125, for example, when the susceptor 108 is in the loading / unloading position. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the emitter 304 is an optical emitter such as a laser. The detector 306 may be an optical detector such as a laser light detector. The sensor 302 may be configured to detect whether the lift pin 125 is between the emitter 304 and the detector 306 either when the lift pin 125 should be present (e.g., during the loading / unloading process) or when the lift pin 125 should not be present (e.g., during the processing of the substrate 114). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one sensor 302 (i.e., one emitter 304 and one detector 306) is provided for each lift pin of a system such as system 100. As shown in the figure, the sensor 302 is within the reaction chamber 101 / lower chamber 104. Also, the assembly 300 may be configured to include feedthroughs and / or flanges as described below with reference to FIGS. 4, 8, 11, and 12.

[0045] Figures 4-6 show a substrate lift assembly 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate lift assembly 400 includes lift pins 404, a plate 412, and one or more sensors 402, such as one or more sensors 402, 506, 508 for lift pins 404, 502, 504 that may be the same as or similar to lift pins 125, 126. The lift pin 404 is illustrated as including a base 405 that may be the same as or similar to the base 135 described above. According to an embodiment, the base 405 may be a reflective material, such as polished stainless steel, chrome finish, or other materials having a mirror finish, or may be a configuration including such a reflective material.

[0046] Sensors 402, 506, and 508 may be diffuse sensors with background suppression, or may be of a configuration including the same. Sensors 402, 506, and 508 can be optical sensors. As shown in FIG. 4, sensor 402 may be of a configuration including a light emitter 406 and a light detector 408. The light emitter 406 can be, for example, a light emitting diode, or may be of a configuration including the same. The light detector 408 may be, for example, an infrared (IR) detector, a red light detector, a light detector, or a reflector / diffuse sensor, or may be of a configuration including any of these. As shown in the figure, the optical axes of the light emitter 406 and the light detector 408 may be offset. During operation, light can be radiated towards the lift pin base 405 and reflected back to the light detector 408. The information received by the light detector 408 is transmitted to the programmable logic controller 410, and the presence or absence of the base 405 relative to the plate 412 or the sensor 402, or the distance, can be detected. During operation, when the distance of the base 405 changes, the position where the light is received on the receiver element changes. This change is read by the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) 410 and converted into displacement. According to a particular embodiment, when the lift pin 404 approaches or leaves the sensor 402, the sensor 402 detects the displacement of the lift pin 404 and provides an output to the PLC 410, which generates a signal when it is determined that the lift pin 404 is jammed or otherwise not in the proper position or state.

[0047] In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, the sensors 402, 506, 508 are disposed outside the reaction chamber such as the reaction chamber 101 / lower chamber 104. FIG. 4 shows the sensor 402 that is completely outside the reaction chamber (e.g., the reaction chamber 101) or the plate 412, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show the sensors 402, 506, 508 that are partially within the plate 507 (which may be the same as or similar to the plate 107). Therefore, the state of the lift pin can be detected non-invasively from outside the reaction chamber. In this case, the flange 414 can be used to connect the transparent window 416 to the opening 411 of the plate 412. Here, the plate 412 may be the same as or similar to the plate 107 otherwise. The window 416 may be formed of, for example, quartz.

[0048] FIG. 7 illustrates another substrate lift assembly 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate lift assembly 700 includes lift pins 702, a plate 704, and one or more sensors 706.

[0049] The lift pins 702 can be the same as or similar to the lift pins 125 described above. In the illustrated example, the lift pin 702 includes a base 710. The base 710 may be a magnet, such as a real magnet or a permanent magnet, or may be a configuration including them.

[0050] The plate 704 may be the same as or similar to the plate 107 described above, except that the plate 704 may optionally have a convex section or convex region 708 that can receive at least a portion of the sensor 706. In some cases, the sensor 706 is connected to the plate 704 within the convex section 708. The convex section 708 can be the same as or similar to the pin pad 148 described above.

[0051] Sensor 706 may be a magnetic proximity sensor or may be configured to include a magnetic proximity sensor. The magnetic proximity sensor detects a magnetic field and can detect a permanent magnet through a non-ferromagnetic material (e.g., non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, quartz, etc.). During operation of the substrate lift assembly 700, when the lift pin 702 approaches the sensor 706, the sensor 706 detects a magnetic field and outputs a signal to the programmable logic controller 714 (optionally via the amplifier 716). The amplifier 716 can amplify the signal from the sensor 706 to the PLC 714. And the PLC 714 can generate and / or transmit a signal indicating the distance, presence, and / or state of the lift pin 702. In some cases, it may be configured to generate or transmit a signal when the detected distance for the operating state is outside the set value. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the lift assembly 700 includes one sensor for each lift pin.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor 706 is external to the reaction chamber, i.e., the sensor 706 is positioned on the outer surface of the plate 704 with respect to the lower chamber 712. Here, the lower chamber 712 may be the same as or similar to the lower chamber 104.

[0053] In the illustrated example, the lift assembly 700 includes a heat insulating material 718 interposed between the plate 704 and the sensor 706 (e.g., in direct contact with one or more of the plate 704 and the sensor 706). The heat insulating material 718 can reduce heat transfer between the lower chamber 712 and the sensor 706. When the sensor 706 is external to the reaction chamber, the heat insulating material 718 may be configured to include plastic (e.g., PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)).

[0054] FIG. 8 illustrates another substrate lift assembly 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate lift assembly 800 is similar to the substrate lift assembly 700, except that the substrate lift assembly 800 includes a sensor 806 that is exposed to an internal region of a reactor, such as a lower chamber 812 of the reactor chamber. Similar to the substrate lift assembly 700, the substrate lift assembly 800 includes lift pins 802, a plate 804, and one or more sensors 806. The lift pins 802 may be identical or similar to the lift pins 702, and the sensors 806 may be identical or similar to the sensors 706.

[0055] The plate 804 may be similar to the plate 704, except that the plate 804 has a convex portion 808 having an opening 811 therein. At least a portion of the sensor 706 may be inserted into the opening 811 such that a portion of the sensor 806 is exposed to an internal portion of the reactor (e.g., the lower chamber 812).

[0056] The sensor 806 can be sealed from ambient conditions while allowing the signal line 818 to be connected to the PLC 820 (and optionally an amplifier 822) using feedthroughs 814 and flanges 816. The PLC 820 and the amplifier 822 may be identical or similar to the PLC 714 and the amplifier 716 described above.

[0057] FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the operation of the substrate lift assemblies 700 and 800. FIG. 9 shows the assemblies 700, 800 in a loading / unloading position with the substrate 114 in the raised position. In this case, the bases 710, 810 may be in contact with or (at a distance) proximate to the sensors 706, 806. The distance may be based on the type of sensor used. Some sensors have a shorter sensing field than other sensors. FIG. 10 shows the assemblies 700, 800 in a processing position with the substrate 114 in the raised position.

[0058] FIG. 11 illustrates another substrate lift assembly 1100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The assembly 1100 includes a lift pin 1102, a plate 1104, and a sensor 1106.

[0059] The lift pin 1102 may be configured as described above. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the lift pin 1102 has a base 1103. The base 1103 may be formed of a metal such as stainless steel.

[0060] The plate 1104 may be the same as or similar to the base 810 described above. As shown, the plate 1104 has an opening 1108 in which at least a portion of the sensor 1106 is disposed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the sensor 1106 is exposed to the internal space 1120 of the reaction chamber.

[0061] The sensor 1106 may be a resistance temperature detector (RTD) (e.g., made of platinum) or include such a configuration. The sensor 1106 may, for example, exhibit a resistance value of 100 Ω at 0°C. The resistance value of the sensor 1106 changes with temperature. Thus, as the temperature changes (e.g., increases), the resistance value of the RTD also changes (e.g., increases). Therefore, the temperature can be measured by measuring the resistance value of the sensor 1106. During operation, when the lift pin 1102 contacts or is in a position close to the sensor 1106, the sensor 1106 detects a change in temperature. The change in temperature can be used to detect the presence and / or state of the lift pin 1102 and provide a signal.

[0062] The feed-through 1112 and the flange 1114 can be used to seal the sensor 1106 from the ambient conditions. The wire 1118 from the sensor 1106 to the programmable logic controller 1116 can be supplied through the feed-through 1112.

[0063] The programmable logic controller 1116 may be similar to other PLCs described in the present disclosure. For example, the PLC 1116 can receive signals from the sensor 1106 (and optionally an amplifier), detect the state and / or presence of the lift pin 1102, and transmit corresponding signals or perform the operations described in the present disclosure.

[0064] FIG. 12 illustrates another substrate lift assembly 1200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate lift assembly 1200 is similar to the substrate lift assembly 1100, except that the substrate lift assembly 1200 includes a lift pin 1202, a sensor 1206, an amplifier 1208, and a programmable logic controller 1210. The substrate lift assembly 1200 further includes a plate 1204, a feed-through 1212, and a flange 1214. The feed-through 1212 and the flange 1214 may be the same as or similar to the feed-through 1112 and the flange 1114 described above. The plate 1204 may be the same as or similar to the plate 1104 described above.

[0065] The lift pin 1202 may be the same as or similar to the lift pin 125 described above. In some cases, the lift pin 1202 has a base 1203, and in some cases, the base 1203 may have a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the body 1205. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the lift pin 1202, particularly the lift pin body 1205, is made of stainless steel or other conductive material, or includes stainless steel or other conductive material.

[0066] The sensor 1206 is or includes a Linear Variable Differential Transducer (LVDT) sensor. The sensor 1206 is configured to convert the linear motion of the lift pin 1202 into a variable corresponding to an electrical signal proportional to such motion. The amount or magnitude of the displacement may be proportional to the differential output of the sensor 1206. The greater the output voltage, the greater the displacement of the object. Using the signal from the sensor 1206, the presence and / or status information of the lift pin 1202 can be detected.

[0067] In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor 1206 includes a primary winding 1207, secondary windings 1209, 1211, and an iron core 1213 (e.g., soft). The iron core 1213 can be received by a portion of the lift pin 1202. For example, using the primary winding 1207, secondary windings 1209, 1211, and the soft iron core 1213, the sensor 1206 can measure the position of the lift pin 1202 in real time and provide signals to the amplifier 1208 and the PLC 1210 to detect the presence and / or status information corresponding to the lift pin 1202.

[0068] FIG. 13 illustrates another substrate lift assembly 1300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate lift assembly 1300 is similar to the substrate lift assembly 300, except that the substrate lift assembly 1300 includes a sensor 1306 and the components are inside and outside of a reaction chamber having a lower chamber 1301.

[0069] More specifically, the substrate lift assembly 1300 includes a lift pin 1302, a plate 1304, and a sensor 1306. The lift pin 1302 may be the same as or similar to the lift pin 125. The lift pin 1302 may have a configuration including a lift pin head 1307, optionally a lift pin base 1303, and a lift pin body 1305, such as the lift pin components described above in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0070] The plate 1304 may be a material that is transparent to the light emitted and / or detected by the sensor 1306 (e.g., more than 80% or more than 90% transparent), or may include such a material. As an example, the plate 1304 may be, for example, a quartz material that can form a window in the plate 107 described above, or may be a configuration including a quartz material.

[0071] The sensor 1306 includes a source 1308, a detector 1310, a first prism 1312, and a second prism 1314. The sensor 1306 may be an optical sensor. During operation, the light emitted from the source 1308 is directed towards the first prism 1312, the first prism 1312 directs the light towards the second prism 1314, and the second prism 1314 directs the light towards the detector 1310.

[0072] The source 1308 may be, for example, a light source such as a laser, or may be a configuration including it. The detector 1310 can detect light of one or more wavelengths emitted by the source 1308. The detector 1310 is electrically coupled to a programmable logic controller 1316 and provides a signal indicating the presence and / or state of the lift pin 1302 to the programmable logic controller 1316.

[0073] In the illustrated embodiment, the prisms 1312 and 1314 are configured to bend light at, for example, approximately 90 degrees. The distance between the prisms 1312 and 1314 may be, for example, between approximately 3 mm (e.g., the diameter of the pin) and the inner diameter of the reaction chamber or other cross-sectional measurements, and can be, for example, from approximately 350 to approximately 400 mm.

[0074] The PLC 1316 may be coupled to the power supply 1308 and / or the detector 1310 such that the PLC 1316 can supply power to the power supply 1308 and / or receive signals from the detector 1310. In some cases, the PLC 1316 may be configured to continuously monitor signals from the detector 1310 and correlate the received signals with the expected position of the lift pin 1302.

[0075] An example is illustrated where one supply source 1308 and one detector 1310 are provided for one lift pin 1302. However, in some cases, the assembly may be configured to include multiple lift pins for each supply source and / or detector. In such cases, multiple prisms such as prisms 1312, 1314, etc. may be in series.

[0076] FIG. 14 shows another substrate lift assembly 1400 according to another embodiment. The substrate lift assembly 1400 includes a lift pin 1402, a plate 1404, and a sensor 1406.

[0077] The lift pin 1402 has a lift pin body 1405 and a lift pin base 1403. The lift pin 1402 may be the same as or similar to the lift pin 125 described above.

[0078] The plate 1404 can be the same as or similar to the plate 107 described above. The sensor 1406 may be provided (e.g., directly) on the plate 1404.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensor 1406 is, or includes a configuration of, a (e.g., light) source 1408 and a (e.g., light) detector 1410. According to an example of the illustrated embodiment, the lift assembly 1400 is configured to detect the presence and / or status information of the lift pin by measuring the distance between the sensor 1406 and the lift pin 1402. More specifically, the sensor 1406 may be configured to measure the time it takes for a signal emitted from the source 1408 to reflect (or not reflect) from the lift pin 1402 and return to the detector 1410.

[0080] The sensor 1406 may be coupled to a programmable logic controller 1412 that can receive a signal from the sensor 1406 and determine the status and / or presence information associated with the lift pin 1402. For example, in some cases, the PLC 1412 can measure the distance of the lift pin 1402 from the sensor 1406 and correlate the distance with the expected distance of the lift pin 1402. If the distance exceeds or falls below the expected value, the PLC 1412 may be configured to generate and transmit a signal to stop the operation of the system such as the assembly 1400 and / or the system described in the present disclosure.

[0081] FIG. 15 shows a substrate lift assembly 1500 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate lift assembly 1500 includes a lift pin 1502, a plate 1504, a sensor 1506, and a shaft 1508.

[0082] The lift pin 1502 may be the same as or similar to the lift pin 125. Similarly, the plate 1504 may be the same as or similar to the plate 107.

[0083] Sensor 1506 is connected to a (e.g., movable) shaft 1508. The shaft 1508 may be the same as or similar to the shaft 142. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 15, when the shaft 1508 / 142 moves, the lift pin 1502 may be configured to move within the susceptor, for example, from a raised loading / removal position to a lowered processing position. The sensor 1506 may be configured to include, for example, the emitter and detector described above in connection with FIG. 3, or may be configured to include other suitable sensors such as other sensors described in the present disclosure. One or more sensors 1506 may be connected to a programmable logic controller, detect presence, distance, and / or status information, and transmit a corresponding signal to stop the operation of the assembly 1500 or a system including such an assembly.

[0084] In some cases, the assembly 1500 may be configured to include two or more sensors 1506 for one or more lift pins 1502 to determine the position and / or status of the lift pins 1502.

[0085] FIG. 16 shows yet another substrate lift assembly 1600 according to a further exemplary embodiment. The substrate lift assembly 1600 includes a lift pin 1602, a plate 1604, and a sensor 1606 provided on or within an opening of the plate 1604.

[0086] The lift pin 1602 may be the same as or similar to the lift pin 125. Similarly, the plate 1604 may be the same as or similar to the plate 107. Although not separately illustrated, the substrate lift assembly 1600 may be configured to preferably include a flange and a feedthrough, such as those described above in connection with FIG. 4.

[0087] Sensor 1606 may be a strain gauge or may be configured to include a strain gauge. In some cases, sensor 1606 may be a lift pin pad, such as the lift pin pad described in the present disclosure, or may be configured to form a part thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, sensor 1606 includes a sensor plate 1608 and a strain gauge 1610 attached (e.g., directly) to the sensor plate 1608 using, for example, an adhesive. One or more wires 1612 from the strain gauge 1610 may be supplied through the feedthrough and the flange as described above. A signal from the strain gauge 1610 is transmitted to the programmable logic controller 1614 and can detect the presence (or absence) and / or the state of the lift pin 1602. For example, the PLC 1614 can compare the expected strain with the measured strain to determine whether the lift pin 1602 is jammed (e.g., within the susceptor), damaged, or missing.

[0088] According to further embodiments of the present disclosure, a method is provided. According to aspects of these embodiments, a method of detecting one or more of the presence and state of one or more lift pins includes providing one or more lift pins within a susceptor, providing a sensor proximate to the one or more lift pins, moving the susceptor, and detecting (i.e., sensing) one or more of the presence, distance (e.g., from the sensor), and state (e.g., stuck or broken) of the lift pins. The determining step may be configured to include measuring a force applied by the one or more lift pins, light transmission, resistance value, linear movement of the one or more lift pins, contact and / or release time of a lift pin pad associated with each or one or more of the lift pins, voltage, strain, or the like. For example, the detecting or measuring step may be configured to include emitting light and detecting the presence or absence of light. In some cases, the detecting or measuring step includes emitting light and measuring the amount of light or the amount of time to receive reflected light. In other cases, the detecting or measuring step includes measuring a magnetic force. Other examples of detecting the state, distance, and / or presence of lift pins are described above.

[0089] Advantages, other advantages, and solutions to problems with specific embodiments are described in the present disclosure. However, such advantages, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that cause or make more prominent such advantages, advantages, or solutions are not to be construed as important, required, or essential features or elements of the present disclosure.

[0090] Throughout this specification, any reference to a configuration, advantage, or similar language does not imply that all configurations and advantages achievable in this disclosure must be included in, or are included in, any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, references to configurations and advantages are to be understood as meaning that a particular configuration, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed in this disclosure. Therefore, throughout this specification, descriptions of multiple configurations and advantages, or similar language, may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same single embodiment.

[0091] Furthermore, the described configurations, advantages, and characteristics of this disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the subject matter of this application may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional configurations and advantages may be recognized in a particular embodiment that are not present in all embodiments of this disclosure. Further, in some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not illustrated or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the subject matter of this disclosure. No element of any claim is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for".

[0092] The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by anything other than the appended claims, and the reference to an element in the singular in the appended claims is not intended to mean "one and only one" unless expressly stated otherwise, but rather is intended to mean "one or more." Specifically, unless otherwise specified, references to "a," "an," and / or "the" may include one or more than one, and it should be understood that references to singular items may also include plural items. Further, the term "plural" can be defined as "at least two." As used in the present disclosure, the phrase "at least one of" when used in conjunction with a listing of items means that one or more different combinations of the listed items may be used, and that only one of the items in the list may be required. An item may be a particular object, thing, or category. Further, when phrases similar to "at least one of A, B, and C" are used in the claims, such phrases are intended to be construed to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or any combination of elements A, B, and C, e.g., A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C may be present in a single embodiment. In some cases, "at least one of item A, item B, and item C" may mean, for example, but not limited to, two of item A, one of item B, and one of item C, or four of item B and seven of item C, or some other suitable combination.

[0093] All upper and lower limits of ranges and ratios disclosed in this disclosure may be combined. Unless otherwise indicated, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are used in this disclosure merely as labels and are not intended to impose sequential, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items they refer to. Further, for example, a reference to a "second" item does not require, and does not exclude, the presence of, for example, a "first" item or an item with a lower number, and / or, for example, a "third" item or an item with a higher number.

[0094] Any reference to being attached, fixed, connected, or the like may include any permanent, removable, temporary, partial, complete, and / or any other possible attachment options. Additionally, any reference to having no contact (or similar phrases) may include reduced contact or minimal contact. In the above description, certain terms such as "upper", "lower", "upper part", "lower part", "horizontal", "vertical", "left", "right", and the like may be used. These terms, when applicable, are used to provide some clarity in the description when dealing with relative relationships. However, these terms are not intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and / or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, simply by turning the object over, the "upper" surface may become the "lower" surface. In any case, it is still the same object.

[0095] In addition, examples in this specification where one element is "connected" to another element can include direct connections and indirect connections. A direct connection can be defined as one element being connected to another element and being in some state of contact therewith. An indirect connection can be defined as a connection between two elements that is not in a state of direct contact with each other, but having one or more additional elements between the connected elements. Further, when used in this disclosure, fixing one element to another element can include direct fixing and indirect fixing. In addition, when used in this disclosure, "adjacent" does not necessarily indicate contact. For example, one element can be adjacent to another element without contacting that element.

[0096] Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are described in the disclosure, but it will be understood that the disclosure is not so limited. For example, the reactor system is described in relation to various specific configurations, but the disclosure is not necessarily limited to these examples. Various modifications, changes, and alterations of the systems and methods described in the disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0097] The subject matter of the disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various systems, components, and configurations disclosed in the disclosure, as well as other configurations, functions, operations, and / or characteristics, and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A substrate lift assembly, comprising: a susceptor having a susceptor top surface, a susceptor bottom surface, and a susceptor body extending therebetween; a plurality of lift pins, each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins extending through the susceptor body; a plate having a plate top surface proximate to the susceptor bottom surface and a plate bottom surface opposite the plate top surface; a sensor; a lift mechanism for moving the susceptor relative to the plate; and the sensor detecting one or more of presence information and state information associated with each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins.

2. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lift pin pads corresponding to each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins.

3. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of sensors including the sensor, each of the plurality of sensors being formed on or in a lift pin pad of the plurality of lift pin pads.

4. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes one or more of a magnetic proximity sensor, an optical sensor, a diffusion sensor, a resistance temperature detector, a linear variable differential transformer, a load cell, a piezoelectric device, a voltmeter, or a strain gauge.

5. Each lift pin has a head, a base, and a lift pin body extending therebetween, and a cross section of the head and a cross section of the base are larger than a cross section of the lift pin body.

6. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is connected to the plate bottom surface.

7. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a feedthrough connected to the plate, and at least a portion of the sensor is within an opening of the plate.

8. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the sensor.

9. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 8, further comprising an amplifier connected between the sensor and the controller.

10. The plate has a protrusion, and the sensor is connected to the plate at the protrusion.

11. ​ The sensor includes a light emitter and a light detector, and the substrate lift assembly according to claim 1.

12. The sensor includes a load cell, and the substrate lift assembly according to claim 1.

13. The lift pin is made of silicon nitride, Si ３ N ４ , or SiC, and the substrate lift assembly according to claim 1.

14. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a prism.

15. The substrate lift assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a prism connected to the plate.

16. A method for detecting one or more of the presence and state of one or more lift pins, comprising: providing the one or more lift pins in a susceptor; providing a sensor proximate to the one or more lift pins; moving the susceptor; a sensing step of: the force applied by the one or more lift pins; light transmission; resistance value; the linear movement of the one or more lift pins; the contact and / or release time of a lift pin pad associated with each of the one or more lift pins; voltage; strain; and sensing at least one of them.

17. The sensing step includes: emitting light; detecting the presence or absence of the light, and the method according to claim 16.

18. The sensing step includes: emitting light; measuring the amount of the light, and the method according to claim 16.

19. The sensing step includes measuring a magnetic force, and the method according to claim 16.

20. A system, comprising: a reaction chamber; a lift assembly, comprising: a susceptor having a susceptor top surface, a susceptor bottom surface, and a susceptor body extending therebetween; a plurality of lift pins, each lift pin penetrating the susceptor body; a plate having a plate top surface proximate to the susceptor bottom surface and a plate bottom surface opposite the plate top surface; a sensor; a lift mechanism for moving the susceptor relative to the plate; and the sensor detects one or more of the presence information and state information associated with each of the plurality of lift pins of the plurality of lift pins. A system comprising: a controller configured to stop the operation of the system and move the susceptor based on one or more of the presence information and the state information.

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