Pin lifting device with sliding guide

Abstract

To provide a pin lifting device designed to move and position a substrate within a process atmosphere region that may be provided by a vacuum process chamber.SOLUTION: A pin lifting device 10 includes a connecting portion part 13 having a connecting portion 14 formed to receive a support pin designed to contact and carry a substrate. The connecting portion 14 is linearly adjusted along an adjusting axis A from a lowered normal position to an extended support position and an original position. Further, the device includes a drive unit 11, and the drive unit interacts with the connecting portion 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2a

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pin lifting apparatus for moving and positioning a substrate within a process chamber.

[0002] Pin lifting devices, also known as pin lifters, are usually designed and provided for the reception and defined positioning of substrates to be processed in a process chamber. They are used for vacuum chamber systems, especially in the field of IC, semiconductor, flat panel or substrate production, which must take place in a protected atmosphere free of contaminating particles.

[0003] Such a vacuum chamber system comprises at least one evacuable vacuum chamber, in particular provided for receiving a semiconductor element or substrate to be processed or manufactured, and has at least one vacuum chamber opening, through which the semiconductor element or other substrate can be guided into and out of the vacuum chamber. As an example, in a production factory for semiconductor wafers or liquid crystal substrates, sensitive semiconductor elements or liquid crystal elements pass sequentially through several process vacuum chambers, in which the parts located in the process vacuum chambers are each processed by means of a processing device.

[0004] Such process chambers often have at least one transfer valve, the cross section of which is adapted to the substrate and the robot and through which the substrate can be introduced into the vacuum chamber and optionally removed after the intended processing. Alternatively, a second transfer valve may be provided through which the processed substrate is removed from the chamber.

[0005] The substrate, e.g., a wafer, is guided by a suitably designed and controlled robot arm, which can be guided, for example, through an opening of the process chamber provided by a transfer valve. The process chamber is then loaded by gripping the substrate with the robot arm, introducing it into the process chamber and positioning it in a defined manner within the chamber. The process chamber is emptied accordingly.

[0006] For the installation of the substrate in the chamber and for its correct positioning, a relatively high degree of precision and mobility of the substrate must be ensured. For this purpose, pin lifting systems are used which provide multiple support points for the substrate and thus load distribution (due to the substrate's own weight) over the entire substrate.

[0007] As an example, the substrate is placed in the appropriate position by the robot via the support pins of a lifting device and lifted by the pins. Alternatively, the pins are in a receiving position and the robot places the substrate on the pins in this position. The substrate is loaded by lowering the pins onto a carrier, e.g. a potential plate (chuck), and the robot arm carrying the substrate is usually moved out of the chamber, e.g. simultaneously with or after the substrate is loaded or lowered. After the substrate is loaded, the pins can be further lowered and then separated from it, i.e. there is no contact between the pins and the substrate. After removing the robot arm and closing the chamber (and introducing or evacuating the process gas), the processing steps are carried out.

[0008] As an example, the effect of low force on the substrate is particularly important after a processing step has been performed in the chamber and when the substrate is subsequently lifted, since the substrate may adhere to the carrier. If the substrate is pushed out of the carrier too quickly, the substrate may break because the adhesion forces cannot be overcome or eliminated, at least at some contact points. In addition, any impact on the substrate may result in unwanted stress (or breakage), even when contact is established between the support pins and the substrate.

[0009] At the same time, the shortest possible processing times are also made possible, in addition to the most gentle and careful handling of the substrate to be processed, which means that the substrate can be brought into the chamber as quickly as possible to the defined conditions, the loading and unloading positions and the processing positions.

[0010] In order to avoid unwanted shocks during the processing of semiconductor wafers, for example, US Patent No. 6,481,723 B1 recommends the use of special stop devices in pin lifters instead of hard movement stops. Any hard plastic stops are here replaced by a combination of a softer designed stop part and a hard stop, where first the contact with the soft stop part is made to limit the movement, and then the hard stop contacts the soft stop and is damped accordingly.

[0011] US Patent No. 6,646,857 B2 proposes regulating the lifting movement by means of recorded occurring forces, whereby the support pins can be moved depending on the force signal received, so that the lifting forces on the support pins are always applied in a dosed and controlled manner.

[0012] With each machining cycle, the support pins are brought into contact with the substrate to be received and then released. This naturally results in corresponding mechanical stresses on the pins and the drive. The machining cycles are often relatively tightly timed and require a relatively short process time. A large number of repetitions within a relatively short time period can be the result of this process implementation. Usually, the support pins are therefore considered wear material and require regular replacement, i.e. they usually need to be replaced after a certain number of cycles or a certain operating time.

[0013] Therefore, the motors of mechatronically designed pin lifters, i.e., pin lifters having electric motors for adjusting the pins, are subject to increased stress and require precise control to make contact with the substrate.

[0014] Of course, some of such pin lifting devices are coupled to the process volume (process chamber), e.g., the pin lifting device is flanged to the process chamber. Such coupling typically affects various conditions (e.g., temperature, electrical potential) of the chamber depending on the conditions of the pin lifting device, and vice versa. Any electrical potential difference can create errors in the vacuum process (e.g., etching).

[0015] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved pin lifting apparatus in which the above disadvantages are reduced or avoided.

[0016] In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pin lifting device which allows an optimized, and in particular more precise and reliable, movement of the individual support pins with low maintenance requirements.

[0017] It is a further specific object of the present invention to provide a pin lifting apparatus which avoids the creation of potential differences.

[0018] These objects are solved by realizing the characterizing features of the independent claims. Alternative or advantageous further developing features of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0019] The present invention relates to a pin lifting device, in particular a pin lifter, designed to move and position a substrate, in particular a wafer (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) or a ring to be processed in a process atmosphere area that may be provided by a vacuum process chamber. The pin lifting device has a linkage part with a linkage designed to receive a support pin designed to contact and support the substrate. In addition, a drive unit is provided that is designed and interacts with the linkage so that the linkage can be moved linearly along an adjustment axis, i.e., from a lowered normal position, in particular for providing the support pin received by the linkage in an effect (e.g., moving, supporting and positioning a workpiece or substrate), to an extended support position, in particular for providing the intended effect of picking up and / or providing the substrate by the support pin, and back.

[0020] The intended effect of the support pins is essentially to pick up, contact, move, support and / or position a workpiece or substrate, etc. In this context, an ineffective state of the support pins is understood as a state in which the pins are not in contact (not yet in contact or no longer in contact) with the substrate to be contacted as intended, and in particular temporarily fail to serve their intended purpose, e.g. in a lowered waiting position. This is the case in particular while a machining process is being performed on the substrate. However, preparation for the intended effect does not mean that there is only contact between the support pins and the substrate, but rather that the pins can be in this state in an extended position and ready to receive (place) a wafer on the pins at any moment. In addition, processes or movements that take place in case of contact (transport of a wafer) should be understood as preparation for the intended effect.

[0021] The unloaded pick-up state represents a state in which the support pin to be received by the connection is not in the target position held relative to the connection (within the connection), whereas the loaded state should be understood as a state in which the support pin is held in the target position received by the connection.

[0022] The coupling part has a sliding guide element movable along the adjustment axis, which is connected to the drive unit and to the coupling part (at least indirectly in each case) and provides an interaction between the coupling part and the drive unit. The sliding guide element has at least one sliding element, which cooperates with a guide surface provided by the coupling part, such that the sliding guide element can be guided linearly along the adjustment axis and in a sliding manner relative to the guide surface.

[0023] The sliding guide element offers the advantage that a direct connection between the drive and the coupling can be avoided. This can provide electrical isolation between these components. In addition, the sliding guide element can provide precise, low-friction movement of the internal moving components of the pin lifter. Due to its sliding properties, this movement can be provided without lubrication and thus with low maintenance. The interaction of the sliding guide element with the guide surfaces prevents the drive train from tilting, which in turn allows precise, jerk-free movement.

[0024] The present invention is not limited to pin lifting devices for transporting wafers. Rather, the substrate to be moved also encompasses replacement parts or workpieces. In particular, the substrate should be understood as a ring to be placed around the wafer to be processed. This ring is also placed on the chuck. The ring is preferably moved by the arrangement of pin lifting devices.

[0025] The inner diameter of the ring is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the wafer. The ring is used for a virtual enlargement of the wafer area. This allows accurate processing of the entire wafer while shielding the chuck. The ring thus forms a peripheral area for processing, although a reduced processing quality can be expected in this area anyway.

[0026] The pin lifting device can be arranged according to the dimensioning of the ring. By means of the pin lifting device, the ring can thus be moved separately from the wafer. Such an arrangement is also called a ring lifter.

[0027] The pin lifting device may accordingly be part of a ring lifter arrangement where the substrate is a ring.

[0028] In one embodiment, the pin lifting device has a dynamic separator for separating the process atmosphere area from the external atmosphere area, the drive unit being at least partially, in particular completely, assigned to the external atmosphere area and the connection being, in particular at least partially, assigned to the process atmosphere area. The defined internal volume can be changed by the separator, the change of the internal volume being correlated with the movement of the sliding guide element.

[0029] In particular, the dynamic separator can be connected to the sliding guide element such that when the connection is adjusted from the lowered normal position to the extended support position, the internal volume is reduced, in particular the spatial extension of the separator along the adjustment axis is reduced.

[0030] The dynamic separator may in particular take the form of a bellows located in the internal volume of the connection part. The separator of the pin lifting device may also be formed by the housing of the drive unit.

[0031] The drive unit can be designed as an electric motor, in particular a stepper motor, thus providing a mechatronic pinlifting device.

[0032] In one embodiment, the sliding guide element may have a central recess extending along (and in particular coaxially with) the adjustment axis, the recess may provide an internal thread. The pin lifting device may also have a threaded rod connected to the drive unit with an external thread, which interacts with the internal thread.

[0033] According to one aspect, the guide surface may be provided as an internal surface by the housing of the pin lifting device, in particular of the linkage portion.

[0034] In some aspects, the sliding element may be pretensioned by its interaction with the guide surface.

[0035] In particular, the sliding element, thanks to its geometric shape and spatial dimensioning, can provide an outer surface with a maximum distance (relative to the entire sliding guide element) in relation to the adjustment axis, the distance of the outer surface from the adjustment axis in the relaxed normal state being greater than the distance of the guide surface from the adjustment axis, whereby the sliding element is pretensioned in cooperation with the guide surface and provides a spring effect. The relaxed normal state corresponds in particular to a state in which the sliding guide element is neither in the pin lifting device nor in the connection part, but in particular separated.

[0036] In one embodiment, the sliding guide element may have at least one first sliding element at a first end with respect to the direction of extension of the sliding guide element and at least one second sliding element at a second end opposite the first end, wherein at least the first and at least the second sliding elements cooperate with guide surfaces such that the sliding guide element is mounted in a tilt-free manner, and the sliding guide element is in each case in a tilt-free manner within its range of mobility along the adjustment axis.

[0037] By designing the pin lifting device in this way, a uniform distribution of the fastening forces between the sliding elements and the guide surfaces can be achieved. This can ensure optimal sliding of the sliding guide elements in the joint parts. Furthermore, by suitably matching the fastening forces on the guide surfaces with the sliding properties, which can be adjusted in this way, lubricants can be avoided. A suitable selection of materials or coatings of the contact surfaces can also influence the sliding properties.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the sliding guide element may have a cylindrical shape, the sliding guide element being shaped in the manner of a hollow cylinder at least at the first upper end, the hollow cylinder wall having at least one second recess.

[0039] In particular, the at least one recess may be shaped such that the recess extends parallel to the cylindrical axis.

[0040] In one embodiment, the sliding guide element is provided by a hollow cylindrical section which may have at least two recesses extending in particular parallel to the cylinder axis, the sliding element being located between the two recesses, the recesses here being in particular present in different radial directions (with respect to the cylinder axis) and their axial positions at least overlapping, in particular coinciding.

[0041] The recess or recesses may in particular be formed in a slot-like manner, although alternative forms of recesses preferably defining a hollow cylindrical section are possible.

[0042] In particular, the cylindrical axis of the sliding guide element is coaxially aligned with the adjustment axis.

[0043] One aspect of the invention thus relates to a sliding guide element of a pin lifting device, in which the sliding guide element may be formed cylindrically with a circular bottom surface, the sliding guide element being formed in the manner of a hollow cylinder in upper and lower sections, the hollow cylindrical sections each having at least four slots provided parallel to the cylindrical axis, and a corresponding number of interleaved sliding elements being formed on each section.

[0044] The device according to the invention will be described in more detail below by way of specific embodiment examples which are illustrated diagrammatically in the drawings by way of example only, and further advantages of the invention will also be discussed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0045] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a vacuum processing apparatus for wafers together with a lifting apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2a] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a pin lifting device of the present invention. [Figure 2b] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a pin lifting device of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 shows an embodiment of a sliding guide element of a pin lifting device according to the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a process installation for processing semiconductor wafers 1 under vacuum conditions. The wafer 1 is placed in a vacuum chamber 4 (process atmosphere region P) by means of a first robot arm 2 through a first vacuum transport valve 5a and is placed in a suitable position by means of the support pins 7 (here three pins are shown) of a pin lifting device according to the invention. The wafer 1 is then picked up or placed on the pins 7 and the robot arm 2 moves away. The pins of the pin lifting device are now in an extended support position. The wafer 1 is usually placed on a support device provided on the robot arm or on the robot arms 2, 3 or is held by means of a concrete support device. After the wafer 1 has been picked up by the pins 7, the robot arm is guided out of the chamber 4, the transport valve 5a is closed and the pins 7 are lowered (to the normal position). This is carried out by means of the drives 6 of the pin lifting device which are connected to the respective pins 7. The wafer 1 is placed on the four support elements 8 thus shown.

[0047] In this condition, the desired processing (e.g. coating) of the wafer 1 is carried out under vacuum conditions and in particular in a defined atmosphere (i.e. with a constant process gas and under a defined pressure). For this purpose, the chamber 4 is connected to a vacuum pump and preferably to a vacuum control valve for controlling the chamber pressure (not shown).

[0048] After processing, the wafer 1 is lifted again to the removal position (support position) by means of a pin lifting device. At the second robot arm 3, the wafer 1 is subsequently removed by the second transfer valve 5b. Alternatively, the process can be designed with only one robot arm, in which case loading and unloading can be performed by a single transfer valve.

[0049] 2a and 2b show, in different cross-sectional views, one embodiment of a pin lifting device 10 according to the present invention. The pin lifting device 10 is shown in a lowered normal position.

[0050] FIG. 2a shows the drive unit 11 of the pin lifting device 10, designed as a motor (electric motor). The motor can be, for example, a servo or stepper motor. The drive unit 11 is coupled here to a shaft, designed as a mandrel 12, i.e. the shaft 12 can rotate by means of a motor. The rotation can be performed in a controlled manner, for example by a given number of rotations, or it can be regulated. A controlled operation is possible, for example in conjunction with an encoder, which provides a manipulated variable for the axial position of the support pin. In the shown example, the mandrel 12 has an external thread. The thread can be designed as a trapezoidal, pointed or round thread. The threaded rod 12 (mandrel) can thus be rotated by suitable control of the motor 12.

[0051] The pin lifter 10 is also characterized by a sliding guide element 20 according to the invention. The sliding guide element 20 has a central recess which extends axially in the direction of extension of the sliding guide element 20, in this case coaxially with the adjustment axis A. The recess is provided with an internal thread. The internal thread can be provided, by way of example, directly by the sliding guide element 20, i.e. the internal thread can be cut into the material of the sliding guide element 20. Alternatively, by way of example, an internally threaded sleeve can be provided in the recess.

[0052] The sliding guide element 20 is connected to the external thread of the axle 12 by means of its internal thread, i.e. the external and internal threads correspond and interact. The external thread engages with the internal thread. The axle 12 is directly connected only to the sliding guide element 20 as the movable element. In other words, the axle provides the connection of the drive 12 with the sliding guide element 20, in particular only with the sliding guide element 20.

[0053] This interaction makes it possible that, by rotating the mandrel 12, the sliding guide element 20 can be moved back and forth in the direction of extension of the adjustment axis A. The movement can thus take place axially along the adjustment axis A. For this purpose, the sliding guide element 20 can be mounted such that it is essentially unable to make a rotational movement about the adjustment axis, but can only move axially.

[0054] The sliding guide element 20 is also connected to the connection part 14 of the pin lifting device 10. The connection part 14, like the sliding guide element 20, can thus be moved axially from the lowered normal position shown, in particular, to the extended supporting position.

[0055] The connection part 14 has a receptacle 15 for receiving a support pin. Such a support pin is preferably designed to contact and support a substrate (e.g. a semiconductor wafer). The receptacle 15 comprises a ring or a spiral spring providing fastening fixation of the support pin in the connection part 14. However, the receptacle may also have an alternative fixing device (e.g. a collet, a magnet, a screw thread, etc.). The support pin can be inserted axially from above along the axis A through an opening provided for this purpose in the pin lifting device 10, in particular in the receptacle 15 of the connection part 14.

[0056] In this way, the sliding guide element 20 forms a coupling component, by means of which the support pin can ultimately be moved by a drive.

[0057] The advantage of this solution is that the connection of the drive train, here in particular the shaft provided as mandrel 12 and the coupling 14 to the shaft, exists in a tilt-free manner due to the interposed sliding guide element 20 and remains precisely axially aligned by the sliding guide element 20 even during movement. In addition, the sliding guide element 20 allows the required process tolerances in terms of the movement accuracy of the support pin both in the axial direction (avoidance of stick-slip effects) and in the lateral direction to be maintained. For this purpose, the sliding guide element 20 provides compensation in particular for production-related machine tolerances.

[0058] These advantages can be realized, for example, by adapted dimensioning and a corresponding selection of materials of the sliding guide element 20. By way of example, the inner surface 13a of the pin lifting device 10, in particular of the upper connection part 13, can form a sliding surface (guide surface) or sliding sleeve for the sliding guide element 20, which can at least partially contact this surface during movement. The inner surface 13a can in particular be provided by a housing wall of the pin lifter 10.

[0059] By selecting a suitable material, the movement of the sliding guide element 20 can be performed with low friction and without lubrication. By way of example, PTFE or another non-stick material can be selected as the production material or surface coating. The sliding guide element 20 and / or the inner surface 13a can comprise this material.

[0060] The sliding guide element 20 can also be designed in such a way that it acts as or has a spring element. A sliding element 22 designed in this way is shown by way of example in FIG. 3. This ensures a constant coaxial alignment of the sliding guide element 20 in the connector part 13.

[0061] In addition, the pin lifter 10 has a bellows 16 designed as an atmosphere separator. The bellows 16, the connector 14 and the receptacle 15 are part of the upper connector portion 13.

[0062] Bellows 16 is coupled at its upper end to the housing of pin lifter 10, either indirectly (e.g., by means of a top-mounted housing seal) or directly. At its lower end, bellows 16 is coupled to connector 14. The couplings are each formed in an airtight manner. The internal volume or axial extension of bellows 16 may be varied, particularly while maintaining atmospheric separation between the process atmosphere and the outside atmosphere.

[0063] 2b shows one embodiment of the connection of the sliding guide element 20 with the coupling 14. For this purpose, the sliding guide element 20 provides at least two parallel holes, designed in particular parallel to the central recess and here also parallel to the adjustment axis A. A screw 17 is passed through each of the holes and screwed with its screw end into the bellows 16, its screw head resting at the bottom on the sliding guide element 20. The lower part 14a (bottom) of the coupling 14 is positioned between the bellows 16 and the sliding guide element 20, whereby the coupling 14 rests on the sliding guide element 20 and is pressed against it in particular by the provided screw force.

[0064] The bellows 16 and the coupling 14 are joined such that the coupling 14 provides a one-sided atmospheric seal for the bellows 16 .

[0065] With such an arrangement, the linkage 14 together with the bellows 16 can be moved linearly within the pin lifting device 10 by actuating the mandrel 12 .

[0066] Since the threaded rod 12 is connected only to the sliding guide element 20 and has no direct connection with the connection 14 or with the bellows 16, the galvanic / electrical isolation of the drive 11 from the upper connection part 13 can be realized comparatively simply by such a design. For this purpose, the sliding guide element 20 is made of or coated with a non-conductive material. The housing can have a corresponding insulating isolation. In this case, the drive 11 has no conductive connection to the upper part of the pin lifting device 10, such as an electrical connection to the process chamber during general operation. The sliding guide element 20 according to the invention can thus provide in particular a galvanic isolation between the drive 11 and the process chamber (in particular a chuck in the process chamber). This can be advantageous to avoid potential-related influences during machining in the process chamber. Potential differences can lead to substrate processing defects.

[0067] 3 shows in a perspective view a sliding guide element 20 according to the invention. The sliding guide element 20 has a cylindrical shape with a rounded base.

[0068] The sliding guide element 20 has four recesses 21 in the form of slots at both axial ends. Each sliding element 22 is formed between every two slots 21. Due to the selected shape, the sliding elements 22 are elastic in the radial direction (perpendicular to the cylindrical axis Z) and can provide a corresponding spring effect. In addition, each sliding element 22 has an outer surface section 22a, the outer radius of which is greater than the outer radius of each of the adjacent surfaces.

[0069] With regard to the inner radius or inside diameter of the connection part of the pin lifting device, the dimensioning of the outer section 22a is selected in particular so that the outer radius of the outer section 22a is defined to be larger than the inner radius, and thus there is a defined tension of the sliding element 22 in the inserted state. This produces a force in the direction of the inner wall of the connection part. In the inserted state, the cylinder axis Z is in particular coaxial with the adjustment axis A.

[0070] Due to the symmetrical design of the sliding guide element 20, automatic centering and / or deflection of the sliding guide element 20 can thus be provided.

[0071] The relatively wide, in particular maximally spaced, arrangement of the surface sections 22a in the axial direction can also provide a defined guidance of the sliding guide element 20 itself and / or of the links or bellows connected thereto. The mutually spaced surface sections 22a also prevent the element 20 from tilting and thus ensure precise guidance.

[0072] It is understood that the depicted figures only diagrammatically represent possible example embodiments. According to the invention, different approaches can be combined with each other, similar to state-of-the-art devices for substrate movement in vacuum process chambers, in particular pin lifters.

Claims

1. A pin lifting device (10), in particular a pin lifter, designed to move and position a substrate (1), in particular a wafer or ring, within a process atmosphere region (P) provided by a vacuum process chamber (4), comprising: a connection part (13) having a connection part (14) formed to receive a support pin (7) designed to contact and support the substrate (1); - the connection (14) is linear along the adjustment axis (A) from its lowered normal position, in particular to render the support pin (7) received by the connection substantially ineffective with respect to its intended effect; - a drive unit (11) designed and interacting with a link (14) so ​​as to be adjustable into and out of an extended support position, in particular for providing the intended effect of receiving and / or providing a substrate (1) by means of support pins (7), The connecting part (13) has a sliding guide element (20) movable along an adjustment axis (A), - a sliding guide element (20) is connected to the drive unit (11) and to the coupling part (14) and provides an interaction between the coupling part (14) and the drive unit (11); - the sliding guide element (20) has at least one sliding element (22) which interacts with a guide surface (13a) provided by the connecting part (13) in such a way that the sliding guide element (20) is guided linearly along the adjustment axis (A) in a sliding manner relative to the guide surface (13a); the sliding element (22) is configured in such a way that it is pretensioned by the interaction of the guide surface (13a) with the sliding element (22), the sliding element (22) defines an outer surface (22a) which, due to its geometric shape, has a maximum distance with respect to the adjustment axis (A), characterised in that the distance of the outer surface (22a) from the adjustment axis (A) in the relaxed normal state is greater than the distance of the guide surface (13a) from the adjustment axis (A), whereby the sliding element (22) cooperates with the guide surface (13a) to provide a spring effect. A pin lifting device (10).

2. - the sliding guide element (20) has a central first recess extending along the adjustment axis, the first recess providing an internal thread; A pin lifting device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the pin lifting device (10) has a threaded rod (12) which is connected to the drive unit (11) by an external thread, the external thread interacting with an internal thread.

3. 3. A pin lifting device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide surface is provided by a housing of the pin lifting device (10), in particular of the connection part (13).

4. The sliding guide element (20) has at least one first sliding element (22) at a first end in the extension direction of the sliding guide element and at least one second sliding element (22) at a second end opposite to the first end, At least a first and at least a second sliding element (22) cooperate with the guide surface (13a) so that the sliding guide element (20) is mounted in a tilt-free manner, 4. The pin lifting device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding guide element (20) is in each case present in a tilt-free manner within its range of mobility along the adjustment axis.

5. The pin lifting device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sliding guide element (20) has a cylindrical shape, the sliding guide element (20) is formed at least at a first end in the manner of a hollow cylinder, the hollow cylinder wall having at least one second recess (21).

6. 6. A pin lifting device (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the sliding guide element (20) has at least two recesses (21) and the sliding element (22) is provided by a hollow cylindrical section located between the two recesses (21).

7. 7. A pin lifting device (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that at least one recess (21) or two recesses (21) are formed such that the recess (21) or two recesses (21) extend parallel to the cylindrical axis (Z).

8. The pin lifting device (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the cylindrical axis (Z) of the sliding guide element (20) is coaxial with the adjustment axis (A).

9. The pin lifting device (10) has a dynamic separator (16) for separating a process atmospheric region (P) from an outer atmospheric region; the drive unit (11) is at least partially assigned to the external atmospheric area and the connection (14) is assigned to the process atmospheric area (P), A pin lifting device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the internal volume defined by the separator is variable, the change of the internal volume being correlated with the movement of the sliding guide element.

10. 10. The pin lifting device (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the dynamic separator (16) is connected to the sliding guide element (20) in such a way that the internal volume is reduced when the connecting part (14) is moved from the lowered normal position to the extended supporting position.

11. 11. The pin lifting device (10) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the dynamic separator is designed as a bellows (16) in the connecting part (13).

12. A pin lifting device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pin lifting device is part of a ring lifter arrangement and the substrate (1) is a ring.

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