Device for commonly raising a substrate and a shadow ring

Abstract

Provided herein are embodiments of a lift apparatus for use in a substrate processing chamber. In some embodiments, the lift apparatus includes a plurality of first lift pin assemblies configured to raise or lower a substrate having a given diameter when the substrate is placed thereon, each of the first lift pin assemblies including a first lift pin disposed on a first bellows assembly, a plurality of second lift pin assemblies configured to raise or lower a circularly arranged annular chamber component having a diameter larger than the given diameter, each of the second lift pin assemblies including a second lift pin disposed on a second bellows assembly, an actuator, and a lift assembly coupled to the actuator and configured to raise or lower each of the first lift pin assemblies and the second lift pin assemblies by movement of the actuator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a substrate processing apparatus, and more specifically, to a lift mechanism used in a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] A substrate processing system typically includes a processing chamber for performing a desired process, such as etching or deposition, on one or more substrates disposed therein. High-frequency (RF) power is often used in etching processes, for example, for contacts to lay the infrastructure of electrical paths and for etching processes that require very high aspect ratio holes to create deep trenches. RF power can be used for plasma generation and / or to generate a bias voltage that attracts ions from the bulk plasma to the substrate being processed. A pedestal for supporting the substrate is disposed within the processing chamber, and the pedestal may include an electrostatic chuck or a vacuum chuck for holding the substrate. The processing chamber may include a shadow ring disposed around the substrate to protect the edges of the substrate being processed or to control the plasma within the processing volume of the processing chamber.

[0003] Substrates are typically transferred into the processing chamber via a transfer blade that transfers the substrate into the processing chamber through an opening in the chamber wall of the processing chamber. The processing chamber may typically include a substrate lift assembly for raising and lowering the substrate from the pedestal. The substrate lift assembly generally includes one or more actuators coupled to one or more substrate lift pins. The processing chamber may include a shadow ring lift assembly for raising or lowering the shadow ring within the processing volume. However, separate lift mechanisms for the substrate and the shadow ring can be expensive and the volume under the pedestal can become congested.

[0004] Accordingly, the inventors have provided an improved lift mechanism for substrates and shadow rings disposed within a processing chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Embodiments of a lift device for use in a substrate processing chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, the lift device is a plurality of first lift pin assemblies configured to raise or lower a substrate when a substrate having a given diameter is placed thereon, each of the first lift pin assemblies including a first lift pin disposed on a first bellows assembly; a plurality of second lift pin assemblies arranged in a circular shape having a diameter larger than the given diameter and configured to raise or lower an annular chamber component, each of the second lift pin assemblies including a second lift pin disposed on a second bellows assembly; an actuator; and a lift assembly coupled to the actuator and configured to raise or lower each of the first lift pin assemblies and the second lift pin assemblies by movement of the actuator.

[0006] In some embodiments, a substrate support for use in a substrate processing chamber includes a base plate; a dielectric plate coupled to the base plate and having a support surface for supporting a substrate and one or more chucking electrodes disposed therein; a lift device including a plurality of first lift pin assemblies having a plurality of first lift pins extending through the base plate and the dielectric plate and configured to raise or lower a substrate disposed thereon, a plurality of second lift pin assemblies having a plurality of second lift pins extending through the base plate and configured to raise or lower an annular chamber component disposed on the substrate, an actuator, and a lift assembly coupled to the actuator and configured to raise or lower each of the first lift pin assemblies and the second lift pin assemblies by movement of the actuator.

[0007] In some embodiments, a processing chamber for processing a substrate includes a chamber body defining an internal volume, a substrate support disposed within the internal volume of the chamber body, the substrate support including a pedestal for supporting the substrate, a lift device including a plurality of first lift pin assemblies each having a plurality of first lift pins extending through the pedestal and configured to raise or lower the substrate, a plurality of second lift pin assemblies each having a plurality of second lift pins extending radially outward of the plurality of first lift pins through the pedestal, an actuator, and a lift assembly coupled to the actuator and configured to raise or lower each of the first lift pin assemblies and the second lift pin assemblies in response to movement of the actuator. The substrate support further includes a shadow ring disposed on the plurality of second lift pins.

[0008] Additional further embodiments of the present disclosure are described below.

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been briefly summarized above and will be described in more detail below, and can be understood by reference to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings show only typical embodiments of the present disclosure, and thus the present disclosure should not be considered as limiting the scope, as it permits other equally effective embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] For ease of understanding, if possible, the same reference numbers are used to indicate the same elements common to each figure. The figures are not drawn to scale and may be simplified for clarity. Elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without further elaboration.

[0012] Embodiments of a lift device for use in a processing chamber are provided herein. The lift device of the present invention generally includes a plurality of first lift pin assemblies for raising or lowering a substrate when the substrate is placed thereon using a common actuator, and raising or lowering a plurality of second lift pin assemblies for raising or lowering an annular ring when placed thereon. The annular ring may be a shadow ring, an edge ring, etc. configured to be placed on or above the substrate during operation of the processing chamber. The lift device is configured to raise the annular ring before raising the substrate through various configurations as disclosed herein. By using a common actuator, the lift device has the advantages of being more cost-effective, simpler, and taking up less space within the processing chamber.

[0013] Figure 1A shows a schematic side view of a processing chamber or chamber 100 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure in a first position. Figure 1B shows a schematic side view of chamber 100 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure in a second position. In some embodiments, chamber 100 is an etching processing chamber. However, other types of processing chambers configured for different processes can also use or be modified to use the embodiments of the substrate support described herein. Chamber 100 is generally a vacuum chamber suitable for maintaining a pressure below atmospheric pressure within internal volume 120 during substrate processing. Chamber 100 includes a chamber body 106 covered by a lid 104 that surrounds a processing volume 119 located at the upper portion of internal volume 120.

[0014] Substrate support 124 is disposed within internal volume 120 and supports and holds a substrate 122, such as a semiconductor wafer, or other substrate that can be electrostatically held. Chamber body 106 includes transfer slots 144 that facilitate entry and exit of substrate 122 or other chamber components, such as shadow ring 134, into internal volume 120. Shadow ring 134 is disposed on or configured to slightly rise above substrate 122 to protect the edge of substrate 122 during processing or to control plasma near the edge of substrate 122. In some embodiments, a transfer robot (not shown) is configured to transfer substrate 122. The transfer robot can also be advantageously configured to transfer shadow ring 134 in and out of internal volume 120 for replacement.

[0015] Chamber 100 may also include one or more shields, such as a process shield 105, that surround various chamber components to prevent unwanted reactions between the various chamber components and the ionized process material or plasma. In some embodiments, the process shield 105 includes a transfer slot 185 that corresponds to the location of the transfer slot 144 within the chamber body 106. In some embodiments, the process shield 105 sits on or is coupled to the chamber body 106. The chamber body 106 and the lid 104 can be made of a metal such as aluminum. The chamber body 106 may be grounded via a connection to ground 115.

[0016] The substrate support 124 can generally include a pedestal 150 (described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 2) coupled to the chamber body 106. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1A, the pedestal 150 is fixedly coupled to the chamber body 106. In some embodiments, the pedestal 150 can be movably coupled to the chamber body 106 via a pedestal lift assembly configured to raise or lower the pedestal 150 within the interior volume 120. The pedestal 150 includes a dielectric plate 152 disposed on a base assembly 136. The dielectric plate 152 includes a support surface for supporting the substrate 122. The dielectric plate 152 includes one or more chucking electrodes 154 configured to electrostatically chuck the substrate 122 to the dielectric plate 152. The pedestal 150 can be coupled to the chamber body 106 via a base plate 132. In some embodiments, the base plate 132, together with the chamber body 106, defines a lower volume 145 of the chamber 100. In some embodiments, the lower volume 145 may be at atmospheric pressure during use.

[0017] One or more power supplies 128 are coupled to the substrate support 124 in any suitable manner via the lower volume 145. For example, one or more power supplies 128 may extend through the sidewall of the chamber body 106, the floor of the chamber body 106, or a combination of the sidewall and floor of the chamber body 106. In some embodiments, one or more power supplies 128 include a chucking power supply 140 coupled to one or more chucking electrodes 154. In some embodiments, one or more power supplies 128 include a backside gas supply source 141 for providing a backside gas to the upper surface of the pedestal 150 (i.e., the support surface of the dielectric plate 152). The backside gas supply source 141 is disposed outside the chamber body 106 and supplies a heat transfer gas to the pedestal 150. The backside gas may consist essentially of helium, nitrogen, argon, etc. In some embodiments, one or more power supplies 128 include a bias power supply 117 configured to supply bias power to the pedestal 150. In some embodiments, the bias power supply 117 is coupled to the pedestal via a bias RF matching network 116. The bias power supply 117 may include AC, DC, or RF bias power. In some embodiments, the bias power supply 117 may include one or more RF bias power supplies.

[0018] The substrate support 124 includes a lift device 126 for raising or lowering a plurality of components disposed on the substrate support 124. The plurality of components includes the substrate 122 and other annular chamber components. The lift device 126 generally includes an actuator 130 coupled to a plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 and a plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 for advantageously lifting both the substrate 122 and the shadow ring 134 using a single actuator. In some embodiments, the actuator 130 is a pneumatic actuator. However, in other embodiments, the actuator 130 may be a hydraulic actuator, a servo actuator, or any other suitable type of actuator for use within the chamber 100. In some embodiments, the actuator 130 is a linear actuator.

[0019] A plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 are configured to raise or lower a substrate 122 having a predetermined diameter when disposed on the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138. Each of the first lift pin assemblies 138 includes a first lift pin 162 disposed or coupled on a first bellows assembly 164, and the first bellows assembly 164 is configured to provide a flexible seal that allows vertical movement of the first lift pin 162 while preventing loss of vacuum from within the chamber 100. The first lift pin 162 selectively extends beyond the upper surface of the pedestal 150 to raise the substrate 122 or retracts into the pedestal 150 to lower the substrate 122 to the upper surface of the pedestal 150.

[0020] A plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 are configured to support, raise, or lower an annular chamber component, such as a shadow ring 134, disposed on the substrate support 124. Each of the second lift pin assemblies 148 includes a second lift pin 166 disposed on or coupled to a second bellows assembly 168. The second bellows assembly 168 is configured to provide a flexible seal that allows vertical movement of the second lift pin 166 while preventing loss of vacuum from within the chamber 100. In some embodiments, the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 are arranged in a circle having a diameter larger than a predetermined diameter. A lift assembly 146 (described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 3 - 6) is coupled to the actuator 130 and is configured to raise or lower each of the first lift pin assemblies 138 and the second lift pin assemblies 148 by movement of the actuator 130. The second lift pin 166 selectively extends beyond the upper surface of the pedestal 150 to raise the shadow ring 134 or retracts into the pedestal 150 to lower the shadow ring 134. The pedestal 150 includes through holes for receiving the first lift pin 162 and the second lift pin 166.

[0021] At the first position, i.e., the processing position, the substrate 122 is disposed on the pedestal 150. At the first position, as shown in FIG. 1A, the shadow ring 134 is disposed at the processing position on the substrate 122. Alternatively, at the processing position, the shadow ring 134 may be lowered and stationary on the outer edge of the substrate 122 instead of the second lift pin 166. In any case, in some embodiments, the plurality of second lift pins 166 are configured to extend vertically over the plurality of first lift pins 162 and onto the dielectric plate 152 to cause the shadow ring 134 to be lifted before the substrate 122 is lifted in order to control the vertical spacing of the shadow ring 134 relative to the substrate 122. In such embodiments, when the second lift pin 166 retracts into the pedestal 150, there is a gap 112 between the first lift pin 162 and the upper surface of the dielectric plate 152. That is, in some embodiments, the first lift pin 162 is embedded in the pedestal 150 by the distance of the gap 112. In some embodiments, when the first lift pin 162 is fully retracted, the gap 112 has a distance of about 10 mm to about 30 mm.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1B, at the second position, i.e., the transfer position, the first lift pin 162 is lifted above the pedestal 150 and aligned with the transfer slot 144 in the chamber body 106 after being disposed within the internal volume 120 or before being removed from the internal volume 121 through the transfer slot 144 by, for example, a robotic transfer blade (not shown). In some embodiments, the second lift pin 166 extends vertically higher than the first lift pin 162 so that the shadow ring 134 does not interfere with the robotic transfer blade when the substrate 122 is moved in and out of the internal volume 120. In some embodiments, the vertical distance between the top of the first lift pin 162 and the top of the second lift pin 166 corresponds to the distance of the gap 112.

[0023] Chamber 100 is coupled to and in fluid communication with a vacuum system 114 that includes a throttle valve (not shown) and a vacuum pump (not shown) used to evacuate chamber 100. The pressure within chamber 100 can be adjusted by adjusting the throttle valve and / or the vacuum pump. Chamber 100 is also coupled to and in fluid communication with a process gas supply source 118 that can supply one or more process gases to chamber 100 for processing a substrate disposed within chamber 100. In some embodiments, RF energy is supplied to processing volume 199 by an RF plasma power supply 170 that can have a frequency from about 400 kHz to greater than 40 MHz. In some embodiments, RF plasma power supply 170 is coupled to chamber 100 via an RF matching network (not shown).

[0024] During operation, for example, plasma 102 can be generated within processing volume 119 to perform one or more processes. Plasma 102 can be generated by coupling power from a plasma power supply (e.g., RF plasma power supply 170) to a process gas via one or more electrodes near or within interior volume 120 to ignite the process gas to generate plasma 102. Bias power can be provided from a bias power supply (e.g., bias power supply 117) to pedestal 150 to attract ions from plasma 102 towards substrate 122.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a portion of the lift device 126 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. The portion shown in FIG. 2 shows one of a plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 extending through the pedestal 150 to support the substrate 122 and one of a plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 extending through the pedestal 150 to support the shadow ring 134. In some embodiments, the lift assembly 146 includes a first lifter 210 coupled to the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 and the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148. The first lifter 210 may be a single rigid structure such that when the lift assembly 146 is displaced vertically by a first distance, the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 and the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 are displaced vertically by the first distance.

[0026] In some embodiments, the substrate support 124 may include a liner 216 disposed around the pedestal 150. In some embodiments, one or more of the liner 216 and the base plate 132 are grounded during use. In some embodiments, the base assembly 136 of the pedestal 150 includes an insulator plate 202 disposed on the base plate 132 to electrically insulate the base plate 132 from the cooling plate 220. In some embodiments, the base assembly 136 includes a cooling plate 220 disposed on the insulator plate 202 and configured to circulate a coolant through the cooling plate 220. In some embodiments, the dielectric plate 152 is disposed on the cooling plate 220.

[0027] In some embodiments, the substrate support 124 includes an edge ring 206 disposed around the dielectric plate 152, extending the processing environment radially outside the substrate 122 to improve the etching uniformity across the substrate 122. In some embodiments, a second edge ring 204 is disposed around the cooling plate 220. In some embodiments, the second edge ring 204 is disposed around the cooling plate 220 and the insulating plate 202. In some embodiments, the edge ring 206 is disposed on the second edge ring 204. In some embodiments, the second edge ring 204 is made of a ceramic material such as quartz or aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ).

[0028] In some embodiments, a third edge ring 208 is disposed between the edge ring 206 and the base plate 132. The third edge ring 208 is disposed around the insulating plate 202 and may be made of a material different from that of the insulating plate 226 to protect the outer wall of the insulating plate 226 from unintentional plasma discharge. For example, the third edge ring 208 is made of a ceramic material such as aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ). In some embodiments, the first lift pin 162 extends through one or more of the dielectric plate 152 and the base plate 132, the insulator plate 202, or the cooling plate 220 to support the substrate 122. In some embodiments, the second lift pin 166 extends through one or more of the base plate 132, the third edge ring 208, the second edge ring 204, or the edge ring 206 to support the shadow ring 134.

[0029] Each of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 includes a first lift pin 162 disposed on or coupled to a first bellows assembly 164. In some embodiments, the first bellows assembly 164 includes a bellows 230 disposed between a first upper flange 232 and a first lower flange 234. In some embodiments, the first lower flange 234 is coupled to a first lifter 210. In some embodiments, each portion of each first lift pin assembly 138 (e.g., the lower portion of the first lift pin 162 and the upper portion of the first bellows assembly 164) extends through a first mounting assembly 238 coupled to the base plate 132 of the substrate support 124. In some embodiments, the first mounting assembly 238 comprises a hollow tube configured to slidably engage the first upper flange 232 therein.

[0030] Each of the first lift pins 162 can be coupled or disposed to the first upper flange 232 such that vertical movement of the first upper flange 232 is converted into corresponding vertical movement of each of the first lift pins 162. In some embodiments, one or more first bushes 256 (only one is shown on the insulating plate 202 of FIG. 2) can be disposed within a pedestal 150 around the first lift pins 162 to guide the first lift pins 162 when the bellows 230 actuates or retracts. For example, the one or more first bushes 256 may extend through the insulating plate 202, the cooling plate 220, and the dielectric plate 152.

[0031] Each of the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 includes a second lift pin 166 disposed on or coupled to a second bellows assembly 168. In some embodiments, the second bellows assembly 168 includes a bellows 240 disposed between a second upper flange 242 and a second lower flange 244. In some embodiments, a portion of each of the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 extends through a second mounting assembly 248 coupled to the base plate 132 of the substrate support 124. In some embodiments, the second mounting assembly 248 is similar to the first mounting assembly 238.

[0032] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the second mounting assembly 248 includes an upper bracket 252 coupled to the base plate 132 and a lower bracket 254 coupled to the upper bracket 252. The second lower flange 244 can be clamped between the upper bracket 252 and the lower bracket 254 via a fastener extending, for example, from the upper bracket 252 into the lower bracket 254 or from the lower bracket 254 into the upper bracket 252. In some embodiments, the second bellows assembly 168 includes a lift rod 246 extending through the second mounting assembly 248 and the second lower flange 244. The lift rod 246 can be coupled to the second upper flange 242 at an upper end and to the first lifter 210 at an opposite lower end.

[0033] Each of the second lift pins 166 may be coupled or disposed on the second upper flange 242 such that vertical movement of the second upper flange 242 is translated into corresponding vertical movement of each of the second lift pins 166. In some embodiments, one or more second bushings (not shown) may be disposed around the second lift pins 166 to guide the second lift pins 168 as the bellows 240 actuates or retracts. For example, one or more second bushings may extend through one or more of the base plate 132, the edge ring 206, the second edge ring 204, or the third edge ring 208.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a bottom isometric view of a lift device 126 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the lift assembly 146 of the lift device 126 includes a first lifter 210 having a base 302 and a plurality of branches 306 extending from the base 302. In some embodiments, the base 302 is asymmetrically disposed under the pedestal 150. The plurality of branches 306 are coupled to a plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 and a plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148. In some embodiments, the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 comprises three such assemblies. In some embodiments, the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 comprises three such assemblies. In some embodiments, all or some of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 and the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 may have linear guides 340 coupled to the first bellows assembly 164 and the second bellows assembly 168, respectively, to guide linear vertical movement.

[0035] In some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of branch portions 306 include a fork 310. In some embodiments, the first prong 312 of the fork 310 is coupled to one of the first lift pin assemblies 138, and the second prong 316 of the fork 310 is coupled to one of the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148. In some embodiments, the second prong 316 includes one or more bends. In some embodiments, one of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 is coupled to the base 302 of the first lifter 210. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of branch portions 306 includes two branch portions respectively coupled to one of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 and one of the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148, and a third branch portion of the plurality of branch portions 306 that is coupled to a third one of the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 without being coupled to one of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a bottom isometric view of the lift device 126 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. The lift device 126 of FIG. 4 may be similar to the lift device 126 of FIG. 3, except that the plurality of branch portions 306 of the first lifter 210 of FIG. 4 do not include the fork 310 of FIG. 3. Instead, in some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of branch portions 306 include a first portion 410 extending from the base 302 to one of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138, and a second portion 420 extending from one of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 to one of the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148. In some embodiments, the first portion 410 does not extend parallel to the second portion 420 along a horizontal plate. In some embodiments, the first portion 410 extends at a first angle along a horizontal plane from the base 302, and the second portion 420 extends at a second angle along a horizontal plane from the base 302. In some embodiments, the second angle is greater than the first angle. In some embodiments, the lift device 126 may include a common linear guide 440 connected to the base 302, and the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 and the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148 may not be connected to additional linear guides such as the linear guide 340 shown in FIG. 3.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a lift device 126 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of a plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 is disposed on a base 302 of a first lifter 210. In some embodiments, actuator 130 includes a cavity 514 therein and a shaft 516 configured to move within cavity 514. For example, in use, gas source 502 can provide pneumatic pressure to head 518 of shaft 516 to push shaft 516 upward. In some embodiments, base 302 includes an opening 512 therethrough to facilitate coupling shaft 516 of actuator 130 to first bellows assembly 164 in any suitable manner. In such a configuration, the vertical movement of shaft 516 can be converted into the vertical movement of one of first lift pins 162 disposed on or coupled to first bellows assembly 164.

[0038] In some embodiments, first bellows assembly 164 can include a rod 504 having an upper flange 510 and a lower flange 528. Lower flange 528 can be coupled to shaft 516 of actuator 130 via, for example, fastener 542. Upper flange 510 is disposed within first mounting assembly 238 and can be configured to move vertically therein to move first lift pin 162. Thus, in some embodiments, one of first lift pins 162 can be aligned with shaft 516 of actuator 130.

[0039] In some embodiments, a linear guide bracket 520 is coupled to actuator 130. Linear guide bracket 520 may include slots or protrusions configured to engage corresponding mechanisms of base 302 of first lifter 210 to facilitate the linear vertical movement of first lifter 210 and, thus, advantageously facilitate the linear vertical movement of all of plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 and plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148.

[0040] FIG. 6 shows an isometric side view of a portion of the lift device 126 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the lift assembly 146 of the lift device 126 includes a first lifter 210 and a second lifter 610. In some embodiments, the first lifter 210 is coupled to each of the actuator 130 and the plurality of second lift pin assemblies 148. In some embodiments, the second lifter 610 is coupled to each of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138. In some embodiments, the second lifter 610 is disposed above the first lifter 210 such that there is a gap 618 between the first lifter 210 and the second lifter 610 when the first lifter 210 is in the lower position, and the first lifter 210 is configured to raise the second lifter 610 when the first lifter 210 is moved to the upper position. In some embodiments, the gap 618 is similar in distance to the gap 112. The two-lifter configuration (e.g., the first lifter 210 and the second lifter 610) of FIG. 6 advantageously allows the second lift pin 166 to be raised by the distance of the gap 618 before the first lift pin 162 is raised. Thus, the gap 112 between the first lift pin 162 and the upper surface of the pedestal 150 can be minimized to reduce the risk of arc discharge while allowing the shadow ring 134 to be lifted higher than the substrate 122 during use.

[0041] The second lifter 610 generally includes a base 608 and one or more branches 606 extending from the base 608. In some embodiments, one of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies 138 is coupled to the base 608 and extends through an opening 632 in the base 608, and the other two first lift pin assemblies are coupled to respective ends of two corresponding branches of the one or more branches 606. In some embodiments, the upper surface 622 of one or more branches 606 of the second lifter 610 tapers downwardly and outwardly from the base 608. In some embodiments, the lower surface of the second lifter 610 is substantially flat. In some embodiments, the upper surface 616 of the first lifter 210 is substantially flat, advantageously providing a good contact surface with the substantially flat lower surface of the second lifter 610. In some embodiments, the one or more branches 606 may include one or more bends.

[0042] FIG. 7 shows an isometric cross-sectional view of a connection interface 700 between a lifter (e.g., the first lifter 210, the second lifter 610) and a lift pin assembly (e.g., the first lift pin assembly 138, the second lift pin assembly 148) according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the second lift pin assembly 148 is coupled to an end 710 of one of the plurality of branches 306 via a fastener 708. The fastener 708 may extend through the end 710 and into an opening 718 in a lift rod 246 of the second lift pin assembly 148. In some embodiments, the end 710 includes a slot 706 for receiving the fastener 708. A spacer 712 may be disposed between the lower surface of the end 710 and the head of the fastener 708. In some embodiments, the fastener 708 includes a channel 724 for preventing air from being trapped within the opening 718. In some embodiments, the spacer 712 may be a stepped spacer including a tubular portion 722 extending around the fastener through the slot 706.

[0043] In some embodiments, to advantageously increase the rigidity of the connection interface 700 and minimize vibrations between the end 710 and the second lift pin assembly 148, a washer 726 may be disposed between the fastener 708 and the lower surface of the end 710, for example, between the spacer 712 and the head 728 of the fastener 708. In some embodiments, the washer 726 is configured to bias the head 728 of the fastener 708 against the end 710 when the fastener is tightened, increasing the rigidity of the connection therebetween. The washer 726 may be a simple flat washer, a spring washer, a spring, etc. For example, the washer 726 may be a conical coil spring washer or a disc spring washer. In some embodiments, a washer 714 is disposed between the lift rod 246 and the upper surface of the end 710 to increase the rigidity of the connection interface 700 and protect the lift rod 246 during tightening.

[0044] The foregoing relates to embodiments of the present disclosure, but other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.

Claims

1. A lift device used in a substrate processing chamber, a plurality of first lift pin assemblies configured to raise or lower a substrate when a substrate having a given diameter is placed thereon, each of the first lift pin assemblies including a first lift pin disposed on a first bellows assembly; a plurality of first lift pin assemblies; a plurality of second lift pin assemblies configured to raise or lower an annular chamber component disposed in a circular shape having a diameter larger than the given diameter, each of the second lift pin assemblies including a second lift pin disposed on a second bellows assembly; a plurality of second lift pin assemblies; an actuator; a lift assembly coupled to the actuator and configured to raise or lower each of the first lift pin assembly and the second lift pin assembly by movement of the actuator; comprising the lift assembly including a first lifter coupled to the first lift pin assembly and the second lift pin assembly; a lift device.

2. The lift device according to claim 1, wherein the first lifter includes a base having an opening, and a shaft of the actuator extends into the opening of the base.

3. The lift device according to claim 1, wherein the first lifter includes a base and a plurality of branch portions extending from the base to the first lift pin assembly and the second lift pin assembly.

4. The lift device according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the plurality of branch portions includes a fork, a first prong of the fork being coupled to one of the first lift pin assemblies, and a second prong of the fork being coupled to one of the second lift pin assemblies.

5. The lift device according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the plurality of branch portions extend from the base to one of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies and to one of the plurality of second lift pin assemblies.

6. The lift device according to claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of first lift pin assemblies is coupled to the base of the first lifter.

7. The lift device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of branch portions each include two branch portions respectively coupled to one of the first lift pin assemblies and one of the second lift pin assemblies, and a third branch portion coupled to a third lift pin assembly among the plurality of second lift pin assemblies.

8. A lift device used in a substrate processing chamber, a plurality of first lift pin assemblies configured to raise or lower a substrate when a substrate having a given diameter is placed thereon, each of the first lift pin assemblies including a first lift pin disposed on a first bellows assembly; a plurality of first lift pin assemblies; a plurality of second lift pin assemblies arranged in a circular shape having a diameter larger than the given diameter and configured to raise or lower an annular chamber component, each of the second lift pin assemblies including a second lift pin disposed on a second bellows assembly; a plurality of second lift pin assemblies; an actuator; a lift assembly coupled to the actuator and configured to raise or lower each of the first lift pin assembly and the second lift pin assembly by movement of the actuator; comprising the lift assembly includes a first lifter coupled to the second lift pin assembly, and a second lifter disposed on the first lifter and coupled to each of the first lift pin assemblies, and there is a gap between the first lifter and the second lifter when the lift assembly is in a lower position, and the first lifter is configured to raise the second lifter when the first lifter moves to an upper position. Lift device.

9. The lift device according to claim 8, wherein the second lifter has a second base disposed around the actuator and a plurality of second branch portions coupled to the plurality of first lift pin assemblies.

10. The lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a linear guide bracket coupled to the actuator, and the lift assembly is configured to engage with the linear guide bracket to facilitate linear vertical movement of the lift assembly.

11. A substrate support used in a substrate processing chamber, a base plate, a dielectric plate coupled to the base plate and having a support surface for supporting a substrate, with one or more chucking electrodes disposed therein, the first lift pin extending through the base plate and the dielectric plate, and the second lift pin extending through the base plate and the dielectric plate, the lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a substrate support.

12. The substrate support according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of second lift pins are configured to extend over the plurality of first lift pins on the dielectric plate.

13. The substrate support according to claim 11, further comprising a cooling plate disposed between the dielectric plate and the base plate.

14. A processing chamber for processing a substrate, a chamber body defining an internal volume inside, a substrate support disposed in the internal volume of the chamber body, a pedestal for supporting the substrate, the first lift pin extending through the pedestal, and the second lift pin extending through the pedestal radially outward of the first lift pin, the lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, including a substrate support, and a shadow ring disposed at each of the second lift pins, comprising a processing chamber.

15. The processing chamber according to claim 14, wherein each of the second lift pins is configured to support the shadow ring on the support surface of the pedestal.

16. The processing chamber according to claim 14, wherein each of the first lift pins is configured to be embedded in the pedestal by a distance of about 10 mm to about 30 mm when each of the first lift pins is fully retracted.

17. The processing chamber according to claim 14, wherein the actuator is a pneumatic actuator.

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