Coaxial lift device with dynamic leveling

Abstract

To provide a device that allows independent motion between two devices in a process chamber while preventing parasitic plasma in unwanted regions of the process chamber.SOLUTION: A lift system 500 comprises both a bottom bowl lift 124 and a pedestal lift 126. The bottom bowl lift moves a bottom bowl 122 into a position that reduces a process volume and is co-axial with the pedestal lift. The bottom bowl lift and the pedestal lift are attached for vacuum operation. The pedestal lift includes multiple actuators 402 to create a dynamic lift mechanism. The lift system completes a nested system such that the bottom bowl lift is adjustable and closes the bottom bowl to create a symmetric and small process volume. The pedestal lift can move independently to its process position and tilt in a desired direction without interference with the bottom bowl lift, increasing film uniformity on a processed substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments described herein generally relate to a lift device used to raise and lower a substrate support element used in a processing chamber.

[0002] Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is generally used to deposit a film on a substrate in a semiconductor processing chamber, such as a semiconductor wafer or a transparent substrate used for a flat panel display. CVD is typically achieved by introducing a process gas into a vacuum chamber containing the substrate. The precursor gas or gas mixture is typically directed downward through a gas distribution assembly located near the top of the chamber. The gas distribution assembly is disposed above the substrate positioned at a slight distance on a heated pedestal such that the gas distribution assembly and the process gas are heated by the heat provided from a heating element disposed inside the pedestal.

[0003] During the CVD process, the process gas in the chamber is energized (e.g., excited) to become a plasma by applying high-frequency (RF) power from one or more RF sources connected to the chamber, called plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD). The formation of capacitive plasma coupling is facilitated by an RF source connected to the pedestal through an RF matching circuit and a faceplate of the gas distribution assembly grounded to the chamber body. The RF source provides RF energy to the pedestal between the pedestal and the faceplate of the gas distribution assembly to facilitate the generation of a capacitively coupled plasma, also known as the main plasma. However, as a byproduct of the capacitively coupled plasma and the generation of the ground path of the faceplate, a parasitic plasma, also known as a secondary plasma, may be generated under the pedestal in the lower volume of the vacuum chamber. The parasitic plasma reduces the ion concentration formed in the capacitively coupled plasma, resulting in a decrease in the density of the capacitively coupled plasma and a decrease in the film deposition rate.

[0004] In addition, in conventional designs, only linear motion was used to transport the wafer pedestal between the processing position and the transport position inside the processing chamber. However, due to mechanical tolerance issues between the hardware components within the processing chamber, the surface of the pedestal and the faceplate of the showerhead are often non-parallel, which causes process non-uniformities on the surface of the processed substrate. In one example, the deposited film has thickness non-uniformities that vary from end to end across the substrate. Each CVD process has a different uniformity in response to the tilt and position of the pedestal relative to one or more of the chamber components such as the showerhead. To ensure optimal processing results, each layer independently requires a pedestal tilt and position that is adjusted or regulated relative to the showerhead to achieve the best processing results.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a device that enables independent movement between two devices within the processing chamber while preventing parasitic plasmas in undesirable regions of the processing chamber. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] One or more embodiments described herein relate to a lift assembly capable of adjusting the relative position and orientation of a pedestal with respect to one or more fixed components inside a processing chamber. The lift assembly includes useful hardware components inside a plasma processing chamber, such as a chamber used to perform PECVD, etching, or other useful plasma processes on a substrate. One or more embodiments described herein relate to a method for using the lift assembly. One or more embodiments described herein relate to a system including the lift assembly.

[0007] In one embodiment, the lift assembly includes a pedestal having a substrate support surface and sidewalls defining the outer dimension of the pedestal; a bottom bowl having a wall with an inner dimension larger than the outer dimension of the pedestal; A bottom bowl carrier configured to support a bottom bowl; A bottom bowl actuator assembly configured to translate the bottom bowl carrier in a first direction comprising a bottom bowl lift; and A pedestal carrier coupled to the pedestal; and A plurality of actuators each coupled to a separate portion of the pedestal carrier, wherein one or more of the plurality of actuators are configured to cause relative linear and angular movement between the pedestal and the bottom bowl when at least a portion of the pedestal carrier is translated in the first direction comprising a pedestal lift and comprising.

[0008] In another embodiment, a method for a lift system is Lowering the bottom bowl lift to an exchange position such that the bottom bowl is located in a lowered position proximate to the bottom surface of the processing chamber, the bottom bowl having a wall that includes an inner surface that defines an inner volume, lowering the bottom bowl lift; Raising the bottom bowl lift to a processing position located at a fixed distance from the bottom surface of the processing chamber; Orienting the upper surface of the pedestal relative to the output surface of the showerhead such that a first orientation of the upper surface of the pedestal is not in the same plane as the output surface of the showerhead; the pedestal being positionable within the inner volume of the bottom bowl, orienting the upper surface of the pedestal; and Depositing a first material layer onto a substrate disposed on the upper surface of the pedestal while the upper surface of the pedestal is oriented in the first orientation and the bottom bowl lift is in the processing position and comprising.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, the lift system is A pedestal having a substrate support surface and sidewalls that define an outer dimension of the pedestal; A bottom bowl having a wall with an inner dimension that is larger than the outer dimension of the pedestal A bottom bowl carrier configured to support a bottom bowl; A bottom bowl actuator assembly configured to move the bottom bowl carrier between an exchange position where the bottom bowl is located in a lowered position close to the bottom of the processing chamber and a processing position where the bottom bowl is located in a raised position relative to the bottom of the processing chamber; A bottom bowl lift including; A pedestal carrier configured to support a pedestal, wherein the pedestal is positionable inside the inner volume of the bottom bowl, the pedestal carrier; and A plurality of actuators each connected to a separate portion of the pedestal carrier, configured to raise the pedestal close to the output surface of the shower head and orient the upper surface of the pedestal in a first orientation relative to the output surface of the shower head, and the first orientation of the upper surface of the pedestal relative to the output surface of the shower head is not in the same plane, the plurality of actuators A pedestal lift including; Including.

[0010] To enable a more detailed understanding of the above-described features of the present disclosure, a more detailed description of the present disclosure, briefly summarized above, is obtained by reference to embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that since the present disclosure may admit other equally valid embodiments, the accompanying drawings show only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] For ease of understanding, where possible, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements common to multiple figures. It is contemplated that the elements and features of one embodiment can be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without further description.

[0013] In the following description, numerous specific details are presented in order to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that one or more of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features are not described in order not to obscure one or more of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] The embodiments described herein generally relate to a substrate support element for use in a substrate processing chamber, i.e., a lift device used to raise and lower a pedestal. The lift device is a multi-component design that allows independent movement between two assemblies inside the substrate processing chamber. In some embodiments, the lift device includes both a bottom bowl lift assembly and a pedestal lift assembly. The bottom bowl lift is configured to support the bottom bowl and move the components of the bottom bowl to a position that reduces throughput, thereby providing a shorter and more symmetric path for RF energy to propagate to the ground, reducing the generation of parasitic plasma, increasing the deposition rate, reducing the likelihood of particle generation, and improving the uniformity of the deposited film. In some embodiments, the bottom bowl lift is positioned to be coaxial with the pedestal lift, and the two lifts are attached such that each lift moves independently. The pedestal lift includes a plurality of actuators that can manipulate the orientation of the pedestal relative to the output surface of the showerhead. In addition, the pedestal lift can move independently to its processing position and can move in a desired direction without interference with the bottom bowl lift. In some embodiments, the bottom bowl lift has one axis of motion that is aligned coaxially with the pedestal lift that has three axes of motion.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a processing chamber 100 according to at least one embodiment described in the present disclosure. The processing chamber 100 includes sidewalls 102, a top 104, and a bottom 106. A gas source 108 provides gas from the top 104 of the processing chamber 100 through an opening 110. The gas then flows through a plurality of holes 113 to the output surface 114 of the showerhead 112 and into the processing region 116. The gas is energized within the processing region 116 by applying RF power from one or more RF sources 191 to the processing chamber 100. In some embodiments, the delivered RF energy facilitates the generation of a capacitively coupled plasma, also known as a main plasma, which acts to form or process a semiconductor film disposed on the substrate 118. The substrate 118 is typically positioned on the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 during processing. The upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 is located a short distance 119 from the output surface 114 of the showerhead 112. The pedestal 120 is typically an electrostatic chuck, a vacuum chuck, or any other similar device that can be heated or cooled to a processing temperature, which in some cases is above about 700° C. The pedestal 120 also has sidewalls 120C that define an outer diameter dimension 120B of the pedestal 120.

[0016] In addition to the main plasma formed within the processing region 116, a secondary plasma, also known as a parasitic plasma, may be formed under the pedestal 120 in the lower volume of the processing chamber 100. This occurs as a byproduct of the generation of the ground path for the main plasma and RF current inside the lower volume of the processing chamber 100. The parasitic plasma reduces the ion concentration formed within the main plasma, and thus reduces the density of the main plasma, which reduces the deposition rate with respect to the plasma deposition process and reduces the film uniformity. To counteract the amount of parasitic plasma formed, the bottom bowl 122 is lifted to the processing position by the bottom bowl lift 124 (described in FIG. 5B). The bottom bowl 122, when located at the processing position, is typically positioned such that the upper end 122A of the bottom bowl 122 contacts the surface of the edge ring 123, or another similar component. The edge ring 123 can be connected to the shower head 112 or positioned adjacent to the shower head 112. When the bottom bowl 122 is located at its processing position, the bottom bowl 122 has a wall 122C that includes an inner volume 121 inside the processing chamber 100. The inner volume 121 has a reduced surface area with respect to the total volume of the processing chamber 100, represented by reference numeral 129. The reduced surface area 129 is defined by the inner surface of the wall 122C of the bottom bowl 122. The chamber volume of the processing chamber 100 outside the inner volume 121 is represented by reference numeral 131. The reduced surface area 129 enables shortening and better control of the ground path so that parasitic plasma is not generated under the pedestal 120 of the inner volume 121. The bottom bowl 122 is an axially symmetric (e.g., about the Z-axis of FIG. 1) component, which means that at least the upper end 122A and the wall 122C forming the inner volume 121 of the bottom bowl 122 are sized to be larger than the outer dimension 120B (e.g., diameter) of the pedestal 120, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 5A - 5B. In other words, the size of the inner volume 121, represented by reference numeral 122B, is larger than the outer dimension 120B of the pedestal 120. Such a configuration enables the bottom bowl 122 to move independently without interference from the pedestal 120.The bottom bowl 122 is formed of a conductive material that does not normally react with the process gas used during processing within the processing chamber 100. In one embodiment, the bottom bowl 122 is formed of stainless steel, an aluminum alloy with or without a metal coating, doped silicon carbide, or other useful materials.

[0017] Together with the bottom bowl lift 124 that lifts the bottom bowl 122, the pedestal 120 is lifted by a pedestal lift 126 that manipulates the orientation of the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 relative to the output surface 114 of the showerhead 112. The pedestal lift 126 and the bottom bowl lift 124 are configured to move independently so as not to interfere with each other during use. In some embodiments, the pedestal lift 126 can orient the pedestal 120 so as to tilt relative to the horizontal plane (i.e., the X-Y plane) and / or the output surface 114 (thin line) of the showerhead 112 shown at, for example, position 128. This is beneficial to offset problems with mechanical tolerances that occur between the hardware components of the processing chamber. Often, the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 and the output surface 114 of the showerhead 112 are non-parallel, which causes non-uniformity in processing on the surface of the substrate 118 disposed on the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120. However, the pedestal lift 126 described herein serves to orient the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 so as to remain in a parallel relationship with the output surface 114 of the showerhead 112 that ensures optimal processing results. For example, the pedestal 120 needs to tilt to position 128 for optimal results. In such an embodiment, the width of the tilt 127 can be shifted up or down by about 0.05 inches to about 0.1 inches, although other widths of tilt are possible.

[0018] The bottom bowl lift 124 and the pedestal lift 126 are attached together via a bellows 130 such that the components of the pedestal lift 126 can move independently without interfering with the components of the bottom bowl lift 124. The bellows 130 and the cooling hub 208 (FIG. 2) provide a seal between the pedestal lift 126 / bottom bowl lift 124. The lower end of the bottom bowl 122 includes a bellows 132, and the upper end of this bellows 132 is bolted and sealed to a portion of the bottom 106 of the processing chamber 100 to form a chamber seal that allows the processing area 116 of the processing chamber 100 to be pumped to a vacuum state by a chamber pump (not shown). Both the bellows 130 and the bellows 132 make it possible to maintain the processing area 116 of the processing chamber 100 at a desired pressure, such as a vacuum pressure. The bellows 130 and the bellows 132 are typically formed from a metallic material such as stainless steel, Inconel alloy, or other suitable fatigue-resistant and conductive materials.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lift system 200 according to at least one embodiment described in the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of only the bottom bowl lift 124, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of only the pedestal lift 126. As shown in FIG. 2, the lift system 200 includes a bottom bowl lift 124 and a pedestal lift 126. The bottom bowl lift 124 includes a bottom bowl carrier 202 that is connected to and supports the bottom bowl 122. The bottom bowl 122 is configured to move within the processing chamber 100. The pedestal lift 126 includes a pedestal carrier 204 that is connected to and supports the pedestal 120. The pedestal 120 can be raised and lowered and, as will be described later, can also be tilted in any direction (pitch and roll). The bottom bowl carrier 202 and the pedestal carrier 204 are attached together via a bellows 130 (FIG. 1) so that the components of the pedestal lift 126 can move independently without interfering with the components of the bottom bowl lift 124. As described above, the bellows 130 and the cooling hub 208 provide a seal between the pedestal lift 126 and the bottom bowl lift 124. Water supplied by the cooling hub 208 flows through the bottom bowl carrier 202 to provide cooling during processing. The bottom bowl carrier 202 and the pedestal carrier 204 are coaxially supported via two axis positioners 210. The bottom bowl lift 124 includes a backbone structure 212 (FIGS. 2 and 3) that is attached to the bottom bowl carrier 202 using a kinematic mount 214 that provides angular adjustment of the bottom bowl 122 relative to a reference plane on the bottom 106 of the processing chamber 100.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 3, the bottom bowl lift 124 includes an actuator assembly 302 and one or more guides 303. The actuator assembly 302 serves to move the bottom bowl carrier 202 vertically up and down (i.e., in the Z direction) between an exchange position and a processing position (described later with reference to FIGS. 5A-5B). The actuator assembly 302 is attached to the backbone structure 212 and the bottom bowl carrier 202. As described above, the backbone structure 212 provides angle adjustment of the bottom bowl lift 124 assembly so that the angular alignment of the bottom bowl 122 supported by the bottom bowl carrier 202 can be adjusted independently with respect to the components inside the processing chamber. The actuator assembly 302 can include a linear actuator such as a linear motor, an air cylinder, or a ball screw actuator. The actuator assembly 302 includes a servo motor system 304 and can be driven by the servo motor system. The servo motor system 304 can drive the actuator assembly 302 by using an absolute encoder, a servo motor, and a brake. One or more guides 303 can be slidable and each can include a linear motion guide that enables relative linear motion between the backbone structure 212 and the bottom bowl carrier 202. This guides the bottom bowl carrier 202 between its processing position and its transport position.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 4, the pedestal lift 126 includes a pedestal 120 for supporting the substrate 118 (FIG. 1). As described above, the pedestal 120 is supported by a pedestal carrier 204. The cooling hub 208 provides a water flow for keeping the pedestal carrier 204 (and the bottom bowl 122), which may reach above 700° C. during processing, in a cooled state. The pedestal lift 126 is configured to manipulate the position and / or orientation of the pedestal 120 relative to the output surface 114 (FIG. 1) of the showerhead 112. In an embodiment, the pedestal lift 126 utilizes three contacts to the pedestal carrier 204 to establish a horizontal plane for the pedestal 120 relative to the output surface 114 of the showerhead 112.

[0022] The pedestal carrier 204 is typically adapted to move vertically in a direction parallel to the central axis 401 by use of a plurality of actuators 402. There are three actuators 402 in such an embodiment, although more or fewer than three actuators may be used. Each of the actuators 402 can include a linear actuator such as a linear motor, an air cylinder, or a ball screw actuator, as in the actuator assembly 302 described above. The uppermost end of the actuator 402 is attached to a base assembly 410 attached to a reference surface of the bottom 106 of the processing chamber 100. The ball joint assembly 406 connects the actuator 402 to the pedestal carrier 204 and facilitates movement between the pedestal carrier 204 and the actuator 402. In some embodiments, the ball joint assembly 406 allows three degrees of freedom (pitch, yaw, and roll) about an attachment point formed on the pedestal carrier 204. The actuator 402 is configured to produce relative linear and angular motion between the pedestal 120 and the bottom bowl 122. The flexure hinge 412 is attached at one end to the base assembly 410 and at the other end to the actuator 402. In this embodiment, the combination of three actuators 402 configured in opposing support positions fully constrains the movement of the pedestal carrier 204 and provides flexibility to move in four degrees of freedom (e.g., up (Z direction), pitch, yaw, and roll) with respect to the pedestal lift 126. The flexure hinge 412 flexes due to moments generated by different motions of the actuator 402 that pivot the pedestal carrier 204 in one direction with respect to the central axis 401. Each of the flexure hinges 412 provides an extremely rigid attachment point for each actuator 402 to withstand the load applied to the assembly and allows for a small amount (<0.5 degrees) of rotation at each actuator 402. The flexure hinge 412 also acts as a radial preload for the ball joint assembly 406 within the assembly.

[0023] The servo motor 404 drives the actuator 402 and thus drives the ball joint assembly 406 and the pedestal carrier 204 in the vertical direction (Z direction) along the actuator 402. During operation, a system controller (not shown) drives the servo motor 404 to continuously move the actuator 402 using a dynamic motion profile for manipulating the position and / or orientation of the pedestal 120. Such operation enables the continuous change of the position and / or orientation of the pedestal 120 relative to the output surface 114 of the showerhead 112 as the pedestal 120 pivots and / or moves along the central axis 401. By continuously driving the servo motor 404, the orientation of the pedestal 120 will continuously move in one or more directions relative to a fixed reference frame (e.g., an X-Y-Z reference frame). Over a certain period, by using a plurality of actuators 402 to maintain a continuous tilt of the pedestal 120 relative to the output surface 114 of the showerhead 112 and to slide the pedestal 120 around the central axis 401, it has been found that the process uniformity regarding the deposition of a particular CVD-deposited film is improved. However, as described above, it is still necessary to reduce and / or prevent the generation of parasitic plasma inside the region below the pedestal 120, which is solved by using the bottom bowl lift 124 that controls the position of the bottom bowl 122. As described above, due to the configuration of the pedestal lift 126 and the bottom bowl lift 124, the two assemblies are each separately adjustable and controllable such that the orientation and position of their respective hardware components move independently. Thus, the various embodiments described herein enable each component of these assemblies to be properly and separately aligned with one or more different components inside the processing chamber to provide a film formed or processed on the substrate as desired, and further to prevent the generation of parasitic plasma that can generate particles and result in undesirable processing outcomes (e.g., low deposition rate, low uniformity, etc.).

[0024] FIG. 5A shows the lift system 500 in the exchange position, and FIG. 5B shows the lift system 500 in the processing position. When the lift system 500 is in the exchange position, the bottom bowl 122 is lowered downward by the bottom bowl lift 124 near the bottom 504 of the processing chamber 502. In addition, when the lift system 500 is in the exchange position, the pedestal 120 is lowered by the pedestal lift 126 to a position where the pedestal 120 can receive the substrate 118 through a slit valve 507 formed through the processing chamber 502. The slit valve 507 enables the substrate 118 (FIG. 1) to be disposed on the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 so that a semiconductor film can be manufactured on the substrate 118 during processing.

[0025] When the lift system 500 is in the processing position, the bottom bowl 122 is lifted by the bottom bowl lift 124 such that the upper end 122A of the bottom bowl 122 (Figs. 1 and 5B) contacts a component, such as an edge ring 123, within the upper region 101 of the processing chamber, so that the bottom bowl 122 forms an inner volume portion 121 (Fig. 1) inside the processing chamber 502. This reduces the throughput below the pedestal 120 and, further, provides a shorter and more symmetric path for RF energy to propagate to the ground, reducing the generation of parasitic plasmas, increasing the deposition rate, decreasing the likelihood of particle generation, and improving the uniformity of the deposited film. Additionally, the pedestal lift 126 lifts the pedestal 120 such that the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 is close to the showerhead 506 located within the upper region 101 of the processing chamber 502. As described above, the pedestal lift 126 is also configured to raise the pedestal 120 in proximity to the output surface 510 of the showerhead 506. The upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 is oriented such that it is not coplanar with the output surface 510 of the showerhead 506. Further, the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 can be tilted without the need to adjust the position of the bottom bowl 122. As described above, the pedestal lift 126 is configured such that the pedestal 120 moves independently without interference from the bottom bowl 122 as the bottom bowl 122 is lifted away from the pedestal 120 to a separate area within the processing chamber 502.

[0026] As described above with reference to FIG. 1, gas is supplied into the upper region 101 of the processing chamber 502 through the showerhead 506. The gas is then dispersed through the showerhead 506 to the output surface 510 and then to the processing region 512 on the substrate 118 located on the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 where a semiconductor film is formed. The first material layer can be deposited on the substrate 118 when the upper surface 120A of the pedestal 120 is not coplanar with the output surface 510 of the showerhead 506. Any number of material layers can be dispersed when the pedestal 120 is in such an orientation, or the pedestal 120 can be positioned in a different orientation with respect to the output surface 510 of the showerhead 506 before another material layer is applied to the substrate 118. The advantage of tilting the pedestal 120 is to improve the uniformity of processes such as film deposition performed within the processing chamber. The position of the pedestal 120 can be finely adjusted for each process. By adding the bottom bowl 122 and the bottom bowl lift 124, the benefits of the ability to tilt the pedestal 120 separately can be realized, and a smaller inner volume portion 121 can be formed within the processing chamber 502 to provide the benefits of further substrate processing as described above.

[0027] Although the above is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure can be devised without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A lift assembly having a bottom bowl lift, wherein the bottom bowl lift includes a bottom bowl including a wall having an inner surface defining an inner volume portion, a bottom bowl carrier configured to support the bottom bowl, a backbone structure attached to the bottom bowl carrier and having an adjustable mount configured to provide an angle adjustment between the backbone structure and the bottom bowl, and a bottom bowl actuator assembly configured to move the bottom bowl carrier in a first direction in parallel. A lift assembly comprising the above.

2. The lift assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a pedestal lift having a pedestal carrier, wherein the bottom bowl carrier and the pedestal carrier are attached together via a bellows, and the bellows forms a seal between the bottom bowl lift and the pedestal lift.

3. The lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom bowl actuator assembly further comprises one or more guides and a bottom bowl actuator, the one or more guides are connected to the backbone structure and the bottom bowl carrier, and the one or more guides are configured to enable relative linear movement in the first direction between the backbone structure and the bottom bowl carrier when the bottom bowl actuator moves the bottom bowl carrier in the first direction in parallel.

4. The lift assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a ball joint assembly, each of the ball joint assemblies connecting one of a plurality of actuators to the pedestal carrier.

5. The lift assembly according to claim 4, wherein the ball joint assembly enables three degrees of freedom (pitch, yaw, and roll) about the attachment point.

6. The lift assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a flexure hinge having a first end and a second end, each of the flexure hinges being attached to the base assembly at the first end and to one of the plurality of actuators at the second end.

7. The lift assembly according to claim 2, further comprising a cooling hub attached to the bottom bowl carrier and the pedestal carrier.

8. Further comprising a pedestal, the pedestal having a substrate support surface and a side wall defining an outer dimension of the pedestal, the wall of the bottom bowl having an inner surface defining an inner volume dimension larger than the outer dimension of the pedestal, the lift assembly according to claim 1.

9. Further comprising a pedestal lift, the pedestal lift being a pedestal, a pedestal carrier connected to the pedestal, a plurality of actuators each connected to a separate portion of the pedestal carrier, wherein one or more of the plurality of actuators are configured to cause relative linear and angular motion between the pedestal and the bottom bowl when moving at least a portion of the pedestal carrier in a first direction parallel to the first direction. A plurality of actuators The lift assembly according to claim 1, comprising:

10. The lift assembly according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of actuators includes three actuators.

11. A lift system comprising a bottom bowl lift, the bottom bowl lift being a bottom bowl including a wall having an inner surface defining an inner volume, a bottom bowl carrier configured to support the bottom bowl, a backbone structure attached to the bottom bowl carrier, the backbone structure having an adjustable mount configured to provide an angle adjustment between the backbone structure and the bottom bowl relative to the bottom of the processing chamber. A backbone structure, A bottom bowl actuator assembly configured to move the bottom bowl carrier between an exchange position where the bottom bowl is positioned in a lowered position proximate the bottom of the processing chamber and a processing position where the bottom bowl is positioned in a raised position relative to the bottom of the processing chamber. A lift system comprising:

12. The lift system according to claim 11, wherein a lower end of the bottom bowl further comprises a bellows having a first end and a second end, the first end of the bellows being connected to the wall, and the second end of the bellows being sealed to a portion of the bottom of the processing chamber.

13. The lift system according to claim 11, wherein the bottom bowl actuator is a linear ball screw actuator.

14. The lift system according to claim 13, wherein the linear ball screw actuator is driven by a servo motor.

15. Further comprising a pedestal lift, wherein the pedestal lift a pedestal, a pedestal carrier configured to support the pedestal, wherein the pedestal is positionable inside the inner volume of the bottom bowl, the pedestal carrier; a plurality of actuators and each of the plurality of actuators is connected to a separate portion of the pedestal carrier, the plurality of actuators being configured to raise the pedestal proximate to the output surface of the shower head and to orient the upper surface of the pedestal in a first orientation relative to the output surface of the shower head, the first orientation of the upper surface of the pedestal being non-coplanar with the output surface of the shower head, the lift system according to claim 11.

16. Further comprising a ball joint assembly, each of the ball joint assemblies connecting one of the plurality of actuators to the pedestal carrier, the lift system according to claim 15.

17. The lift system according to claim 16, wherein the ball joint assembly allows three degrees of freedom (pitch, yaw, and roll) about the attachment point.

18. Further comprising a flexure hinge having a first end and a second end, each of the flexure hinges being attached to the base assembly at the first end and attached to one of the plurality of actuators at the second end, the lift system according to claim 15.

19. The lift system according to claim 15, further comprising a cooling hub attached to the bottom bowl carrier and the pedestal carrier.

20. The lift system according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of actuators includes three actuators.

21. A method for a lift system, comprising: lowering a bottom bowl lift to an exchange position such that a bottom bowl having an inner surface defining an inner volume is positioned in a lowered position proximate to the bottom of the processing chamber; raising the bottom bowl lift to a processing position located at a distance from the bottom of the processing chamber; orienting the upper surface of the pedestal in a first orientation relative to the output surface of the shower head; Depositing a first material layer on a substrate disposed on the upper surface of the pedestal while the upper surface of the pedestal is oriented in the first orientation and the bottom bowl lift is in the processing position comprising the lift system includes a bottom bowl carrier, the bottom bowl carrier being connected to the bottom bowl the bottom bowl lift is a backbone structure attached to the bottom bowl carrier, the backbone structure having an adjustable mount configured to provide an angle adjustment between the backbone structure and the bottom bowl, the method

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the lift system further includes a pedestal carrier, the pedestal carrier being connected to the pedestal

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the lift system includes a plurality of actuators configured to cause relative linear and angular movement between the pedestal and the bottom bowl

24. A method for a lift system, comprising lowering a bottom bowl lift to an exchange position such that a bottom bowl having an inner surface defining an inner volume is positioned in a lowered position proximate the bottom of a processing chamber raising the bottom bowl lift to a processing position located at a distance from the bottom of the processing chamber orienting the upper surface of a pedestal in a first orientation relative to an output surface of a showerhead depositing a first material layer on a substrate disposed on the upper surface of the pedestal while the upper surface of the pedestal is oriented in the first orientation and the bottom bowl lift is in the processing position comprising the bottom bowl lift includes a bottom bowl actuator assembly, a bottom bowl carrier, and a backbone structure, the bottom bowl actuator assembly further including one or more guides and a bottom bowl actuator, the one or more guides being connected to the backbone structure and the bottom bowl carrier, and the one or more guides being configured to enable relative linear movement in the first direction between the backbone structure and the bottom bowl carrier when the bottom bowl actuator moves the bottom bowl carrier in a first direction in parallel, the method

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the lift system further comprises a cooling hub attached to the bottom bowl carrier and the pedestal carrier. **Claim 26** The method according to claim 22, wherein the bottom bowl carrier and the pedestal carrier are attached together via a bellows, and the bellows forms a seal between the bottom bowl lift and the pedestal lift. **Claim 27** The method according to claim 21, wherein the lower end of the bottom bowl further comprises a bellows having a first end and a second end, the first end of the bellows is connected to the wall, and the second end of the bellows is sealed to a portion of the bottom of the processing chamber.

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