Plasma Chamber Ring Lift Pin Structure for Precise Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plasma processing systems face challenges in efficiently lifting and lowering annular members such as edge rings and cover rings due to difficulties in adjusting the height of lift pins to match the specific requirements of each member, leading to reduced transport efficiency and increased loading tolerance.
Innovation Solution
A plasma processing apparatus with a lift pin mechanism featuring lift pins with different diameters and actuators, combined with spacers to adjust the height of annular members, ensuring precise lifting and lowering of ring assemblies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single-diameter lift pin is used for all annular members, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different ring assemblies is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The lift pin is segmented into multiple portions with different diameters along its length. Each portion can engage with annular members of different sizes, allowing a single lift pin to handle multiple ring assembly configurations without increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the lift pin have different local qualities (diameters) to match the specific requirements of different annular members. The first portion has a first diameter for engaging the first annular member, while the second portion has a second diameter for engaging the second annular member, optimizing engagement for each specific component.
2Productivity
If the lift pin height is not precisely adjusted, then the ease of operation is improved, but the transport efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spacers are pre-installed on the lift pin at specific positions to establish the correct height relationship between the first and second annular members before operation begins. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for complex real-time adjustments during operation, maintaining both ease of operation and transport efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer acts as an intermediary element between the lift pin and the annular members, mediating the height adjustment. By placing the spacer on the lift pin, the system achieves precise height control for the annular members without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, thus maintaining operational simplicity while improving transport efficiency.
3Reliability
If the lift pin structure is simplified, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability of lifting different ring assemblies is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lift pin incorporates a dynamic stepped structure with portions of different diameters that can adapt to different annular member sizes. This dynamic design allows the same lift pin to reliably engage with various ring assemblies while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that remains easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The lift pin structure changes its effective engagement parameter (diameter) at different portions along its length. By varying the diameter parameter locally rather than throughout the entire pin, the design achieves reliable engagement with different ring assemblies while keeping the manufacturing process relatively simple compared to using multiple specialized pins.
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma processing apparatus, comprising a plasma processing chamber; a plasma generator to generate a plasma from a processing gas in the plasma processing chamber; and a substrate support disposed in the plasma processing chamber, is provided. The substrate support includes a base; an electrostatic chuck disposed above the base; a first annular member to surround a substrate on the substrate support; a second annular member disposed below the first annular member and having a plurality of through holes; a plurality of lift pins disposed to correspond to the respective through holes, each lift pin having an upper portion to support the first annular member through the corresponding through hole and a lower portion; at least one spacer fixed to at least one of the lift pins, disposed on the lower portion so as to surround the upper portion and support the second annular member; and at least one actuator to vertically move the lift pins.