US 12,227,847 B2
Level monitoring and active adjustment of a substrate support assembly
James V. Santiago, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Patricia M. Liu, Saratoga, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/218,882.
Prior Publication US 2022/0316066 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. C23C 16/52 (2006.01); C23C 16/458 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/68 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/52 (2013.01) [C23C 16/4584 (2013.01); H01L 21/67011 (2013.01); H01L 21/67259 (2013.01); H01L 21/68 (2013.01); H01L 21/68742 (2013.01); H01L 21/68764 (2013.01); H01L 21/68785 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber body;
a substrate support assembly comprising a stem and a support body, the support body positioned within the chamber body and coupled to the stem;
a bracket assembly disposed outside the chamber body and coupled to the stem, the bracket assembly having a plurality of leveling screws for adjusting a level of the substrate support assembly;
an actuator coupled to one of the plurality of leveling screws, the actuator comprising driver electronics:
an accelerometer coupled to the substrate support assembly and disposed inside the stem of the substrate support assembly, wherein the accelerometer is configured to indicate an orientation of the substrate support assembly; and
a control module in communication with the actuator and the accelerometer, wherein the control module comprises automatic process control software and a control algorithm and is configured to:
automatically adjust the level of the substrate support assembly to a target level using the actuator when the chamber body is closed during processing by:
receiving, by the control algorithm, automated control instructions from the automatic process control software and signals from the accelerometer,
determining, by the control algorithm, the level of the substrate support assembly based on at least one of the orientation indicated by the signals from the accelerometer or automated control instructions from the automatic process control software, and
sending, by the control algorithm, instructions to the driver electronics to drive the actuator to move the substrate assembly to the target level.