US 11,984,344 B2
Lift apparatus and substrate processing apparatus including the same
Byeongsang Kim, Hwaseong-si (KR); Keonwoo Kim, Yongin-si (KR); Wooram Kim, Bupyeong-gu (KR); Eungsu Kim, Seoul (KR); Heewon Min, Daejeon (KR); Sangwook Park, Seongnam-si (KR); Seungwon Shin, Seoul (KR); Dongyun Yeo, Seoul (KR); Geunsik Oh, Suwon-si (KR); and Hyanjung Lee, Hwaseong-si (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/895,513.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2019-0152593 (KR), filed on Nov. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0159112 A1, May 27, 2021
Int. Cl. H01L 21/687 (2006.01); H01J 37/20 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/683 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/68742 (2013.01) [H01J 37/20 (2013.01); H01L 21/67242 (2013.01); H01L 21/6831 (2013.01); H01J 2237/334 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lift apparatus for moving an object up and down in a substrate processing apparatus, the lift apparatus comprising:
a body configured to support the object while a lift hole, included in the body, is overlapped by the object in a vertical direction;
a lift pin configured to move the object up and down by moving up and down in the lift hole;
a bellows provided under the body and including an upper flange combined with a lower portion of the body; a lower flange spaced apart from the upper flange in the vertical direction; and a flexible pipe interposed between the upper flange and the lower flange and surrounding at least a part of the lift pin;
a connector combined with a lower end of the lift pin in the flexible pipe and configured to interfere with downward movement of the lift pin and to allow at least one from among rotation, sliding, and tilting of the lift pin;
a load sensor provided under the connector, that is combined with the lower end of the lift pin, and configured to measure vertical load, through the connector, generated in accordance with movement of the lift pin and to generate load information;
an actuator configured to move the lift pin up and down; and
a controller connected to the load sensor and configured to determine at least one of a magnitude of load applied to the object and a contact initiation point between the object and the lift pin based on the load information,
wherein the entirety of the load sensor is disposed under the connector, and
wherein the connector comprises:
a lower support in which a mounting hole is formed; and
a rotating body positioned in the mounting hole.