US 12,009,232 B2
Heater lift assembly spring damper
Kai-Wen Wu, Hsinchu (TW); Chun-Ta Chen, Hsinchu (TW); Chin-Shen Hsieh, Hsinchu (TW); and Cheng-Yi Huang, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsin-Chu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jun. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/843,602.
Application 17/843,602 is a continuation of application No. 16/870,499, filed on May 8, 2020, granted, now 11,367,632.
Prior Publication US 2022/0319880 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. F27D 3/00 (2006.01); F27B 17/00 (2006.01); F27D 5/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/324 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67103 (2013.01) [F27B 17/0025 (2013.01); F27D 3/0084 (2013.01); F27D 5/0037 (2013.01); H01L 21/324 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a heater configured to heat a wafer disposed on a top surface of the heater; and
a heater lift assembly comprising:
a lift shaft coupled to the heater and configured to move the heater in a vertical direction;
a clamp that couples the heater to the lift shaft such that rotational motion of the lift shaft moves the heater in the vertical direction; and
a damper disposed on a top surface of the clamp, wherein the damper comprises an elastic spring that comprises an elastic material,
wherein the elastic spring comprise two opposing rigid ends that sandwich the elastic material, and wherein the elastic spring has a width that is greater than a contact structure width of a contact structure disposed over the elastic spring and configured to contact the elastic spring when the clamp is moved to a maximum vertical location.