Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-25
2004-02-10
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06688923
ABSTRACT:
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2001-0075088 filed on Nov. 29, 2001 in Korea, which are both hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a susceptor base that is installed in a semiconductor fabrication chamber, and more particularly, to a power-interface assembly that connects a power supply to the susceptor base.
2. Description of Related Art
The semiconductor devices, such as a LSI (Large Scale Integrated), a memory IC (Integrated Circuit) and other logic elements, are generally fabricated by repeated depositing and patterning processes on a wafer. Such depositing and patterning processes are generally conducted in a chamber process module including an airtight process chamber.
Such a chamber includes a susceptor therein, and then the wafer is mounted on the susceptor for the semiconductor fabrication. The susceptor includes a heating device therein in order to apply heat to the mounted wafer and then allow a thin film formed on the wafer to have better uniformity. Furthermore, when the wafer is heated during the process, the thin film profile and process repeatability are improved.
FIG. 1
is a conceptual perspective view illustrating a susceptor and a power supply according to a conventional art. As shown, a susceptor base
30
b
is connected to a shaft
30
a
shaped like a cylindroid. The susceptor base
30
b
and the shaft
30
a
is installed at the bottom of the chamber in a way of that the shaft
30
a
penetrates the chamber bottom. Thus, the susceptor base
30
b
is located inside the chamber to receive the wafer thereon, and the shaft
30
a
is protruded from the chamber bottom to receive electric power. Although not shown in
FIG. 1
, the susceptor base
30
b
connected at one end of the shaft
30
a
includes a heating device therein which is operated by the electric power. At the other end of the shaft
30
a
, a power-interface assembly
50
is disposed.
Still referring to
FIG. 1
, the shaft
30
a
includes first power feed lines
42
that are connected to the heating device of the susceptor
30
b
. A power supply
90
is connected to second power feed lines
44
, and then the second power feed lines
44
extend to the power-interface assembly
50
in order to supply the electric power to the heating device of the susceptor base
30
b
. The power-interface assembly
50
disposed at the end of the shaft
30
a
generally includes a circular flange
52
, connecting terminals
54
, washers
70
and screws
60
. The circular flange
52
closes up the end of the cylindroid shaft
30
a
. The connecting terminals
54
penetrate the circular flange
52
so as to be connected to the first power feed lines
42
. First portions of the connecting terminals
54
, which are disposed on an inner surface of the circular flange
52
, are connected to the first power feed lines
42
, while second portions of the connecting terminals
54
, which are disposed on an outer surface of the circular flange
52
, are connected to the washers
70
by the screws
60
. Since the second power feed lines
44
extending from the power supply
90
are electrically connected to the washers
70
, the electric power can flow from the power supply
90
to the heating device of the susceptor base
30
b
. The circular flange
52
is firmly fixed to the shaft
30
a
so that the connecting terminals
54
are also fixed to the shaft
30
a
. Further, the washers
70
are fixed to the connecting terminals
54
with the screws
60
. The washers
70
connected to the second power feed lines
44
is formed of a conductive material and shaped like a ring so that they can be firmly fixed by the screws
60
that is screwed up to the ends of the connecting terminals
54
. Namely, each screw
60
is inserted into each ring-shaped washer
70
and then driven into each connecting terminal
54
.
Accordingly, the power-interface assembly
50
electrically connects the second power feed lines
44
to the first power feed lines
42
. Moreover, the electric power generated in the power supply
90
is flowing to the heating device of the susceptor base
30
b
through the second power feed lines
44
, through the power-interface assembly
50
and then finally through the first power feed lines
42
.
Meanwhile, the semiconductor fabrication process in the process chamber varies depending on the thin film material deposited and patterned on the wafer. In order to conduct such various processes, the susceptor base
30
b
and the power supply
90
are electrically disconnected and then the chamber is disassembled to change and modify the interior structural elements. Therefore, the power-interface assembly
50
is also disassembled. The screws
60
connected to the connecting terminals
54
are loosened, and then the washers
70
electrically connected to the power supply
90
are detached from the connecting terminals
54
. Thereafter, the washers
70
are attached to the connecting terminals
54
and the screws
60
are tightened again for another fabrication process.
In this case of loosening and tightening the screws
60
in the power-interface assembly
50
, the operator or worker should drive the screws
60
to connect and disconnect the washers
70
that is connected to the power supply
90
. These increase amount of work and decrease operation efficiency, thereby causing the bad productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a power-interface assembly that substantially overcome one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
To overcome the problems described above, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a sesceptor power-interface assembly that accomplishes an easy electrical connection and disconnection between a susceptor base and a power supply.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a susceptor power-interface assembly which is used for a chamber process module that includes a power supply, a process chamber and a susceptor, wherein the susceptor includes a susceptor shaft penetrating a bottom of the process chamber and a susceptor base on which a wafer is disposed for the process. The susceptor power-interface assembly electrically connects the power supply to the susceptor base. The susceptor power-interface assembly includes a first flange at the end of the susceptor shaft, the first flange bent outside from the susceptor shaft; a second flange having a circular shape, the second flange coupled with the first flange using screws; a plurality of connectors penetrating the second flange, wherein one part of each connector is disposed on the inner surface of the second flange and electrically connected to the susceptor base, wherein the other part of each connector is disposed on the outer surface of the second flange; and a plurality of power boots each having a hole so as to cap each connector disposed on the outer surface of the second flange, wherein each connector slide into the hole of each power boot to be coupled with the power boot. The susceptor power-interface assembly further includes an O-ring packing that is interposed between the first and second flanges and made of Teflon. The first flange have first connecting holes and the second flange have second connecting hole so that each screw penetrates each first connecting hole and second connecting hole to couple the second flange with the first flange. The first flange is perpendicular to the axis of the susceptor shaft and bro
Choi Jong-Yong
Kim Yong-Jin
Lee Myung-Jin
Duane Morris LLP
Jusung Engineering Co. Ltd.
Patel Tulsidas
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