Apparatus and methods for preventing rotational slippage between a vertical shaft and a support structure for a semiconductor wafer holder

Abstract

A substrate support assembly positively secures a substrate holder support to a rotation shaft with respect to rotationally applied forces. A substrate holder support is configured to have an opening in a socket into which, when aligned with an indentation in the rotational shaft to form a passage, a retaining member is removably inserted to engage both the socket opening and the shaft indentation. Methods of rotating a substrate while minimizing rotational slippage of the substrate holder support with respect to the shaft are also provided.

1 . A support assembly for supporting a substrate holder during semiconductor substrate processing, comprising: 
 a substrate holder support configured to support a semiconductor substrate holder, the substrate holder support having a socket; and    a rotational drive having an end portion with one or more tapered surfaces, the end portion and the one or more tapered surfaces adapted to be slidably received within the socket of the substrate holder support, the end portion and the socket being shaped to precisely fit together so as to substantially prevent rotational slippage of the rotational drive with respect to the socket, the rotational drive configured to support and rotate the substrate holder support during rotation of the rotational drive.    
   
   
       2 . The support assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate holder supported by the substrate holder support.  
   
   
       3 . The support assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate holder support includes a plurality of support arms extending generally radially outward and upward from the socket, the support arms adapted to support a substrate holder.  
   
   
       4 . The support assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rotational drive comprises a shaft portion having said one or more tapered surfaces.  
   
   
       5 . A support assembly for supporting a substrate holder during semiconductor substrate processing, comprising: 
 a substrate holding structure configured to support a semiconductor substrate during substrate processing; and    a rotational linkage adapted to support the substrate holding structure;    wherein a shaped section of the substrate holding structure is adapted to be coupled to a correspondingly shaped section of the rotational linkage so as to substantially prevent rotational slippage of the substrate holding structure relative to the rotational linkage, the correspondingly shaped section of the rotational linkage including one or more tapered surfaces.    
   
   
       6 . The support assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate holding structure comprises: 
 a substrate holder adapted to support a semiconductor substrate during substrate processing; and    a substrate holder support adapted to support the substrate holder and to be supported by the rotational linkage.    
   
   
       7 . The support assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the shaped section of the substrate holding structure comprises a socket adapted to slidably receive the correspondingly shaped section of the rotational linkage.  
   
   
       8 . The support assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the substrate holding structure comprises: 
 a substrate holder adapted to support a substrate during substrate processing; and    a substrate holder support comprising said socket and a plurality of support arms extending generally radially outward and upward from the socket, the support arms adapted to support the substrate holder.    
   
   
       9 . The support assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the rotational linkage comprises a shaft portion having said one or more tapered surfaces.  
   
   
       10 . A method of processing a semiconductor substrate, comprising: 
 providing a rotational drive having an upwardly terminating end portion having one or more tapered surfaces;    providing a substrate holder support having a socket adapted to slidably receive the end portion and the one or more tapered surfaces of the rotational drive, the end portion and the socket being shaped to precisely fit together so as to substantially prevent rotational slippage of the rotational drive with respect to the socket;    aligning the socket with the end portion of the rotational drive;    lowering the socket onto the end portion of the rotational drive so that the end portion and the socket precisely fit together;    supporting a substrate holder on the substrate holder support;    supporting a semiconductor substrate on the substrate holder; and    rotating the rotational drive so as to rotate the substrate holder support, the substrate holder, and the substrate.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein providing the substrate holder support comprises providing a plurality of support arms extending generally radially outward and upward from the socket, and wherein supporting the substrate holder on the substrate holder support comprises supporting the substrate holder on the support arms.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein providing the rotational drive comprises providing a shaft portion having said one or more tapered surfaces.  
   
   
       13 . A method of processing a semiconductor substrate, comprising: 
 providing a rotational linkage;    providing a substrate holding structure adapted to support a semiconductor substrate during substrate processing;    engaging a shaped section of the substrate holding structure with a correspondingly shaped section of the rotational linkage so that the rotational linkage supports the substrate holding structure and so that rotational slippage of the substrate holding structure relative to the rotational linkage is substantially prevented, the correspondingly shaped section of the rotational linkage including one or more tapered surfaces;    supporting a semiconductor substrate on the substrate holding structure; and    rotating the rotational linkage so as to rotate the substrate holding structure and the substrate.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein providing the substrate holding structure comprises providing a substrate holder and a substrate holder support, the substrate holder being adapted to support the substrate during substrate processing, the substrate holder support being adapted to support the substrate holder, the substrate holder support including said shaped section engaged with said correspondingly shaped section of the rotational linkage.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein engaging the shaped section of the substrate holding structure with the correspondingly shaped section of the rotational linkage comprises slidably inserting the correspondingly shaped section of the rotational linkage into a socket of the substrate holding structure.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein providing the substrate holding structure comprises: 
 providing a substrate holder adapted to support the substrate during substrate processing; and    supporting the substrate holder on upper ends of a plurality of support arms of a substrate holder support, the support arms extending generally radially outward and upward from the socket.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein providing the rotational linkage comprises providing a shaft portion having said one or more tapered surfaces.