Lift pin assembly and substrate processing apparatus having same

1 . A lift pin assembly comprising:

a plurality of lift pins, each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins having an upper end contacting a substrate and supporting the substrate;

a pin drive unit that is coupled to the plurality of lift pins and is configured to lift the plurality of lift pins to a lifted position,

wherein the pin drive unit includes a plurality of piezoelectric motors below the plurality of lift pins, respectively, and

wherein each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors includes an electric motor configured to lift a corresponding lift pin of the plurality of lift pins to a first position and a piezoelectric actuator configured to adjust a height of the corresponding lift pin positioned at the first position by the electric motor;

a height detection sensor configured to detect a height of each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins in the lifted position,

wherein each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors further includes:

a first connection shaft connecting the piezoelectric actuator and the electric motor with each other; and

a second connection shaft connecting the piezoelectric actuator to the corresponding lift pin of the plurality of lift pins; and

a controller configured to:

control the electric motor to lift the corresponding lift pin to the first position;

receive height information of each of the plurality of lift pins from the height detection sensor after the plurality of lift pins are lifted to the first position; and

control the piezoelectric actuator by adjusting an applied voltage to the corresponding lift pin based on the received height information, thereby compensating for height differences among the plurality of lift pins lifted to the first position.

2 . The lift pin assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein the piezoelectric actuator is configured to expand or contract in a vertical direction in response to a supply of power.

3 . The lift pin assembly according to claim 2 ,

wherein the height of each of the plurality of lift pins is adjusted by adjusting a voltage supplied to the piezoelectric actuator in each of the plurality of piezoelectric motors.

4 . The lift pin assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller independently controls the piezoelectric actuator of each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors so that the plurality of lift pins have the same height in the lifted position.

5 . A substrate support unit comprising:

a substrate support member that supports a substrate, wherein the substrate support member is provided with one or more pin holes vertically penetrating the substrate support member; and

a lift pin assembly configured to be lifted along a corresponding pin hole among the one or more pin holes,

wherein the lift pin assembly includes:

a plurality of lift pins, each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins having an upper end contacting the substrate and supporting the substrate,

a pin drive unit that is coupled to the plurality of lift pins and is configured to lift the plurality of lift pins to a lifted position,

wherein the pin drive unit includes a plurality of piezoelectric motors below the plurality of lift pins, respectively, and

wherein each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors includes an electric motor configured to lift a corresponding lift pin of the plurality of lift pins to a first position and a piezoelectric actuator configured to adjust a height of the corresponding lift pin positioned at the first position by the electric motor,

a height detection sensor configured to detect a height of each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins in the lifted position,

wherein each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors further includes:

a first connection shaft connecting the piezoelectric actuator and the electric motor with each other; and

a second connection shaft connecting the piezoelectric actuator to the corresponding lift pin of the plurality of lift pins, and

a controller configured to:

control the electric motor to lift the corresponding lift pin to the first position;

receive height information of each of the plurality of lift pins from the height detection sensor after the plurality of lift pins are lifted to the first position; and

control the piezoelectric actuator by adjusting an applied voltage to the corresponding lift pin based on the received height information, thereby compensating for height differences among the plurality of lift pins lifted to the first position.

6 . The substrate support unit according to claim 5 ,

wherein the piezoelectric actuator is configured to expand or contract in a vertical direction in response to a supply of power.

7 . The substrate support unit according to claim 6 ,

wherein a height of each of the plurality of lift pins is adjusted by adjusting power supplied to the piezoelectric actuator in each of the plurality of piezoelectric motors.

8 . The substrate support unit according to claim 5 ,

wherein the controller independently controls the piezoelectric actuator of each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors so that the plurality of lift pins have the same height in the lifted position.

9 . The substrate support unit according to claim 5 ,

wherein the lift pin assembly further includes:

a pin plate that supports the plurality of lift pins, and

wherein the pin drive unit is installed on the pin plate.

10 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a chamber having a processing space;

a substrate support unit that supports a substrate in the processing space; and

a gas supply unit that supplies a process gas into the processing space,

wherein the substrate support unit includes:

a substrate support member on which the substrate is placed, the substrate support member being provided with one or more pin holes vertically penetrating the substrate support member, and

a lift pin assembly configured to be lifted along a corresponding pin hole among the one or more pin holes,

wherein the lift pin assembly includes:

a plurality of lift pins, each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins inserted into the corresponding pin hole to be lifted to a lifted position,

a pin drive unit that includes a plurality of piezoelectric motors coupled to the plurality of lift pins, respectively,

wherein each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors includes an electric motor configured to lift a corresponding lift pin of the plurality of lift pins to a first position and a piezoelectric actuator configured to adjust a height of the corresponding lift pin positioned at the first position by the electric motor, and

a height detection sensor configured to detect a height of each lift pin of the plurality of lift pins at the lifted position,

wherein each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors further includes:

a first connection shaft connecting the piezoelectric actuator and the electric motor with each other; and

a second connection shaft connecting the piezoelectric actuator to the corresponding lift pin of the plurality of lift pins, and

a controller configured to:

control the electric motor to lift the corresponding lift pin to the first position;

receive height information of each of the plurality of lift pins from the height detection sensor after the plurality of lift pins are lifted to the first position; and

control the piezoelectric actuator by adjusting an applied voltage to the corresponding lift pin based on the received height information, thereby compensating for height differences among the plurality of lift pins lifted to the first position.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein in each of the plurality of piezoelectric motors, the piezoelectric actuator is configured to expand or contract in a vertical direction in response to a supply of power.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11 ,

wherein a height of each of the plurality of lift pins is adjusted by adjusting power supplied to the piezoelectric actuator in each of the plurality of piezoelectric motors.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the controller independently controls the piezoelectric actuator of each piezoelectric motor of the plurality of piezoelectric motors so that the plurality of lift pins have the same height in the lifted position.

14 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a substrate level sensor configured to detect a height and an inclination of the substrate transported into the processing space.