Patent ID: 7736436
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: C30B,H01L,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A tower and edge ring assembly, comprising: a tower for supporting a plurality of wafers in a vertical spaced parallel relationship on wafer support areas of the tower disposed at first radial distances from a center of the tower; and edge rings detachably supported on and included in the tower and interleaved with and spaced from the wafers, each of the edge rings being annularly shaped about a central ring axis, having a central aperture over at least most of the areas of the wafers and extending radially outwardly from a periphery of the wafers, and including at least one interlocking edge extending at least partially along a radius from the central ring axis to detachably engage the tower and thereby interlock the each edge ring to the tower; wherein the tower comprises wherein the each edge ring includes a plurality of radially inner recesses adjacent the central aperture, forming the at least one interlocking edge to engage sides of the fingers, and including segment portions of the each ring which are disposed radially outwardly of the recesses and are supportable on the edge ring support surfaces.