Patent ID: 7476291
Filing Date: 2009-01-13
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A vacuum chamber comprising: a chamber top; a gas distribution member and an external chamber body; the gas distribution member comprising an internal chamber body configured to be slidably supported on the external chamber body with a gap between outer surfaces of the internal chamber body and inner surfaces of the external chamber body; gas passages extending through a central upper portion of the internal chamber body, the gas passages adapted to direct process gas into the chamber towards the semiconductor substrate; a domed inner surface adapted to overlie the substrate and confine the process gas in a space; and a central upper vacuum sealing surface surrounding the gas passages and adapted to form a vacuum seal with a lower surface of the chamber top; the external chamber body having a sidewall and an annular recess in an upper portion of the sidewall, slidably supporting the internal chamber body and configured to surround a side of said internal chamber body with a vacuum gap therebetween; an exhaust unit operative to pump the process gas from said chamber; the chamber top having a central portion thereof slidably mounted on the central upper portion of said internal chamber body so as to cover a top surface of said internal chamber body with an ambient gap therebetween outward of the central portion and having an opening in fluid communication with said gas passages; and a plasma source operative to energize process gas and coupled to said opening for fluid communication with said opening in the chamber top.