Patent ID: 7682454

Claim:
A substrate processing chamber comprising: a substrate supporting member located within a pressure sealed vessel; and a perimeter partition valve (PPV) dispersed within said vessel, said PPV comprising: an essentially continuous perimeter sealing slide; an essentially continuous perimeter seal within said slide; an essentially continuous perimeter sealing surface; and an actuator for moving said sealing slide between an open position and a closed position; said processing chamber characterized by: a perimeter gas distribution plenum; a perimeter gas flow drift channel in, serial fluidic communication downstream from said gas distribution plenum; and an inert gas supply port in serial fluidic communication upstream from said gas distribution plenum; an inert gas shutoff valve in serial fluidic communication upstream from said inert gas supply port; said perimeter gas flow drift channel comprising an outer end and an inner end; said outer end is substantially proximate to said perimeter seal; wherein said PPV confines a pressure sealed portion within said vessel when said perimeter sealing slide is actuated to said closed position; said pressure sealed is formed between said slide and said sealing surface using said seal; said pressure sealed portion comprising said substrate support member; and said PPV forms a perimeter access channel to said substrate support member when said PPV is actuated to said open position; wherein said gas distribution plenum communicates a substantially unified flow of inert gas from said inert gas supply port to said outer end of said drift channel when said shutoff valve is open; and said drift channel further communicates said inert gas into said pressure sealed portion of said vessel when said shutoff valve is open.