Patent ID: 7484473

Claim:
A gas inlet manifold for a plasma chamber, comprising: a top wall including a gas inlet orifice; a gas distribution plate including a plurality of gas outlet orifices, wherein the gas distribution plate is spaced away from the top wall, and a side wall including one or more side wall segments, wherein each side wall segment includes an upper portion, a lower flange, and a vertically oriented sheet extending between the upper portion and the lower flange; wherein the upper portion of each side wall segment is connected to the top wall of the gas inlet manifold; and wherein the gas distribution plate further comprises (i) a lip extending radially outward from the perimeter of the gas distribution plate, and (ii) a plurality of pins attached to, and extending downward from, the lip of the gas distribution plate; wherein the lower flange of each segment of the side wall includes a plurality of holes; wherein the lip of the gas distribution plate rests on each lower flange so that each of said pins extends through a corresponding one of said holes; and wherein each hole has a width that exceeds the width of its corresponding pin so as to permit relative movement between each lower flange and the gas distribution plate.