Patent ID: 8075728

Claim:
A process chamber comprising: a chamber body having a process volume disposed between a substrate support disposed in the chamber body and a ceiling of the chamber body; a vacuum pump that is coupled to an exhaust port located at one lateral side of the substrate support; and a substantially flat gas flow equalizer plate circumscribing the substrate support, wherein the gas flow equalizer plate comprises: a plate body having an inner region and an outer region that each has a constant radial width along the circumference of the plate body, the outer region is concentric with the inner region and having a first radial width along a circumference of the plate body and a plurality of first slots circumscribing the inner region, the plurality of first slots extending radially substantially across the first radial width and being configured to prevent the passage of plasma therethrough, the inner region comprising a slotted portion and a non-slotted portion adjacently surrounding the substrate support, the slotted portion having a plurality of second slots surrounding at least a portion of the non-slotted portion, wherein the slotted portion is concentric with the non-slotted portion; wherein the non-slotted portion has a second radial width that gradually decreases along the circumference of the plate body within the slotted portion to obstruct a flow of gas incident to the inner region; wherein the slotted portion has a third radial width inversely varying relative to the second radial width along the circumference of the plate body through which a flow of gas is permitted therethrough; and wherein the plurality of second slots extend radially substantially across the second radial width and are configured to prevent the passage of plasma therethrough.