Patent ID: 7993457

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a chemical isolation chamber; a deposition sub-chamber formed within the chemical isolation chamber; a substrate pedestal module, the substrate pedestal module comprising a pedestal base located within the chemical isolation chamber, wherein the substrate pedestal module is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position, wherein an annular gap fluidly connects the deposition sub-chamber and the chemical isolation chamber when the substrate pedestal module is in the first position, and wherein the annular gap fluidly connecting the deposition sub-chamber and the chemical isolation chamber when the substrate pedestal module is in the first position is hermetically sealed when the substrate pedestal module is in the second position; a gas delivery module for delivering process gases; and an evacuation apparatus fluidly connected to the isolation chamber; a plurality of conduits fluidly connecting the deposition sub-chamber with the chemical isolation chamber, wherein the plurality of conduits permits fluidic flow between the deposition sub-chamber and the chemical isolation chamber when the substrate pedestal module is in the second position, and wherein the plurality of conduits is configured to maintain a pressure differential between the deposition sub-chamber and the isolation chamber when the substrate pedestal module is in the second position during a deposition process.