Patent ID: 7651552

Claim:
Plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber to which one or more gases are introduced when in use, the gases being used to generate a plasma within the chamber; an RF signal generator for generating an alternating electrical potential; at least one electrode to which an alternating electrical potential is applied in use so as to generate the plasma; one or more gas port assemblies for supplying or removing one or more gases to a powered electrode in the plasma processing chamber, the assembly being electrically insulated from the at least one electrodes, the assembly comprising, a number of dielectric members and a number of electrically conductive members, the members being arranged in a stack of alternating dielectric and electrically conductive members, and wherein each member comprises at least one gas pathway for the passage of the gases, such that when stacked the gas pathways are in communication with each other and the gases are able to pass between an outer side of the stack and a chamber side of the stack, the members acting as a capacitive divider to reduce high voltages within the assembly; and at least one insulator for electrically insulating the one or more gas port assemblies from the electrodes.