Patent ID: 7740705

Claim:
A deposition system configured to form a deposit on a substrate, comprising: a chamber assembly configured to facilitate material deposition and to facilitate transfer of said substrate into and out of said deposition system; a substrate stage coupled to said chamber assembly and configured to support said substrate proximate a process space in said chamber assembly; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with said chamber assembly and located above a level of said substrate; and a pumping manifold in fluid communication with an inlet of said vacuum pump and including at least one opening located below a level of said substrate, wherein said chamber assembly includes a first assembly including said process space configured to facilitate material deposition; and a second assembly coupled to said first assembly and including a transfer space to facilitate transfer of said substrate into and out of said deposition system, wherein said pumping manifold comprises an extension extending from the first assembly to separate the process space from the transfer space and in fluid communication with the at least one opening located below said substrate, wherein said pumping manifold includes a first annular volume pneumatically coupled to said inlet of said vacuum; a second annular volume pneumatically coupled to said at least one opening located below said vacuum pump, and at least one pumping port pneumatically coupling said first annular volume to said second annular volume such that gas flows into the at least one opening located below the level of said vacuum pump, into the second annular volume, through the at least one pumping port, into the first volume, and then into said inlet of said vacuum pump, wherein the at least one pumping port includes a first pumping port and second pumping port, the first pumping port being located at a point 180° from the second pumping port in relation to a circle of which a center is a center of the substrate stage, wherein said extension includes an interior channel providing gas conductance from a first portion of the extension near the substrate stage to a second portion positioned longitudinally at an end of the extension opposite the first portion. wherein said extension comprises a seal plate proximate the first portion of the extension, wherein the substrate stage comprises: a flange configured to contact the seal plate of the extension upon a translation of the substrate stage toward the first assembly, wherein said flange includes said seal configured to seal against the seal plate. wherein said seal comprises at least one of an 0 -ring, a tapered elastomer, or a helical spring seal.