Patent ID: 7922864

Claim:
A tube-array showerhead, comprising: two precursor plena, each having at least one plenum inlet for receiving precursors to be distributed, two manifold blocks, attached to the precursor plena and each having at least one precursor inlet for receiving precursors from the attached plenum, at least one pair of tube seals, where one of the seals in each pair is inserted in each manifold block to seal the precursor inlet, at least one compressible spring attached to at least one of the manifold blocks opposite the tube seal, at least one pair of holding-stubs, where one of the holding-stubs in each pair is sealed into each of the manifold blocks by the tube seal inserted in the manifold block, and at least one of the holding-stubs is spring-loaded by the compressible spring; at least one hollow tube, held at each end by one of the holding-stubs, compressed along its longitudinal axis by the compression spring, and having at least one lateral hole to distribute the received precursors, at least one electrical source capable of generating an electric field to excite precursors into a plasma, at least one electrical connection to the electrical source through at least one of the manifold blocks, and at least one electrical insulator configured and positioned to insulate the electrical connection from the manifold block and from any other nearby electrical connections, where at least one of the electrical connections connects the electrical source to at least one of the holding-stubs, and each of the connected holding-stubs has a conductive portion that conducts electricity from the holding-stub to the hollow tube held by the holding-stub.