Patent ID: 7211170

Claim:
A plasma processing system, comprising: a set of rings, including a top ring and a set of lower rings having at least one lower ring; a stepped hanger structure coupled to said top ring, said stepped hanger structure supporting said set of lower rings; a hanger assembly including a plunger shaft and a hanger adapter lip portion, said hanger adapter lip portion being fixed relative to said plunger shaft; a receiving bore defined by a first cavity through said top ring, wherein a longitudinal axis of said first cavity is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said plunger shaft, and wherein said first cavity is larger than said hanger adapter lip portion; and a locking bore defined by a second cavity partially through said top ring, wherein said stepped hanger structure is angularly offset from said locking bore, and a longitudinal axis of said second cavity is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said plunger shaft, and wherein said second cavity having a first locking bore portion configured to accommodate said hanger adapter lip portion and a second locking bore portion configured to accommodate said plunger shaft, said second locking bore portion having a smaller cross-sectional dimension than a cross-sectional dimension of said first locking bore portion, and said receiving bore and said locking bore are connected with a shaft passage created through said top ring that at least accommodates a passage by said plunger shaft from said receiving bore to said second locking bore portion of said lock bore, said stepped hanger structure projecting from a first surface of said top ring in a first direction away from said first surface, said hanger assembly, when locked in said locking bore, projects from a second surface of said top ring that is opposite said first surface in a second direction that is opposite from said first direction such that said plunger shaft protrudes through said second surface, said hanger assembly, when said hanger adapter lip is locked in said locking bore, is coupled to said top ring without traversing through said set of lower rings, said stepped hanger structure on the other hand traverses through at least one ring in said set of lower rings when said stepped hanger structure is coupled to said top ring.