Abstract: A vacuum pump and vacuum assembly. The vacuum pump comprises: an inlet for receiving gas; and an exhaust for exhausting the gas; a hollow shaft defining an axial passage extending through the pump from an opening in a base of the pump to an opening axially beyond the pump inlet. The shaft comprises an end remote from the base of the pump, the end being configured to attach to a cathode plate within a vacuum chamber evacuated by the vacuum pump. The shaft is configured for axial movement of the end between at least one open position in which the end is remote from the inlet of the vacuum pump and a sealing position in which the end is closer to the inlet.

Abstract: A vacuum exhaust system and method of evacuating a plurality of chambers is disclosed. The vacuum exhaust system is within a clean room and comprises: a plurality of branch process gas channels each configured to connect to a corresponding chamber and a shared process channel formed from a confluence of the branch channels and configured to provide a shared fluid communication path for process gas from each of the chambers to flow from the clean room to a process channel outside of the clean room. There is also a plurality of branch pumpdown channels each configured to connect to a corresponding chamber and a shared pumpdown channel formed from a confluence of the branch pumpdown channels and configured to provide a fluid communication path for fluid to flow from the clean room to a pumpdown channel outside of the clean room during pumpdown of at least one of the vacuum chambers.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for supplying gas to improve heat transfer between a wafer and chuck is disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one processing chamber comprising a chuck for mounting a semiconductor wafer; at least one processing chamber vacuum pump for evacuating the at least one processing chamber; and a gas supply apparatus for supplying gas to the chuck for providing cooling to a backside of the semiconductor wafer, the gas supply apparatus comprising: a conduit for connecting to a gas supply; a gas supply apparatus vacuum pump, an inlet of the gas supply apparatus vacuum pump being connected to the conduit; the conduit comprising a junction connecting to a further conduit the further conduit being in fluid communication with the chuck.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus, such as a processing chamber, suitable for etching high aspect ratio features. Other embodiments include a showerhead assembly for use in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a processing chamber includes a chamber body having a showerhead assembly and substrate support disposed therein. The showerhead assembly includes at least two fluidly isolated plenums, a region transmissive to an optical metrology signal, and a plurality of gas passages formed through the showerhead assembly fluidly coupling the plenums to the interior volume of the chamber body.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus that enables plasma etching of high aspect ratio features. In one embodiment, a method for etching is provided that includes providing a substrate having a patterned mask disposed on a silicon layer in an etch reactor, providing a gas mixture of the reactor, maintaining a plasma formed from the gas mixture, wherein bias power and RF power provided the reactor are pulsed, and etching the silicon layer in the presence of the plasma.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus, such as a processing chamber, suitable for etching high aspect ratio features. Other embodiments include a showerhead assembly for use in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a processing chamber includes a chamber body having a showerhead assembly and substrate support disposed therein. The showerhead assembly includes at least two fluidly isolated plenums, a region transmissive to an optical metrology signal, and a plurality of gas passages formed through the showerhead assembly fluidly coupling the plenums to the interior volume of the chamber body.