Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate is provided. A processing chamber is provided. A substrate support for supporting the substrate is within the processing chamber. A gas inlet provides gas into the processing chamber. An exhaust pressure system exhausts gas around a periphery of the substrate, wherein the periphery around the substrate is divided into at least three parts, wherein the exhaust pressure system controls exhaust pressure to control a velocity of the gas over the substrate, wherein the exhaust pressure system provides at independent exhaust pressure control for each part of the periphery for the at least three parts.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate is provided. A processing chamber is provided. A substrate support for supporting the substrate is within the processing chamber. A gas inlet provides gas into the processing chamber. An exhaust pressure system exhausts gas around a periphery of the substrate, wherein the periphery around the substrate is divided into at least three parts, wherein the exhaust pressure system controls exhaust pressure to control a velocity of the gas over the substrate, wherein the exhaust pressure system provides at independent exhaust pressure control for each part of the periphery for the at least three parts.

Abstract: A method of uniformly processing an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing apparatus including a showerhead including gas outlets in discrete sectors of a process exposed surface thereof comprises processing the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate by flowing gas through a first discrete sector of the showerhead while preventing gas from flowing through an adjacent discrete sector of the showerhead, and processing the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate by flowing gas through a second discrete sector of the showerhead while preventing gas from flowing through an adjacent discrete sector of the showerhead. The flow of gas through the first discrete sector and the second discrete sector of the showerhead is time averaged such that the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate is uniformly processed.