Abstract: A slit valve apparatus associated with an aperture in a chamber wall through which a semiconductor wafer may be passed along a transfer plane. The apparatus is characterized by a valve seat which is angled relative to the transfer plane and a door which moves linearly along an axis substantially perpendicular to the valve seat. All frictionally engaged parts of the slit valve assembly are isolated from the interior of the chamber by a bellow sleeve to reduce the formation of particles. The method is characterized by the steps of surrounding the aperture with a first seating surface defining a sealing plane which is angularly disposed with respect to the transfer plane and engaging or disengaging a second seating surface with the first seating surface by linearly moving the second seating surface in a direction perpendicular to the sealing plane.

Abstract: A magnetic field enhanced single wafer plasma etch reactor is disclosed. The features of the reactor include an electrically-controlled stepped magnetic field for providing high rate uniform etching at high pressures; temperature controlled reactor surfaces including heated anode surfaces (walls and gas manifold) and a cooled wafer supporting cathode; and a unitary wafer exchange mechanism comprising wafer lift pins which extend through the pedestal and a wafer clamp ring. The lift pins and clamp ring are moved vertically by a one-axis lift mechanism to accept the wafer from a cooperating external robot blade, clamp the wafer to the pedestal and return the wafer to the blade. The electrode cooling combines water cooling for the body of the electrode and a thermal conductivity-enhancing gas parallel-bowed interface between the wafer and electrode for keeping the wafer surface cooled despite the high power densities applied to the electrode.

Abstract: A magnetic field enhanced single wafer plasma etch reactor is disclosed. The features of the reactor include an electrically-controlled stepped magnetic field for providing high rate uniform etching at high pressures; temperature controlled reactor surfaces including heated anode surfaces (walls and gas manifold) and a cooled wafer supporting cathode; and a unitary wafer exchange mechanism comprising wafer lift pins which extend through the pedestal and a wafer clamp ring. The lift pins and clamp ring are moved vertically by a one-axis lift mechanism to accept the wafer from a cooperating external robot blade, clamp the wafer to the pedestal and return the wafer to the blade. The electrode cooling combines water cooling for the body of the electrode and a thermal conductivity-enhancing gas parallel-bowed interface between the wafer and electrode for keeping the wafer surface cooled despite the high power densities applied to the electrode.