Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and methods for reducing non-uniformity and/or skews during substrate processing. One embodiment of the present invention provides a flow equalizer assembly for disposing between a vacuum port and a processing volume in a processing chamber. The flow equalizing assembly includes a first plate having at least one first opening, and a second plate having two or more second openings. The first and second plates define a flow redistributing volume therebetween, and the at least one first opening and the two or more second openings are staggered.

Abstract: A tunable ring assembly, a plasma processing chamber having a tunable ring assembly and method for tuning a plasma process is provided. In one embodiment, a tunable ring assembly includes an outer ceramic ring having an exposed top surface and a bottom surface and an inner silicon ring configured to mate with the outer ceramic ring to define an overlap region, the inner silicon ring having an inner surface, a top surface and a notch formed between the inner surface and the top surface, the inner surface defining an inner diameter of the ring assembly, the notch is sized to accept an edge of a substrate, an outer portion of the top surface of the inner silicon ring configured to contact in the overlap region and underlying an inner portion of the bottom surface of the outer ceramic ring.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic puck. The thermally conductive base includes a plurality of thermal zones and a plurality of thermal isolators that extend from the upper surface of the thermally conductive base towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base, wherein each of the plurality of thermal isolators provides approximate thermal isolation between two of the plurality of thermal zones at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base.

Abstract: Embodiments of showerheads having a detachable gas distribution plate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a showerhead for use in a semiconductor processing chamber may include a base having a first side and a second side; a gas distribution plate disposed proximate the second side of the base; a clamp disposed about a peripheral edge of the gas distribution plate to removably couple the gas distribution plate to the base; and a thermal gasket disposed between the base and gas distribution plate.