Abstract: A process chamber is disclosed which provides a 360.degree. circular gas/vacuum distribution over a substrate being processed. The substrate being processed is supported on a heated and optionally cooled pedestal assembly. The substrate faces a one-piece gas distribution faceplate being connected to an RF power supply outside the vacuum environment of the processing chamber. A pumping channel view port is provided to verify and confirm instrumentation readings concerning the degree of surface deposition on process chamber internal surfaces. All process chamber wall surfaces facing the region where plasma will be present during processing (except the gas distribution faceplate) are ceramic and therefore highly resistant to corrosion. The pedestal an un-anodized metal is also covered with a loosely fitting ceramic surface having alignment features to maintain concentricity between the wafer support surface of the pedestal and the wafer being processed.

Abstract: An arc shaped exhaust baffle having two ends that define a gap therebetween that is not directly accessible by the exhaust plenum, that provides improved process gas flow distribution in a semiconductor process chamber, has a plurality of apertures formed therethrough and distributed about a baffle circumference. The apertures communicate with an underlying exhaust plenum to generate a uniform gas flow across the substrate surface during substrate processing. The exhaust baffle has at least one offset passage formed therethrough that may be adapted to draw process gas across a substrate surface at an acute angle relative thereto from the gap, and thereby provide an exhaust pattern that influences the process gas flow about the entire circumference of the substrate.