Low pressure lift pin cavity hardware
Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a pumping system for a plasma processing apparatus. The pumping system includes a first pump path, a second pump path, a first valve, and a second valve. The first pump path couples an opening of a substrate support assembly of the processing chamber to an exhaust port of the processing chamber. The second pump path couples the opening of the substrate support assembly to an evacuation region of the processing chamber. The first valve is positioned in the first pump path. The first valve is configurable between a first state and a second state. The second valve is positioned in the second pump path. The second valve is configurable between the first state and the second state.
1 . A pumping system for a plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
a first pump line coupling a lift pin opening of a substrate support assembly of a processing chamber to a first valve and a second valve;
a first pump path in a second pump line coupling the first valve to an exhaust port of the processing chamber, the first valve configurable between a first state and a second state;
a second pump path in a third pump line coupling the second valve to an evacuation region of the processing chamber, the second valve configurable between the first state and the second state, the evacuation region of the processing chamber positioned within a chamber body of the processing chamber upstream of the exhaust port of the processing chamber.
2 . The pumping system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller coupled to the first valve and the second valve, the controller configured to switch the first valve between the first state and the second state, and the second valve between the first state and the second state.
3 . The pumping system of claim 2 , wherein the controller of the pumping system is in communication with a controller of the plasma processing apparatus.
4 . The pumping system of claim 1 , wherein the first valve is in the first state and the second valve is in the second state.
5 . The pumping system of claim 4 , wherein the first state is an open state that fluidly couples the opening of the substrate support assembly to the exhaust port, and wherein the second state is a closed state that does not allow for fluid communication between the substrate support assembly and the evacuation region.
6 . A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
a lid assembly and a chamber body enclosing a processing region;
a substrate support assembly disposed in the chamber body, the substrate support assembly having a lift pin opening formed therein;
an exhaust assembly defining an evacuation region within the chamber body, wherein the chamber body includes a plurality of passages symmetrically disposed about a central axis of the substrate support assembly fluidly connecting the processing region with the evacuation region;
an exhaust port formed through the chamber body; and
a pumping system for the plasma processing apparatus, comprising a first pump line coupling a lift pin opening of a substrate support assembly of a processing chamber to a first valve and a second valve;
a first pump path in a second pump line coupling the first valve to an exhaust port of the processing chamber, the first valve configurable between a first state and a second state;
a second pump path in a third pump line coupling the second valve to an evacuation region of the processing chamber, the second valve configurable between the first state and the second state, the evacuation region of the processing chamber positioned within a chamber body of the processing chamber upstream of the exhaust port of the processing chamber.
7 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the substrate support assembly comprises:
a support pedestal; and
a lower electrode, wherein the lift pin opening is formed in the lower electrode.
8 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a controller coupled to the first valve and the second valve, the controller configured to switch the first valve between the first state and the second state, and the second valve between the first state and the second state.
9 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller of the pumping system is in communication with a controller of the plasma processing apparatus.
10 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first valve is in the first state and the second valve is in the second state.
11 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first state is an open state that fluidly couples the lift pin opening of the substrate support assembly to the exhaust port, and wherein the second state is a closed state that does not allow for fluid communication between the substrate support assembly and the evacuation region.