PEALD apparatus to enable rapid cycling

A semiconductor processing chamber, comprising:

• a substrate support;
• an electrode opposite the substrate support, the electrode having a gas inlet in a peripheral region thereof;
• an edge ring disposed around a peripheral region of the substrate support, the edge ring having an outer first barrier, which is an unbroken barrier, and an inner second barrier, which is an intermittent barrier, wherein each of the first barrier and the second barrier mates with and enters into a respective recess in the electrode, and the substrate support is movable between a processing position proximate the electrode and a substrate handling position;
• and
• a seal disposed member in each of the recesses.

A semiconductor processing chamber, comprising:

• a chamber body;
• a chamber lid coupled to the chamber body, the chamber lid having a conductive lower surface coupled to a source of RF energy, a gas inlet in a peripheral region thereof, and two recesses in the lower surface and on opposite sides of the gas inlet, the chamber lid and chamber body defining an interior;
• a substrate support disposed in the interior;
• and
• an edge ring disposed on the substrate support at a peripheral region thereof, the edge ring enclosing a substrate contact area of the substrate support, wherein the edge ring mates with and enters into the two recesses, the edge ring has a port that fluidly couples the gas inlet to a channel between an outer first barrier, which is an unbroken barrier, and an inner second barrier, which is an intermittent barrier, of the edge ring, the second barrier is located radially inward of the first barrier, the second barrier has a plurality of openings that fluidly couple the channel to the chamber interior, and the channel has a depth that increases with distance from the port, wherein the substrate support, the lower surface of the chamber lid, and the edge ring define a minimum reaction volume.

A semiconductor processing chamber, comprising:

• a substrate support;
• an electrode opposite the substrate support, the electrode comprising:
• a gas inlet in a peripheral region thereof;
• a pair of recesses on a surface facing the substrate support;
• and
• a seal member disposed in each of the recesses;
• and
• an edge ring disposed around a peripheral region of the substrate support, the edge ring comprising:
• a notch that mates with a corner of the substrate support when the substrate support is in a processing position, the notch and the corner defining a contact point;
• an outer first barrier, which is an unbroken barrier;
• an inner second barrier, which is an intermittent barrier, wherein the first barrier and the second barrier mate with and enter into the pair of recesses in the electrode;
• and
• an inlet channel defined by the first barrier and the second barrier, that registers with the gas inlet of the electrode and subtends an angle of less than 140°.