Self-centering susceptor ring assembly

A self-centering susceptor ring assembly for use in a horizontal flow semiconductor processing system, the assembly comprising:

• a susceptor ring support having a plurality of side members, the susceptor ring support having at least three pins extending in the same direction, wherein a tip of each of said at least three pins form a substantially planar support and wherein one side member of the plurality of side members is longer than every other side member of the plurality of side members;
• and
• a susceptor ring being supportable above and on said susceptor ring support and configured to be disposed radially about but not vertically over an outer edge of a susceptor, said susceptor ring having four sides including an unpinned leading edge and a trailing edge and defining an aperture with a center point, wherein the center point is closer to said leading edge than to said trailing edge, and said susceptor ring having at least three detents formed through an entire thickness of said susceptor ring for receiving said at least three pins, with one of the at least three detents located closer to the aperture center point than an other of the at least three detents, wherein said susceptor ring is supported by said at least three pins, such that during thermal expansion and contraction of said susceptor ring, thermal expansion or contraction of said susceptor ring causes said pins to change relative location within said detents to allow said susceptor ring to remain substantially centered about the center point, and wherein the susceptor ring has an increased radially outward thermal expansion relative to the susceptor ring support, and
• wherein two of the detents are elongated and extend radially relative to the center point of the aperture, wherein the susceptor ring comprises two ribs extending in a longitudinal direction from the trailing edge to the leading edge laterally offset from the aperture and along two of the four sides of the susceptor ring, wherein each rib comprises an opening at the trailing edge, wherein each opening is to a channel extending longitudinally into each respective rib, and wherein the two elongated detents extend in directions that are oblique to the longitudinal direction of the channels.

A susceptor ring for use with a susceptor ring support member having at least three pins and a plurality of side members, the susceptor ring comprising:

• an upper surface and a lower surface defining a thickness therebetween, the lower surface being supportable above and on said susceptor ring support member;
• four sides comprising a leading edge configured to be unpinned in use and a trailing edge;
• an aperture formed through said thickness, said aperture having a center point and configured to be disposed radially about but not vertically over an outer edge of a susceptor, wherein the center point is closer to said leading edge than to said trailing edge;
• and
• at least three detents formed into the lower surface, wherein said detents are elongated slots aligned radially relative to said center point and are each configured to be supported by one of the at least three pins, with one of the at least three detents located closer to the aperture center point than an other of the at least three detents, wherein at least one of said at least three detents is formed through the entire thickness, and wherein thermal expansion or contraction of said susceptor ring causes said detents to change relative location with respect to said pins, and wherein in use the susceptor ring is configured to have an increased radially outward thermal expansion relative to the susceptor ring support member,
• wherein, when said susceptor ring is supported on said susceptor ring support member, an outer edge of said susceptor ring is configured to be located radially inwardly of at least a portion of a side member of the plurality of side members of the susceptor ring support member, and
• wherein two of the detents are elongated and extend radially relative to the center point of the aperture, wherein the susceptor ring comprises two ribs extending in a longitudinal direction from the trailing edge to the leading edge laterally offset from the aperture and along two of the four sides of the susceptor ring, wherein each rib comprises an opening at the trailing edge, wherein each opening is to a channel extending longitudinally into each respective rib, and wherein the two elongated detents extend in directions that are oblique to the longitudinal direction of the channels.