Process chamber vacuum seal leakage reduction

A semiconductor manufacturing process chamber sealing apparatus comprising:

• a first body having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness thereof, and an opening extending through the thickness of the first body, the first body having an outer diameter and the opening having an inner diameter, the outer diameter and the inner diameter defining a width of the first body;
• a top O-ring groove formed in the top surface of the first body adjacent to a second body, the top O-ring groove having an inner diameter and an outer diameter defining a width of the top O-ring groove, and a bottom face defining a first depth of the top O-ring groove measured relative to the top surface of the first body;
• a bottom O-ring groove formed in the bottom surface of the first body adjacent to a third body, the bottom O-ring groove having an inner diameter and an outer diameter defining a width of the bottom O-ring groove, and a top face defining a second depth the bottom O-ring groove measured relative to the bottom surface of the first body;
• and
• an inlet conduit on a first portion of the first body, the inlet conduit configured to be connected to an inert gas source and in fluid communication with one or more of the top surface or the bottom surface to introduce a controlled amount of purge gas;
• and
• an outlet conduit on a second portion of the first body opposite the first portion, the outlet conduit configured to be connected to a vacuum source and in fluid communication with a same surface as the inlet conduit, wherein the sealing apparatus reduces leakage of oxygen into a semiconductor manufacturing processing chamber.