Heater Assembly with Process Gap Control for Batch Processing Chambers

A thermal shield integrated to a heater assembly comprising:

• a shield shaft having a top end and a bottom end, an inside surface surrounding an open interior region and an outside surface, the open interior region configured to surround a heater standoff;
• a shield plate having a top surface, a bottom surface and an outer peripheral edge, the shield plate having an opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface in an inner portion, the heater standoff extending through the opening in the shield plate, the bottom surface of the heater spaced a distance from the top surface of the shield plate, the top surface of the shield plate having a groove with an inner face and an outer face extending around a peripheral portion of the shield plate, the outer face spaced a distance from the outer peripheral edge of the shield plate;
• a first fluid seal disposed within the groove of the shield plate to maintain low pressure conditions within the processing stations;
• and,
• a second fluid seal disposed between the bottom surface of the shield shaft and a top surface of a support arm.

A substrate support comprising:

• a center base with a plurality of arms extending therefrom, each arm having an inner end in contact with the center base and an outer end;
• a heater assembly connected to the outer end of each arm, the heater assembly comprising:
• a heater comprising a support surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness;
• a heater standoff having a top end and a bottom end, the top end in contact with the bottom surface of the heater;
• a shield shaft having a top end and a bottom end, an inside surface surrounding an open interior region and an outside surface, the heater standoff located within the open interior region and the top end of the heater standoff extending above the top end of the shield shaft;
• and
• a shield plate having a top surface, a bottom surface and an outer peripheral edge, the shield plate having an opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface in an inner portion, the heater standoff extending through the opening in the shield plate, the bottom surface of the heater spaced a distance from the top surface of the shield plate, the top surface of the shield plate having a groove with an inner face and an outer face extending around a peripheral portion of the shield plate, the outer face spaced a distance from the outer peripheral edge of the shield plate.
• a top plate having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness of the top plate, the top plate having an opening through the thickness to allow the heater to pass through the opening, the bottom surface of the top plate in contact with the fluid seal.