Automatically loadable multifaceted electrode with load lock mechanism

A gas plasma reaction system for processing semiconductor wafers comprising,

• a plasma reactor chamber having a centrally located electrode structure formed of a series of longitudinally extended faces, each of said faces being positioned so that in cross-section the electrode structure has a regular polygonal shape, the faces being extended in a horizontal direction, each of said faces having on its surface a plurality of planar disk shaped electrodes for carrying said semiconductor wafers to undergo the plasma reaction during operation, each of said faces being covered by a generally flat tray member having circular openings therein corresponding to the positions of said electrode disks, each of said trays being hinged for pivotal motion from a first position in close parallel juxtaposition with said electrode face to a second position angularly displaced therefrom,
• a loading mechanism disposed generally beneath and outside of said reaction chamber, said loading mechanism including a plurality of vertically extending support arms, each of said support arms being configured to carry a semiconductor wafer and formed such that the reactive surface of said semiconductor wafer is not touched by any portion of said vertically extending arm, the number of said vertically extending arms being at least equal to the number of said electrode disks on a single face of said reactor electrode structure,
• means for imparting motion to said arms for moving said arms from a position beneath said reactor chamber to a position within said reactor chamber such that each arm is in close juxtaposition to a corresponding one of said disk electrodes, and for thereafter withdrawing said arm from said position in close juxtaposition back to a position outside of and beneath said reactor chamber,
• a transport mechanism for providing semiconductor wafers to said loading mechanism when said arms are empty and are positioned beneath and outside of said reactor chamber and for carrying processed wafer disks away from said loading mechanism when said arms are positioned beneath and outside of said reaction chamber after processing, and
• control means for controlling the timing of said load mechanism motion such that said arms are moved into and away from close juxtaposition to said disk electrodes only when said tray members are in said second angularly displaced position.