Two piece anti-stick clamp ring

Abstract

A chamber for depositing a film layer on a substrate includes a support member on which the substrate is positioned for processing in the chamber, and a ring assembly suspended in the chamber on a chamber shield. The ring assembly comprises first and second rings, the second ring being disposed intermediate the first ring and the substrate. The support member is positionable in the chamber to receive a substrate thereon, and further positionable to pass the substrate through the shield and thereby lift the ring assembly off the shield. After deposition is complete, the support member retracts through the shield, to reposition the outer ring on the shield. The inner ring continues to move downwardly with the substrate support member a short distance before it is repositioned on the shield. In the event that a deposition material layer has formed between the substrate and the outer ring, the inner ring includes a plurality of tabs thereon which contact the substrate to force it out of the ring assembly as the inner ring continues downwardly after the outer ring has been positioned on the shield.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.