Universal vacuum chamber including equipment modules such as a plasma generating source, vacuum pumping arrangement and/or cantilevered substrate support

A universal housing of a vacuum processing chamber, comprising:

• a chamber having first and second endwalls and a sidewall extending therebetween, the chamber including a sidewall opening extending through the sidewall, the sidewall opening having a support module mounting arrangement, the support module mounting arrangement being removably attachable to a mating substrate support assembly module, the support module mounting arrangement engaging a cantilevered substrate support assembly module having a support arm and a substrate support, the support arm and substrate support being sized so as to pass through the sidewall opening for assembly of the substrate support within the chamber.

A universal housing of a vacuum processing chamber, comprising:

• a chamber having first and second endwalls and a sidewall extending therebetween, the chamber including a sidewall opening extending through the sidewall, the sidewall opening having a support module mounting arrangement, the support module mounting arrangement being removably attachable to a mating substrate support assembly module, the sidewall comprising a cylindrical sidewall, the pump module mounting arrangement engaging with a gate valve or vacuum pump, the second opening being circular and defining a flow area of at least one-third of a maximum cross-sectional area defined by the cylindrical sidewall of the chamber.

A universal housing of a vacuum processing chamber, comprising:

• a chamber having first and second endwalls and a sidewall extending therebetween, the chamber including a sidewall opening extending through the sidewall, the sidewall opening having a support module mounting arrangement, the support module mounting arrangement being removably attachable to a mating substrate support assembly module, the substrate support assembly module including a mounting flange and a support arm, the mounting flange being attached to an exterior surface of the chamber, the support arm having one end thereof joined to the mounting flange and an opposite end thereof joined to a substrate support.

A universal housing of a vacuum processing chamber, comprising:

• a chamber having first and second endwalls and a sidewall extending therebetween, the chamber including a sidewall opening extending through the sidewall, the sidewall opening having a support module mounting arrangement, the support module mounting arrangement being removably attachable to a mating substrate support assembly module, the chamber including a plasma generating source assembly module, a vacuum pump assembly module and a substrate support assembly module, the plasma generating source assembly module being interchangeable with another plasma generating source assembly module, the vacuum pump assembly module being interchangeable with another vacuum pump assembly module and the substrate support assembly module being interchangeable with another substrate support assembly module.

A universal housing of a vacuum processing chamber, comprising:

• a chamber having first and second endwalls and a sidewall extending therebetween, the chamber including a sidewall opening extending through the sidewall, the sidewall opening having a support module mounting arrangement, the support module mounting arrangement being removably attachable to a mating substrate support assembly module, the chamber including a liner removably supported within the chamber.