Closed-loop dome thermal control apparatus for a semiconductor wafer processing system

Apparatus for thermally controlling the temperature of a dome of a reaction charter within a semiconductor processing system, the dome comprising a dome axis, the apparatus comprising:

• a hollow RF antenna coil, mounted proximate said dome, for coupling RF fields into an atmosphere within said reaction chamber;
• a vortex generator generating an air vortex having a vortex flow that is substantially parallel to the dome axis and is directed towards the dome, the hollow RF antenna coil is mounted between said vortex generator and said dome, wherein said dome defines a lower surface of an enclosed space;
• and
• a heat transfer fluid supply, coupled to said hollow RF antenna coil, for providing heat transfer fluid to an interior space of said RF antenna coil and thereby altering the temperature of said dome.

Apparatus for thermally controlling the temperature of a dome of a reaction chamber within a semiconductor processing system, the apparatus comprising:

• a fan, mounted proximate the dome, for blowing air over the dome, wherein said dome defines a lower surface of an enclosed space;
• a heat exchange chamber, within an airflow path of said air being blown by said fan, for altering the temperature of said air;
• an enclosure for enclosing said fan and heat exchange chamber, where a substantial portion of said air is recirculated by said fan over said reaction chamber dome and through said heat exchange chamber;
• at least one sensor for measuring operational parameters of the heat exchange chamber and deactivating said semiconductor processing system when said measured operational parameters exceed nominal operational parameters;
• and
• an enclosure sensor, proximate said enclosure, for identifying when said enclosure is improperly aligned or removed, where said enclosure sensor deactivates said semiconductor processing system when said enclosure sensor indicates the enclosure is improperly aligned or removed.

Apparatus for thermally controlling the temperature of a dome of a reaction chamber within a semiconductor processing system, the apparatus comprising:

• a fan, mounted proximate the dome, for blowing air over the dome, wherein said dome defines a lower surface of an enclosed space;
• an air flow director, mounted between said fan and said dome for producing a uniform air flow toward said dome;
• and
• a cowling surrounding said fan.