Pre-clean chamber

A wafer processing apparatus having a transfer chamber and a plurality of peripheral chambers positioned around the periphery of said transfer chamber, the improvement which comprises:

• a pre-clean chamber for receiving a gas for etching a semiconductor wafer, said pre-clean chamber having a chamber wall and a chamber cover, and further comprising:
• a wafer pedestal for supporting said wafer during etching wherein said wafer pedestal has a bottom surface and an outside diameter surface;
• an insulator mounted adjacent to said wafer pedestal for insulating said bottom surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• and
• an insulator collar removably coupled to said insulator and annularly disposed around said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal, wherein said insulator collar insulates at least a portion of said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer, and wherein said insulator collar comprises a single disposable piece.

A pre-clean chamber for receiving a gas for etching a semiconductor wafer wherein said pre-clean chamber has a chamber wall and a chamber cover and further comprises:

• a wafer pedestal for supporting said wafer during etching, wherein said wafer pedestal has a bottom surface and an outside diameter surface;
• an insulator mounted adjacent to said wafer pedestal for insulating said bottom surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• an insulator collar removably coupled to said insulator and annularly disposed around said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal, wherein said insulator collar insulates at least a portion of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• a gas inlet disposed adjacent to said chamber wall for directing gas towards the center of said pre-clean chamber so as to prevent dislodgment of particulates from said chamber cover or said chamber wall;
• a shaft vertically disposed within said pre-clean chamber for translating said wafer pedestal between a first position for receiving said wafer and a second position for etching of said wafer;
• a bellows annularly disposed around said shaft;
• and
• a bellows cover annularly disposed around said bellows.

A wafer support apparatus for supporting a semiconductor wafer during plasma etching comprising:

• a wafer pedestal for supporting said wafer during etching, wherein said wafer pedestal has a bottom surface and an outside diameter;
• an insulator mounted adjacent to said wafer pedestal for insulating said bottom surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• and
• an insulator collar removably coupled to said insulator and annularly disposed around said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal, wherein said insulator collar insulates at least a portion of said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer, and wherein said insulator collar comprises a single disposable piece.

A pre-clean chamber for receiving a gas for etching a semiconductor wafer wherein said pre-clean chamber has a chamber wall and a chamber cover and further comprises:

• a wafer pedestal for supporting said wafer during etching wherein said wafer pedestal has a bottom surface and an outside diameter surface;
• an insulator mounted adjacent to said wafer pedestal for insulating said bottom surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• an insulator collar removably coupled to said insulator and annularly disposed around said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal, wherein said insulator collar insulates at least a portion of said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• a shaft vertically disposed within said pre-clean chamber for translating said wafer pedestal between a first position for receiving said wafer and a second position for etching of said wafer;
• a bellows annularly disposed around said shaft;
• and
• a bellows cover annularly disposed around said bellows.

A wafer processing apparatus having a transfer chamber and a plurality of peripheral chambers positioned around the periphery of said transfer chamber, the improvement which comprises:

• a pre-clean chamber for receiving a gas for etching a semiconductor wafer, said pre-clean chamber having a chamber wall and a chamber cover, and further comprising:
• a wafer pedestal for supporting said wafer during etching wherein said wafer pedestal has a bottom surface and an outside diameter surface;
• an insulator mounted adjacent to said wafer pedestal for insulating said bottom surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• an insulator collar removably coupled to said insulator and annularly disposed around said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal, wherein said insulator collar insulates at least a portion of said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• a shaft vertically disposed within said pre-clean chamber for translating said wafer pedestal between a first position for receiving said wafer and a second position for etching of said wafer;
• a bellows annularly disposed around said shaft;
• and
• a bellows cover annularly disposed around said bellows.

A wafer support apparatus for supporting a semiconductor wafer during plasma etching comprising:

• a wafer pedestal for supporting said wafer during etching, wherein said wafer pedestal has a bottom surface and an outside diameter;
• an insulator mounted adjacent to said wafer pedestal for insulating said bottom surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• an insulator collar removably coupled to said insulator and annularly disposed around said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal, wherein said insulator collar insulates at least a portion of said outside diameter surface of said wafer pedestal during etching of said wafer;
• a shaft vertically disposed for translating said wafer pedestal between a first position for receiving said wafer and a second position for etching of said wafer;
• a bellows annularly disposed around said shaft;
• and
• a bellows cover annularly disposed around said bellows.