Lam Research Corporation

Sam Jafarian Tehrani

John Wiltse

Karl Frederick Leeser

Jacob Lee Hiester

Bin Luo

Bryan Anthony Cmelak

An apparatus including a multi-station processing chamber with a top plate and a bottom portion encloses stations each including a pedestal assembly. A spindle centrally located between the stations is configured to rotate about a central axis, and is electrically connected to the bottom portion. An actuator controls movement of the spindle in the Z-direction. An indexer connected to the spindle rotates with the spindle, and includes extensions each configured to interface with a corresponding substrate for substrate transfer. An electrically conductive interface movably connected to the top plate provides an RF return path. Another actuator coupled to the grounding interface controls movement of the electrically conductive interface in the Z-direction. The electrically conductive interface moves downwards in the Z-direction to make contact with the indexer when each of the plurality of extensions is parked and the spindle is moved to a lower position during plasma processing.

Process module chamber providing symmetric RF return path

In some examples, an automated tilting system is provided for adjusting an orientation of a component in a substrate processing chamber. The automated tilting system comprises at least one tilt adjustment motor arranged to cooperate with the component and be connected to a portion of the component by a coupling. The coupling is configured such that automated rotational motion by the at least one tilt adjustment motor imparts corresponding axial movement, relative to the at least one tilt adjustment motor or a datum structure, to the connected portion of the component to adjust the orientation of the component in the processing chamber.

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King City, OR, United States of America

Sam Jafarian Tehrani