Connector rod for semiconductor processing

Abstract

Radio frequency (RF) connector rods for semiconductor processing are provided. Some RF connector rods have a tubular body portion extending along a center axis and having a first central bore along the center axis and a first outer diameter, a first end portion having a plurality of fingers arranged around the center axis and defining a second central bore, each finger compliant along a second axis perpendicular to the center axis, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion and having an electrical connector pin region having a third central bore, a proximal pin end at the tubular body portion, a distal pin end, and a unitary cylindrical outer surface with a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter, the distal pin end and a portion of the electrical connector pin region being configured to be inserted into an electrical socket.

Description

Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WOCONNECTOR ROD FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSINGINCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[0000] A PCT Request Form is filed concurrently with this specification as part of the present application. Each application that the present application claims benefit of or priority to as identified in the concurrently filed PCT Request Form is incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0001] Semiconductor manufacturing typically involves one or more processing operations to deposit and / or etch a structure on or in a semiconductor wafer (or substrate). Some of these processing operations use a plasma generated in a processing chamber by delivering RF power to elements in the processing chamber. The RF power may be delivered from an RF power supply or RF generator located outside the processing chamber to one or more elements within the processing chamber. For example, a substrate or wafer may be supported on a substrate support, which may be a pedestal or electrostatic chuck, that has one or more electrodes. The RF generator may be electrically connected to the one or more electrodes in the substrate support to deliver RF power to the one or more electrodes.

[0002] The background provided herein is for the purposes of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent that it is described in this background, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the disclosure.SUMMARY

[0003] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. The following, non-limiting implementations are considered part of the disclosure; other implementations will be evident from the entirety of this disclosure and the accompanying drawings as well.

[0004] In some implementations, a radio frequency (RF) connector rod for connecting an RF source to an RF rod of a substrate support of a semiconductor processing system is provided. The RF connector rod may include a tubular body portion extending along a center axis and having a first central bore extending through the tubular body portion along the center axis and an outer surface with a first outer diameter, a first end portion configured to receive the RF rod and having a plurality of fingers arranged around the center axis and defining a second central bore.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO Each finger may have a proximal end connected to the tubular body portion and a distal end, may extend parallel to the center axis, may be circumferentially offset from other fingers, may be compliant along a second axis perpendicular to the center axis, and the distal end may form a portion of frustoconical surface. The RF connector rod may further include a second end portion opposite the first end portion such that the tubular body portion spans between the first end portion and the second end portion, the second end portion having an electrical connector pin region having a third central bore, a proximal pin end at the tubular body portion, a distal pin end, and a unitary cylindrical outer surface with a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter. The distal pin end and a portion of the electrical connector pin region may be configured to be inserted into an electrical socket, and the unitary cylindrical outer surface may be configured to make physical and electrical contact with an electrical connector inside the electrical socket.

[0005] In some implementations, the unitary cylindrical outer surface may be unperforated and unthreaded.

[0006] In either of the above implementations, the RF connector rod may be a thermal choke.

[0007] In some such implementations, the RF connector rod may be configured to cause a temperature gradient along the total length, and when the first end portion may beat a temperature of about 450 °C or less, the second end portion may be at a temperature of about 150 °C.

[0008] In any of the above implementations, the unitary cylindrical outer surface may have a tubular shape with a second central bore adjacent to the first central bore of the tubular body portion.

[0009] In some implementations, the distal pin end may have an edge with a radius.

[0010] In some implementations, the plurality of fingers may have a third outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter and larger than the second outer diameter.

[0011] In some implementations, the tubular body portion may include a plurality of wrench slots proximate to the second end portion, and each wrench slot may have a fourth outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter.

[0012] In any of the above implementations, the total length of the RF connector rod may be between 7.5 inches and 6 inches, and the unitary cylindrical outer surface may extend along the center axis for a length of between about 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches.

[0013] In any of the above implementations, the RF connector rod may include stainless steelAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO or a nickel-chromium-based superalloy.

[0014] In any of the above implementations, the RF connector rod may not include gold.

[0015] In any of the above implementations, the RF connector rod may have a unitary structure.

[0016] In any of the above implementations, the tubular body portion and the electrical connector pin region may be separate structures connected together.

[0017] In any of the above implementations, the RF rod may be configured to be inserted into the second central bore.

[0018] In any of the above implementations, a total overall length of the RF connector rod may be defined by the distal end of the fingers and the distal pin end.

[0019] In some implementations, a semiconductor processing system may be provided. The system may include an electrical connector socket configured to connect electrically with an RF generator, and having a body with a recess and one or more electrical connectors extending into the recess, and a radio frequency (RF) connector rod configured to electrically connect with an RF rod and RF connector, the RF connector rod, having a tubular body portion extending along a center axis and having a first central bore extending through the tubular body portion along the center axis and an outer surface with a first outer diameter a first end portion configured to receive the RF rod and having a plurality of fingers arranged around the center axis and defining a second central bore, in which each finger has a proximal end connected to the body and a distal end, and the distal end has a portion of a frustoconical surface, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion such that the tubular body portion spans between the first end portion and the second end portion, the second end portion having an electrical connector pin region having a third central bore, a proximal pin end, a distal pin end, and a unitary cylindrical outer surface with a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter. The distal pin end and a portion of the electrical connector pin region may be positioned inside the recess of the electrical connector socket, and the one or more electrical connectors may be in physical and electrical contact with the unitary cylindrical outer surface.

[0020] In some implementations, the distal pin end may be offset from a bottom surface of the recess by a non-zero distance.

[0021] In some implementations, the recess may extend around the circumference of the distal pin end and the portion of the electrical connector pin region.

[0022] In some implementations, the one or more electrical connectors may be springs.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0023] In any of the above implementations, the system may further include a substrate support with one or more electrodes, the RF rod electrically connected to the one or more electrodes, and the RF connector. The RF rod may be inserted into the first central bore of the RF connector rod, the RF connector may extend around a first portion of the RF connector rod and a second portion of the RF rod, the RF connector may be configured to cause the RF connector rod to be physically and electrically connected to the RF rod, and an RF pathway may span between the one or more electrodes and the one or more electrical connectors, such that RF signals are configured to travel through the one or more electrical connectors of the electrical connector socket to the unitary cylindrical outer surface of the electrical connector pin region, through the tubular body portion, through the first end portion of the RF connector rod to the RF rod, and through the RF rod to the one or more electrodes.

[0024] In any of the above implementations, the system may further include an RF source coupled with the electrical connector socket.

[0025] In any of the above implementations, the third central bore may remain free of any components when inserted into the recess.

[0026] In any of the above implementations, each finger further may extend parallel to the center axis, may be circumferentially offset from other fingers, and may be compliant along a second axis perpendicular to the center axis. The first end portion of the RF connector rod may be threaded, the RF connector may be threaded and may have an internal frustoconical surface, the RF connector may be threaded to the first end portion of the RF connector rod, and the internal frustoconical surface of the RF connector may be physically and electrically connected with the frustoconical surfaces of the fingers.

[0027] In some implementations a radio frequency (RF) connector rod for a semiconductor processing system is provided. The RF connector rod may include a tubular body including a central longitudinal axis, a first end portion, a second end portion, and a bore extending longitudinally through the first end portion and the second end portion, the first end portion including a plurality of fingers arranged circumferentially and extending longitudinally parallel to the central longitudinal axis to receive an RF rod, each finger having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal ends of the plurality of fingers collectively form a frustoconical-like shape, and the second end portion including a connector pin region configured to be inserted into an electrical socket and contact an electrical connector within the electrical socket, the connector pin region having a continuous outer surface defining a first outer diameter. The tubular body may have an outer surface defining a second outer diameter that is greater than the first outer diameter of the connector pin region.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0028] In some implementations, the second end portion may be unperforated and unthreaded.

[0029] In some implementations, the connector pin region may have a distal pin end with an edge having a radius.

[0030] In some implementations, the plurality of fingers may have a third outer diameter smaller than the second outer diameter.

[0031] In some implementations, the tubular body may include a plurality of wrench slots proximate to the second end portion, and each wrench slot may have a fourth outer diameter smaller than the second outer diameter.

[0032] In any of the above implementations, the total length of the RF connector rod may be between 7.5 inches and 6 inches, and the second end portion may extend along the center axis for a length of between about 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches.

[0033] In any of the above implementations, the RF connector rod may include stainless steel or a nickel-chromium-based superalloy.

[0034] In any of the above implementations, the RF connector rod may not include gold.

[0035] In any of the above implementations, the RF connector rod may have a unitary structure.

[0036] In some implementations, a total overall length of the RF connector rod may be defined by the distal end of the fingers and the connector pin region.

[0037] Additional aspects will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and, in part, will be apparent from the disclosure, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed implementations and / or the claimed subject matter.

[0038] The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed subject matter.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Various implementations disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements.

[0040] Figure 1 depicts an example semiconductor processing system according to disclosed implementations.

[0041] Figure 2 depicts a side view of one RF connection rod according to various implementations .Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0042] Figure 3 depicts a detail view of a portion of the RF connector rod of Figure 2 and an electrical connection socket.

[0043] Figure 4 depicts a cross-sectional side view slice of the RF connection rod of Figure 2.

[0044] Figure 5 depicts a portion of the system of Figure 1.

[0045] Figure 6 depicts a magnified portion of Figure 5.

[0046] Figures 7 A and 7B are enlarged cross-sectional views that illustrate the process of connecting the RF connector rod to the RF rod, in accordance with some implementations.

[0047] Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of an RF connector rod, in accordance with one implementation.

[0048] Figure 9 is a partial perspective view of a RF connector rod, in accordance with other implementations.

[0049] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a multi-station processing tool according to some implementations .DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various implementations. The disclosed implementations may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process operations have not been described in detail to not unnecessarily obscure the disclosed implementations. While the disclosed implementations will be described in conjunction with specific implementations, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosed implementations .

[0051] In this application, the terms “semiconductor wafer,” “wafer,” “substrate,” “wafer substrate” and “partially fabricated integrated circuit” are used interchangeably. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the term “partially fabricated integrated circuit” can refer to a silicon wafer during any of many stages of integrated circuit fabrication thereon. A wafer or substrate used in the semiconductor device industry typically has a diameter of 200 mm, or 300 mm, or 450 mm. In addition to semiconductor wafers, other work pieces that may take advantage of the disclosed implementations include various articles, such as printed circuit boards, magnetic recording media, magnetic recording sensors, mirrors, optical elements, micromechanical devices, and the like.Introduction and ContextAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0052] As previously mentioned, various semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), atomic layer etching (ALE), and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) generate a plasma within a processing chamber. The plasma may be generated by delivering RF energy from an RF generator outside the processing chamber to a substrate support on which the wafer is positioned. A substrate support may be a pedestal or electrostatic chuck (ESC) that has one or more electrodes electrically connected to the RF generator via one or more electrical pathways. The electrodes in the substrate support receive the RF power and are used to generate the plasma in the processing chamber. The substrate support may have a support structure and a hollow support column where various components are positioned, such as components that form some of the electrical pathway for delivering RF power to the one or more electrodes. In some instances, the substrate support has one or more RF rods that are partially embedded, or positioned, inside the support structure and electrically connected to the electrodes, and partially positioned outside the support structure and inside the hollow support column. These RF rods may be considered RF delivery rods and are electrically connected to the RF generator, however, numerous challenges exist in providing electrical connections to the RF rods.

[0053] For example, although threaded connections could be used between components electrically connecting the RF generator to the RF rods, but some threaded connections may provide poor or non-repeatable electrical contact areas, and some may be prone to damage due to inadvertent overtightening which can lead to a poor electrical connection. Some threaded electrical connections may also result in unwanted, increased resistive heating. Further, while it is advantageous to use high power RF energy in some processing operations, doing so can lead to higher temperatures, such as 200 degrees Celsius (C), 250 C, 300 C, 350 C, or 400 C, and it is undesirable for the hollow chamber of the support column to reach these high temperatures. Additional challenges may arise when some existing electrical connections providing RF power are replaced, such as when existing substrate supports are retrofitted or updated with new such connections. For example, some RF rods are recessed up inside the support column and difficult to reach and access, thereby making it difficult to see and make electrical connections to the RF rods. There is also limited space inside and around the substrate support to preform maintenance and retrofit work which increases the difficulty of making electrical connections for providing RF power.

[0054] Provided herein are new and novel RF connection rods that provide an electrical connection with an RF rod of a substrate support. The RF connection rods advantageously act as a thermal choke to reduce the amount thermal energy within the support column and conductedAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO to other elements, such as other electrical components. One end of the RF connection rod, which may be referred to as the distal end, is physically and electrically connected to the RF rods. The opposite end of the RF connection rod, with may be referred to as the proximal end, is configured to make an electrical and physical connection by being inserted into a female electrical connector. The proximal end of the RF connection rods is configured to act, or mimic, a male connector pin that can he inserted into the female electrical connector. Tn some instances, the female electrical connector has a recess with contact springs that extend into the recess and make a physical and electrical connection with an external surface of the RF connection rod; this physical and electrical connection is made without any threaded connection or strap. The RF power can travel from the RF generator through the contact springs, to the external surface of the RF connection rod, up the RF connection rod to the distal end, to the RF rod with a non-threaded contact, and to the one or more electrodes in the substrate support. The external surface of proximal end of RF connection rod may be smooth, unthreaded, or unperforated to make physical and electrical contact with the contact springs of the female electrical connector. This type of connection, which may be considered a “push-on” style connection, provides numerous advantages, such as reducing complexity, tools, parts, and time required for connecting the proximal end of the RF connection rod to another component.

[0055] Figure 1 depicts an example semiconductor processing system according to disclosed implementations. The semiconductor processing system 100 has a processing chamber 102 defining a chamber interior 104, a gas distributor 106 (e.g., a showerhead such as a chandeliertype or flush-mount showerhead) positioned in the chamber interior 104, and a substrate support 108 positioned at least partially inside the chamber interior 104 and under the gas distributor 106. A process volume 109 is formed between the substrate support 108 and the gas distributor 106. The substrate support 108 is configured to support a wafer 110 in the chamber interior 104 and process volume 109, and the gas distributor 106 is configured to flow process gases into the process volume 109 and onto the wafer 110. The system 100 is also configured to generate a plasma 112 in the chamber interior 104 and process volume 109. This configuration includes the substrate support 108 having one or more electrodes 116A and 116B that are electrically connected to an RF generator 114 positioned outside the processing chamber 102. As described herein, system 100 forms an electrical pathway between the electrodes 116 and the RF generator 114 using a plurality of components, including RF connector rods that serve as thermal chokes.

[0056] As illustrated in Figure 1, the substrate support 116 has a support structure 118 where the electrodes 116A and 116B are located. The support structure 118 may be constructed in various ways, such as a monolithic structure or a plurality of layers connected or bondedAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO together, and may have various components, such as cooling channels, gas passages for flowing one or more gases into the chamber interior 104, but for clarity these features are not illustrated. The disclosed implementations encompass these varied support structures having the electrodes positioned therein. The support structure 118 also has a plurality of RF rods 120A and 120B (which may also be considered RF delivery rods) that are electrically connected to the electrodes 1 16A and 1 16B, respectively. As can be seen, a portion of each RF rod 120 A and 120B is positioned inside the support structure 118 and another portion is positioned outside the support structure 118. The portion 122 for RF rod 120A positioned inside the support structure 118 and the portion 124 for RF rod 120 A positioned outside the support structure 118 are labeled in Figure 1. These RF rods form part of the electrical pathway for electrically connecting the electrodes 116A and 116B to the RF generator 114. Although system 100 shows two RF rods 120A and 120B, the system 100 may have more RF rods, such as three, four, or more.

[0057] The system 100 also has a plurality of RF connection rods 126A and 126B that form a part of the electrical pathway between the RF generator 114 and the electrodes 116A and 116B. A distal end of each RF connection rod 126 A and 126B is physically and electrically connected to the RF rods 120A and 120B, respectively. Some of each portion 124 of the RF rods 120A and 120B positioned outside the support structure 118 is inserted into the hollow internal bore of a respective RF connection rod 126A and 126B. The opposite, proximal end of each RF connection rod 126A and 126B is positioned inside a respective electrical connection socket 128 A and 128B. As discussed in more detail below, each electrical connection socket 128 A and 128B has a recess configured to receive a portion of a respective RF connection rod 126 A and 126B and one or more electrical contacts (one of which is labeled 130) extending into the recess. The one or more electrical contacts are configured to make physical and electrical contact with the portion of the respective RF connection rod positioned in the recess, such as the sidewall of the RF connection rod, and form a part of the electrical pathway for the RF power to reach the electrodes 116A and 116B. The electrical connection sockets 128A and 128B are also shown electrically connected to the RF generator 114. One electrical pathway for the RF power may therefore begin at the RF generator 114, travel through the one or more electrical contacts of the electrical connection socket 128A to the RF connection rod 126A, through the length of the RF connection rod 126A to the RF rod 120A, and then to the electrode 116A. The other electrical pathway may travel in a similar manner for electrical connection socket 128B, RF connection rod 126B, and electrode 116B.

[0058] Various features of the RF connection rods will now be discussed. Figure 2 depicts a side view of one RF connection rod according to various implementations. The RF connector rodAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO 126 extends along a center axis 133 for a first length LI and has a first end portion 132, a second end portion 134 opposite the first end portion 132, and a tubular body portion 136 in between the first and second end portions 132 and 134. The tubular body portion 136 has an outer surface 141 with a first outer diameter OD1 and, as discussed below, a first central bore.

[0059] With respect to the RF generator, the first end portion 132 may be considered the distal end and the second end portion may be considered the proximal end. The first end portion 132 has an opening 138 configured to receive the RF rod such that the RF rod can be inserted into the first end portion 132. As explained in more detail below, the first end portion 132 has a plurality of fingers, two of which are visible and are labeled 140A and 140B, arranged around the center axis 133 that are configured to be moved radially inwards towards the center axis 133 in order to contact and compress the exterior of the RF rod and thereby make physical and electrical contact with the RF rod. In some instances, these fingers may be considered spring fingers because they have elasticity allowing them to be compressed radially inwards, as provided herein. In some implementations, the fingers may be considered compliant because they are configured to be moved along a second axis 135 perpendicular to the first axis 133, as illustrated in Figure 6. Each finger has a respective proximal end 142 A and 142B connected to the tubular body portion 136 and a respective distal end 145A and 145B with the distal ends at least partially defining the opening 138. Each finger is also circumferentially offset from each other to allow inwards deflection of the fingers. As also seen, the distal end of each finger forms a portion of a frustoconical surface. Each finger also extends in a direction parallel to the center axis 133.

[0060] The second end portion 134 of the RF connector rod 126 is configured to be inserted into an electrical connection socket. This configuration includes the second end portion 134 having an electrical connector pin region 146, a third central bore (not visible in Figure 2), a proximal pin end 148 at the tubular body portion 136, a distal pin end 150, and a unitary, which may also be considered monolithic, cylindrical outer surface 152. The distal pin end 150 and some of the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 are configured to be inserted into the electrical connection socket. As illustrated, the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 is smooth, unthreaded, unperforated such that it does not have any holes extending therethrough, and may be considered unitary. This configuration of the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 provides for advantageous surface area contact with the electrical contacts of the electrical connection socket.

[0061] In some implementations, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the RF connector rod may be considered to have a tubular body, e.g., tubular body portion 136, having a central longitudinal axis 133, a first end portion 132, a second end portion 146, and a bore extending longitudinally through the first end portion and the second end portion. The first end portion 132Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO may have the plurality of fingers arranged circumferentially and extending longitudinally parallel to the central longitudinal axis 133 to receive an RF rod, each finger having the proximal end 142 and a distal end 145, and the distal ends of the plurality of fingers collectively form a frustoconical-like shape. Similar to provided herein, the second end portion may have a connector pin region 146 configured to be inserted into an electrical socket 128 and contact an electrical connector 130 within the electrical socket 128, the connector pin 146 region having a continuous outer surface 143 defining a first outer diameter OD2. The tubular body may have an outer surface 141 defining a second outer diameter OD1 that is greater than the first outer diameter OD2 of the connector pin region 146.

[0062] Figure 3 depicts a detail view of a portion of the RF connector rod of Figure 2 and an electrical connection socket. The depicted portion of the RF connector rod 126 has some of the tubular body portion 136 and the second end portion 134 including the distal pin end 150 and the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152. The electrical connection socket 128 has an opening 160, a recess 162 with a bottom surface 164, and electrical contacts 130A and 130B that extend into the recess 162. The RF connector rod 126 has been inserted through the opening 160 and into the recess 162 such that a portion 166 of the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 and the distal pin end 150 are positioned inside the recess 162. The electrical connection socket 128 and its recess 162 extend around the circumference of the portion 166 of the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 and the distal pin end 150. Further, no component or element is inserted into the second end portion 134 of the RF connector rod 126 such that the third central bore 158 (discussed below and shown in Figure 4) remains free of any components including when the RF connector rod 126 is inserted into the electrical connection socket 128.

[0063] With the insertion of the RF connector rod 126 into the electrical connection socket 128, the electrical contacts 130A and 130B are in physical and electrical contact with the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 of the RF connector rod 126. These physical and electrical connections between the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 and the electrical contacts 130A and 130B provide the electrical connection of the RF connector rod 126 to the RF generator (114 in Figure 1). In some implementations, the electrical contacts 130A and 130B are spring contacts such that they are configured to exert an elastic force against the RF connector rod 126 when it is inserted into the electrical connector socket 128.

[0064] As also illustrated in Figure 3, the RF connector rod 126 is configured to be inserted into the electrical connection socket 128 such that the distal pin end 150 of the RF connector rod 126 is offset from the bottom surface 164 of the recess 162. For example, the distal pin end 150 has a distal surface 151 that is offset from the bottom surface 164 by an offset distance DI that isAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO non-zero. This offset is configured to provide space for the thermal expansion of the RF connector rod 126. As provided above, during plasma generation, aspects of the RF connector rod 126 are heated and result in thermal expansion of the RF connector rod 126. Without this space and offset between the distal pin end 150 and the bottom surface 164 of the recess 162, the RF connector rod 126 would expand and potentially damage the RF connector rod 126 itself, the electrical connection socket 128, or elements at the first end portion 132 of the RF connector rod 126, such as the RF rod 120, substrate support 108, and / or connector between the RF rod 120 and RF connector rod 126 (referring to Figure 1). In some implementations, the offset distance DI may range from about 0.01 inches to about 0.6 inches, about 0.01 inches to about 0.3 inches, about 0.1 inches to about 0.25 inches, and about 0.225 inches to about 0.275 inches. Although not illustrated here, in some implementations, the electrical connection socket 128 may have a hole in the bottom 164 which may be configured to reduce or eliminate interference.

[0065] Referring back to Figure 2, the RF connector rod 126 also has an overall length LI that spans from the distal ends of the fingers 140A and 140B to the distal pin end 150 including the distal surface 151. In some implementations, the overall length LI may range from about 2 inches to about 12 inches, about 3 inches to about 10 inches, about 6 inches to about 1.7 inches, about 6.5 inches to about 7.5 inches, and about 6.75 inches to about 7.25 inches. The inventors discovered that the overall length LI of the RF connector rod 126 affects its ability to act as a thermal choke and increasing the overall length LI to at least 6.5 inches had advantageous results. In some instances, the ability to act as a thermal choke may depend on the overall length, power of the RF used in the RF connector rod, frequency of the RF, or a combination thereof. For instance, the second end portion 134 remained at a temperature less than or equal to 150 °C when the first end portion 132 was at a temperature of about 300 °C or less, 400 °C or less, and 450 °C or less. Maintaining the second end portion 134 at a temperature less than or equal to about 150 °C while the first end portion 132 was above 300 °C results in numerous advantages, such as reducing thermal stress and damage to surrounding components and being able to use the electrical connection socket with spring contacts because some such electrical connection socket with spring contacts do not function properly at temperatures above 150 °C.

[0066] In some implementations, the electrical connector pin region 146 has a length L2 that may range from about 0.25 inches to about 3 inches, about 0.75 inches to about 2 inches, about 0.75 inches to about 1 .5 inches, or about 0.9 inches to about 1 .25 inches. The electrical connector pin region 146 and the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 may have a second outer diameter OD2 that is smaller than the first outer diameter OD1 of the tubular body portion 136 and configured to be inserted into the electrical connection socket. In some implementations, thisAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO second outer diameter OD2 may range from about 0.04 inches to about 0.5 inches, about 0.05 inches to about 0.3 inches, about 0.1 inches to about 0.25, and about 0.15 inches to about 0.2 inches. These second outer diameter OD2 ranges may advantageously allow the insertion into various electrical connection sockets such that adequate contact with the electrical contacts in the recess of the electrical connection sockets can be made with the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152. In some implementations, the distal pin end 150 may have an edge with a radius R that may assist with inserting the electrical connector pin region 146 into the electrical connection socket, such as by reducing friction between the electrical connector pin region 146 and the electrical contacts. The radius R may range between about 0.005 inches to about 0.3 inches, about 0.0075 inches to about 0.25 inches, and about 0.01 inches to about 0.02 inches. In some implementations, the fingers may have a third outer diameter OD3 that may be smaller than the first outer diameter OD1. In some implementations, this third outer diameter OD3 may range between about 0.1 inches to about 0.6 inches, about 0.15 inches to about 0.3 inches, and about 0.175 inches to about 0.225 inches.

[0067] Referring to Figure 4, which depicts a cross-sectional side view slice of the RF connection rod of Figure 2, some internal aspects are visible. The RF connector rod 126 has a hollow center as defined by the first central bore 154 of the tubular body portion 136, a second central bore 156 of the first end portion 132, and a third central bore 158 of the second end portion 134. In some instances, the first central bore 154 extends through the tubular body portion 136, the second central bore 156 extends through the first end portion 132, and the third central bore extends through the second end portion. In some implementations, like illustrated, the first, second, and third central bores 154, 156, and 158 are all cylindrical surfaces and may all have the same inner diameter ID1. In some other implementations, one or more of these central bores may have a different inner diameter. For example, the second central bore 156 of the first end portion 132 may have a smaller inner diameter than the first central bore 154 which may, in some instances, assist with connecting to the RF rod of the substrate support.

[0068] The configuration of the RF connector rod 126 to have the hollow center further assists the RF connector rod 126 to act as a thermal choke. The thermal conductance of the RF connector rod 126 along its length may also be a function of wall thickness, or difference between its outer diameters and inner diameter. In some implementations, the first outer diameter OD1 may range between about 0.1 inches to about 0.6 inches, about 0.15 inches to about 0.3 inches, and about 0.225 inches to about 0.275 inches. The thermal resistance of the RF connector rod 126, which creates a thermal gradient between the first end portion 132 and the second end portion 134, can be advantageously increased by increasing the length of the RF connector rodAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO126, reducing its wall thickness, or both. In some instances, in addition to having the length LI 6.5 inches or greater as noted above, having the RF connector rod 126 with a wall thickness about 0.08 inches or less advantageously resulted in the thermal gradients provided above, such as the second end portion 134 remaining at a temperature less than or equal to 150 °C when the first end portion 132 was at a temperature of about 300 °C or less, 400 °C or less, and 450 °C or less.

[0069] In some implementations, the RF connector rod 126 may have a unibody, unitary structure. This may include it being a single element and not a compilation of multiple components connected, e.g., threaded, together. In some other implementations, the RF connector rod may be comprised of at least two separate structures connected together to form the RF connector rod. For example, the second end portion 134 may be a first structure and the first end portion 132 and some or all of the tubular body portion 136 may be a second structure, and these two structures may be connected to each other, such as a threaded, welded, or press fit connection, that creates the overall shape of the RF connector rod 126 in Figures 1-4.

[0070] In some implementations, the RF connector rod 126 may be comprised of a material having a low thermal conductivity, such as stainless steel or a nickel-chromium-based superalloy. Examples of these materials include Type 316L stainless steel and superalloys commercially available under the trade names INCONEL®, HAYNES®, and HASTELLOY®. In some implementations, this material is chosen to match the thermal mechanical properties, e.g., coefficient of thermal expansion, of the RF rod 120. In some implementations, the RF connector rod 126 is without any plating, i.e., it does not have any plating. This may result in the RF connector rod 126 having the same exterior surface as the material making up the RF connector rod 126. For example, the RF connector rod 126 does not have gold or gold plating. It was discovered that in some instances when the RF connector rod 126 comprised a nickel and a gold plating, that at some temperatures and / or RF frequencies, the nickel would dissolve into the gold which is undesirable because the resulting material can make an unwanted magnetic phase or precipitant. By having no plating, the RF connector rod 126 provided herein has additional simplicity and reduced undesirable qualities and results.

[0071] Referring back to Figure 1, the RF connector rod 126 is configured to make an electrical and physical connection with the respective RF rod 120 that is electrically connected to one or more electrodes 116 in the substrate support 108. This includes, in part, the RF rod 120 being inserted into the hollow center of the RF connector rod. Figure 5 depicts a portion of the system of Figure 1. Here, one RF connector rod 126, some of one RF rod 120, one electrical connection socket 128, and the RF generator 114 are illustrated. As can be seen, the electricalAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO connector pin region 146 of the RF connector rod 126 has been inserted into the recess 162 of the electrical connection socket 128. The electrical contacts 130A and 130B of the electrical connection socket 128 are in physical and electrical connection with the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 of the RF connector rod 126. These physical and electrical connections between the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 and the electrical contacts 130 A and 130B provide the electrical connection of the RF connector rod 126 to the RF generator 1 14. Electrical signals, including RF signals, can flow from the RF generator 114 to the electrical connection socket 128, to the electrical contacts 130A and 130B, and to the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 of the RF connector rod 126.

[0072] As also seen in Figure 5, a portion 168 of the RF rod 120 has been inserted through the opening 138 of the first end portion 132, into the second central bore 156 and into some of the first centra] bore 154 of the tubular body portion 136. The RF connector rod 126 extends around the portion 168 of the RF rod 120. The fingers 140A and 140B are configured to be compressed against the RF rod 120 such that physical and electrical contact is made between the RF rod 120 and the inside surface of each finger. This physical and electrical contact is advantageously not a threaded connection. With the physical and electrical contact between the RF rod 120 and the RF connector rod 126, an electrical pathway, or RF pathway, is formed between the RF generator 114 and the electrodes in the substrate support (as shown in Figure 1). A portion of the RF pathway 172 is illustrated with arrows.

[0073] As can be seen in Figure 5, the RF pathway 172 extends from the RF generator 114 to the electrical connection socket 128, through the electrical contacts 130A and 130B, to the RF connector rod 126 through the electrical and physical connection between the electrical contacts 130A and 130B and the unitary cylindrical outer surface 152 of the RF connector rod 126, through the second end portion 134, through the tubular body portion 136, through the first end portion, and to the RF rod 120 through the physical and electrical contact between the fingers 140A and 140B and the RF rod 120. Although not shown here, the RF pathway continues from the RF rod 120 to the electrodes 116 in the substrate support 108. RF power is therefore configured to travel form the RF generator 114 along the RF pathway 172 to the electrodes 116 in the substrate support 108.

[0074] An RF connector 170 is also shown in Figures 1 and 5 and it is configured to engage with the RF connector rod 126 and cause the fingers to make the physical and electrical contact with the RF rod. In some implementations, the RF connector 170 and the RF connector rod 126 make a threaded connection. Referring back to Figure 4, the fingers 140A and 140B each have a region with a conical shape, such as a frustoconical surface, that tapers away from an innerAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO surface 174 of each finger to an outer surface, such as the outer frustoconical surfaces 144 A and144B, in a direction toward the tubular body portion 136. In some implementations, the frustoconical surface is disposed at an angle of about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees relative to a horizontal reference line perpendicular to the center axis 133. To enable threaded engagement with the RF connector 170, a section of the outer surface of the tubular body portion 136 has a threaded region 176 proximate or near to the RF connector 170.

[0075] Figure 6 depicts a magnified portion of Figure 5. Here, the threaded region 176 of the tubular body portion 136 is shown. The RF connector 170 also has a threaded section 178 configured to be threaded with, or connected with via threading, the threaded section 176 of the tubular body portion 136. As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the RF connector 170 is configured to fit over the first end portion 132, including the fingers, and reduce the inner diameter of the fingers to create a physical and electrical contact and connection between the RF connector rod 126 and the RF rod 120. As provided herein, in some implementations, the fingers may be considered compliant because they are configured to be moved along the second axis 135 perpendicular to the first axis 133, as illustrated in Figure 6. The RF connector 170 also has an inner tapered wall 180, that may be another frustoconical surface, that is configured to mate with the frustoconical surfaces 144A and 144B of the fingers 140A and 140B. In some implementations, the inner tapered wall 180 is disposed at an angle of about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees relative to the horizontal reference line.

[0076] As provided herein, to connect the RF rod 120 to the RF connector rod 126, the RF rod 120 is inserted through an opening 182 of the RF connector 170 while the RF connector 170 is either separated from the RF connector rod 126 or is loosely threaded over the RF connector rod 126. The portion 168 of the RF rod 120 is inserted into the RF connector rod 126 as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, for example. With the RF rod 120 disposed at a prescribed location within the RF connector rod 126, the RF connector 170 is then threaded onto the threaded region 176 of the tubular body portion 136. As the RF connector 170 is moved from an initial engagement position to a fully engaged position, the inner tapered wall 178 of the RF connector 170 contacts the frustoconical surfaces 144A and 144B of the fingers 140A and 140B. This contact causes a radially inwards, i.e., towards the center axis 133, compressive force to be exerted on the fingers 140 A and 140B that are configured to move radially inwards to the center axis 133. This compressive force reduces the inner diameter of the fingers 140 A and 140B which in turn causes the fingers 140A and 140B to contact and compress the RF rod 120 and mechanically secure the RF connector rod 126 to the RF rod 120. Additional details regarding the process of connecting the RF input rod to the thermal choke rod are described below.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0077] Figures 7A and 7B are enlarged cross-sectional views that illustrate the process of connecting the RF connector rod to the RF rod, in accordance with some implementations. Figure 7A shows the relative positions of one finger 140A, the RF connector 170, and the RF rod 120 before the fully engaged position. As shown in here, the inner tapered wall 178 has yet to contact the frustoconical surface 148A of the finger 140A. In this state, there is a gap, Gi, between the outer surface of the RF rod 120 and the inner surface 174 of the finger 140A. Figure 7B shows the relative positions of the finger 140A, the RF connector 170, and the RF rod 120 in the fully engaged position. As shown here, the RF connector 170 has been moved by a distance, X, in the direction toward the finger 140A (i.e., from right to left on the page) relative to the position shown in Figure 7A, to bring the RF connector 170 into the fully engaged position. In the fully engaged position, the inner tapered wall 178 contacts the frustoconical surface 144A and exerts a compressive force on the finger 140A. This compressive force reduces the inner diameter of the finger 140A and causes a portion of the inner surface 174 to contact and press upon the outer surface of the RF rod 120. In the implementation shown in Figure 7B, the region in which the inner surface 174 and the outer surface of the RF rod 120 are pressed into contact is labeled as CRi, and in contact region CRi there is no gap between the inner surface 174 and the outer surface of the RF rod 120. As such, as indicated in Figure 7B, G2 equals zero. In some implementations, the contact region, such as contact region CR2 shown in Figure 7B, may be larger than the actual contact area of the finger 140 A.

[0078] The first end portion and fingers may have various configurations as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of an RF connector rod, in accordance with one implementation. The portion of the RF connector rod 126 shown in Figure 8 includes some of the tubular body portion 136 and the first end portion 132. For ease of illustration, no threads are shown. In the implementation of Figure 8, the first end portion 132 has four fingers 140A-140D that each have a portion of a frustoconical surface, three of which are partially visible and labeled 144A-144C. Each finger is offset from another finger around the center axis 133 such that a plurality of slits 184 (two of which are labeled) is formed between two adjacent fingers. The slits 184 extend for the length of first end portion 132 but the slit length can be varied, as will be described below with reference to Figure 9. The fingers 140A-140D are configured to radially compressed when that annular cap is attached to the thermal choke rod, in the manner described above, to exert a strong clamping force against the RF input rod when the RF input rod is disposed with the first connector. In this manner, the axial fingers of the first connector function as a collet to hold the RF input rod securely within the thermal choke rod. The strong clamping force provided by radial compression of the axial fingers provides for improved electrical contact between the first connector of the thermal choke rod and the RFAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO input rod.

[0079] Figure 9 is a partial perspective view of a RF connector rod, in accordance with other implementations. The portion of the RF connector rod 126 shown in Figure 8 includes some of the tubular body portion 136 and the first end portion 132. For ease of illustration, no threads are shown. The implementation shown in Figure 9 is the same as the implementation shown in Figure 8, except for the length of the slits formed in the first connector. As shown in Figure 9, the slits 184’ extend for a portion of the length of the first end portion 132, as opposed to extending for the entire length of the first end portion 132 as shown in Figure 8. In one implementation, the slits 184’ extend for about one quarter (25%) to about one third (33%) of the length of the first end portion 132. In other implementations, the slits 184’ can extend for a longer distance, e.g., about 40%, 50%, 60%, etc. of the length of the first end portion 132, or a shorter distance, e.g., about 10%, 20%, etc. of the length of the first end portion 132. The slits 184’ should extend for a length that is sufficient to enable the fingers 140A-140B to be radially compressed against the RF rod 120 when the RF connector 170 is attached to the RF connector rod 126.

[0080] In some implementations, the outer surface of the tubular body portion 136 may have one or more features for assisting with rotating the connector rod to engage it with the RF connector. For example, referring back to Figure 2, the tubular body portion has a plurality of wrench slots 190 A and 190B that are configured to be engaged by a tool to rotate the RF connector rod 126. These wrench slots may be planar regions of the outer surface of the tubular body portion 136 that have an outer diameter OD4 less than OD1. The wrench slots 190A and 190B may be configured to allow the RF connector rod 126 to be installed on the substrate support 108 during initial installation, maintenance, or retrofitting an existing processing system.

[0081] For example, the features of the RF connection rod provided here are configured to allow the RF connection rod to be retrofitted, or added, to an existing system. This may include the first end portion and RF connector that can be connected to the existing RF rod of a substrate support without the use of, or with limited use of, tools. Given the structure of the RF rods in the substrate support, there is limited access to the rods and there are limited connection means that can be used. For instance, it is not feasible to weld the RF connection rod to the RF rod in a fabrication facility for multiple reasons, such as the process will generate contaminants and particles, and there is insufficient access to the RF rods because of their location recessed in the support column (as shown in Figure 1). Retrofitting an existing system using the RF connection rod provided herein is made easier and more robust by the second end portion and its configuration to be inserted into an electrical connection socket, as opposed to a threadedAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO connection. This configuration also removes the need for tools, especially the use of tools in the limited space of the substrate support. This configuration also provides for repeatable and robust connections made via contact instead of threading.Multistation Processing Tool

[0082] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a multi-station processing tool according to some implementations.

[0083] In some implementations, multi-station processing tool 1000 can include an inbound load lock 1003 and an outbound load lock 1005, either or both of which may include a plasma source and / or an ultraviolet (UV) source. Robot 1017, at atmospheric pressure, is configured to move wafers from a cassette loaded through pod 1009 into inbound load lock 1003 via an atmospheric port 1011. Wafer 1007 is placed by robot 1017 on pedestal 1013 in inbound load lock 1003, atmospheric port 1011 is closed, and inbound load lock 1003 is pumped down. In instances in which inbound load lock 1003 includes a remote plasma source, wafer 1007 may be exposed to a remote plasma treatment in inbound load lock 1003 prior to being introduced into processing chamber 1015. Further, wafer 1007 may be heated in inbound load lock 1003 to, for example, remove moisture and / or adsorbed gases. Next, chamber transport port 1017 to processing chamber 1015 is opened, and another robot 1019 places wafer 1007 into the reactor on a pedestal of a first station shown in the reactor for processing. While the implementation depicted in FIG. 10 includes load locks, it will be appreciated that, in some implementations, direct entry of wafer 1007 into a processing station may be provided.

[0084] As seen in FIG. 10, processing chamber 1015 includes four process stations, numbered 1 to 4. Each station has a temperature-controlled pedestal (such as temperature-controlled pedestal 1021 of station 1), and gas line inlets, one or more of which may include a corresponding flow adjuster configured to match (or substantially match) flow conditions (e.g., flow conductance, flow velocity, etc.) to the gas line inlets. It will be appreciated that, in some cases, each process station may have different or multiple purposes. For example, in some implementations, a process station may be switchable between a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and PECVD process mode. In another example, deposition operations, e.g., PECVD operations, may be performed in one station, while exposure to UV radiation for UV curing may be performed in another station. In some cases, deposition and UV curing may be performed in the same station. Further, although processing chamber 1015 shown as including four stations, implementations are not limited thereto. For example, processing chamber 1015 may have any suitable number of stations, such as five or more stations, or three or less stations.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0085] As previously mentioned, multi-station processing tool 1000 may include a wafer handling system (e.g., robot 1019 including spider forks 1001) for transferring and / or positioning wafers within processing chamber 1015. In some implementations, the wafer handling system may transfer wafers between various process stations and / or between a process station and a load lock. It is contemplated, however, that any suitable wafer handling system may be employed, such as, for example, wafer carousels, other wafer handling robots, etc. Further, multi-station processing tool 1000 may include (or otherwise be coupled to) a system controller 1023 employed to control process conditions and hardware states of multi-station processing tool 1000. System controller 1023 may include one or more memory devices 1025, one or more mass storage devices 1027, and one or more processors 1029. Each processor 1029 may include a central processing unit (CPU) or computer, analog, and / or digital input / output connections, stepper motor controller boards, etc.

[0086] In some implementations, system controller 1023 controls each of the activities of multi-station processing tool 1000. For instance, system controller 1023 may execute system control software 1031 stored in mass storage device 1027, loaded into memory device 1025, and executed by processor 1029. Alternatively, control logic may be hard coded in system controller 1023. Application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (e.g., field- programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)) and / or the like may be used for these purposes. In the following discussion, wherever “software” or “code” is used, functionally comparable hard coded logic may be used in its place. System control software 1031 may include instructions for controlling the timing, mixture of gases, gas flow rates, flow conductance, chamber and / or station pressure, chamber and / or station temperature, wafer temperature, target power levels, RF power levels, substrate pedestal, chuck and / or susceptor position, and other parameters of a particular process performed by multi-station processing tool 1000. Further, system control software 1031 may be configured in any suitable way. For example, various process tool component subroutines or control objects may be written to control operation of the process tool components used to carry out various process tool processes. System control software 1031 may be coded in any suitable computer readable programming language.

[0087] In some implementations, system control software 1031 may include input / output control (IOC) sequencing instructions for controlling the various parameters described above. Other computer software and / or programs stored on mass storage device 1027 and / or memory device 1025 associated with system controller 1023 may be employed in some implementations. Examples of programs or sections of programs for this purpose include a substrate positioning program, a process gas control program, a pressure control program, a heater control program, aAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO cooler control program, and a plasma control program.

[0088] A substrate positioning program may include program code for process tool components that are used to load and orientate wafer 1007 on pedestal 1021 and to control the spacing between wafer 1007 and other parts of multi-station processing tool 1000.

[0089] A process gas control program may include code for controlling gas composition (e.g., silicon-containing gases, oxygen-containing gases, nitrogen-containing gases, dilution (or inert) gases, etc.) flow rates, flow conductances, and optionally for flowing gas into one or more process stations prior to deposition to stabilize the pressure in the process station. A pressure control program may include code for controlling the pressure in the process station by regulating, for example, a throttle valve in an exhaust system of the process station or the like.

[0090] A heater control program may include code for controlling current to one or more heating units used to heat a pedestal (e.g., pedestal 1021) and / or a showerhead of processing chamber 1015. Additionally or alternatively, the heater control program may control delivery of a heat transfer gas (such as helium) to a gas distributor, and, thereby, to wafer 1007.

[0091] A cooling control program may include code for controlling a flow rate of conductive cooling fluid through a cooling unit used to extract heat from a pedestal (e.g., pedestal 1021) and / or a showerhead of processing chamber 1015, and, thereby, transfer such thermal energy to, for instance, a waste heat capturing, storage, recycling, and / or disposing system. The flow of the cooling fluid through the cooling unit may also extract heat from wafer 1007.

[0092] A plasma control program may include code for setting RF power levels applied to the process electrodes in one or more process stations in accordance with various implementations.

[0093] A pressure control program may include code for maintaining pressure in a reaction chamber in accordance with various implementations.

[0094] In some implementations, a user interface may be provided in association with system controller 1023. The user interface may include a display screen, graphical software displays of the apparatus and / or process conditions, and user input devices, such as pointing devices, keyboards, touch screens, microphones, etc.

[0095] In some implementations, parameters adjusted by system controller 1023 may relate to process conditions. Non-limiting examples include process gas composition and flow rates, temperature, pressure, plasma conditions (such as RF bias power levels), pressure, temperature, etc. These parameters may be provided to the user in the form of a recipe, which may be entered utilizing the user interface.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0096] Signals for monitoring the process may be provided by analog and / or digital input connections of system controller 1023 from various process tool sensors. The signals for controlling the process may be output on analog and / or digital output connections of multistation process tool 1000. Non-limiting examples of process tool sensors that may be monitored include mass flow controllers, pressure sensors (such as manometers), thermocouples, etc. Appropriately programmed feedback and control algorithms may be used with data from the sensors to maintain process conditions.

[0097] System controller 1023 may provide program instructions for implementing one or more of the above-described processes. The program instructions may control a variety of process parameters, such as direct current (DC) power level, RF bias power level, pressure, temperature, etc. The instructions may control the parameters to operate deposition of film stacks of a stress compensation layer according to various implementations.

[0098] System controller 1023 will typically include one or more memory devices and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions so that the apparatus will perform a method in accordance with some implementations. In some instances, machine-readable media containing instructions for controlling process operations in accordance with various implementations may be coupled to system controller 1023.

[0099] In some implementations, system controller 1023 may be part of a system, which may be part of at least one of the above-described examples. Such systems may include semiconductor processing equipment, including a processing tool or tools, a chamber or chambers, a platform or platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (e.g., a wafer pedestal, a gas flow system, a thermal management system, etc.). The systems discussed above may be integrated with electronics for controlling their operation before, during, and / or after processing of a semiconductor wafer or substrate. The electronics may be referred to as the “controller,” which may control various components or subparts of the system or systems. For instance, system controller 1023, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), valve operation, flow adjuster operation, light source control for radiative heating, pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, RF generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, positional and operational settings, wafer transfers into and out of a tool or chamber and other transfer tools and / or load locks connected to or interfaced with a specific system. In this manner, system controller 1023 may be configured to control, among other systems, the various actuators and motors of a wafer processing system and flowAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO adjusters of a fluid delivery system.

[0100] Broadly speaking, system controller 1023 may be defined as electronics having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operation, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and / or the like. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors, or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be instructions communicated to system controller 1023 in the form of various individual settings (or program files), defining operational parameters for carrying out a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or to a system. The operational parameters may, in some implementations, be part of a recipe defined by process engineers to accomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon oxide, surfaces, circuits, dies of a wafer, etc.

[0101] System controller 1023, in some implementations, may be a part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, system controller 1023 may be in the “cloud” or all or a part of a fab host computer system, which can allow for remote access of wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor current progress of fabrication operations, examine a history of past fabrication operations, examine trends or performance metrics from a plurality of fabrication operations, to change parameters of current processing, to set processing steps to follow a current processing, or to start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to a system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data, which specify parameters for each of the processing steps to be performed during one or more operations. It is to be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, system controller 1023 may be distributed, such as by including one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and working towards a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber in communication with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (such as at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) that combine to control a process on the chamber.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0102] Without limitation, example systems may include a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin-rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a clean chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and / or any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0103] As noted above, depending on the process step or steps to be performed by the tool, system controller 1023 might communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout a factory, a main computer, another controller, and / or tools used in material transport that bring containers of wafers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.Additional and / or Alternative Implementations

[0104] Unless otherwise specified, the illustrated implementations are to be understood as providing example features of varying detail of some implementations. Thus, unless otherwise specified, the features, components, modules, layers, films, regions, aspects, structures, etc. (hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as an “element” or “elements”), of the various illustrations may be otherwise combined, separated, interchanged, and / or rearranged without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.

[0105] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing some implementations and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms, “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is to be understood that the phrases “for each <item> of the one or more <items>,” “each <item> of the one or more <items>,” and / or the like, if used herein, are inclusive of both a single-item group and multiple-item groups, i.e., the phrase “for . . . each” is used in the sense that it is used in programming languages to refer to each item of whatever population of items is referenced. For example, if the population of items referenced is a single item, then “each” would refer to only that single item (despite dictionary definitions of “each” frequently defining the term to refer to “every one of two or more things”) and would not imply that there must be at least two of those items. Similarly, the term “set” or “subset” should not be viewed, in itself, as necessarily encompassing a plurality of items — it is to be understood that a set or a subset canAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO encompass only one member or multiple members (unless the context indicates otherwise). The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It is also noted that, as used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms, are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and, as such, are utilized to account for inherent deviations in measured, calculated, and / or provided values that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the term “substantially” as used herein, unless otherwise specified, means within 5% of a referenced value. For example, substantially perpendicular means within ±5% of parallel.

[0106] The use of cross-hatching and / or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally provided to clarify boundaries between adjacent elements. As such, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between illustrated elements, and / or any other characteristic, attribute, property, etc., of the elements, unless specified. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the size and relative sizes of elements may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. As such, the sizes and relative sizes of the respective elements are not necessarily limited to the sizes and relative sizes shown in the drawings. When an implementation may be implemented differently, a specific process order may be performed differently from the described order. For example, two consecutively described processes may be performed substantially at the same time or performed in an order opposite to the described order.

[0107] When an element, such as a layer, is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element or at least one intervening element may be present. When, however, an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other terms and / or phrases if used herein to describe a relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion, such as “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” “on” versus “directly on,” etc. Further, the term “connected” may refer to physical, electrical, and / or fluid connection. To this end, for the purposes of this disclosure, the phrase “fluidically connected” is used with respect to volumes, plenums, holes, etc., that may be connected to one another, either directly or via one or more intervening components or volumes, to form a fluidic connection,Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO similar to how the phrase “electrically connected” is used with respect to components that are connected to form an electric connection. The phrase “fluidically interposed,” if used, may be used to refer to a component, volume, plenum, hole, etc., that is fluidically connected with at least two other components, volumes, plenums, holes, etc., such that fluid flowing from one of those other components, volumes, plenums, holes etc., to the other or another of those components, volumes, plenums, holes, etc., would first flow through the “fluidically interposed” component before reaching that other or another of those components, volumes, plenums, holes, etc.. For example, if a pump is fluidically interposed between a reservoir and an outlet, fluid flowing from the reservoir to the outlet would first flow through the pump before reaching the outlet. The phrase "fluidically adjacent," if used, refers to placement of a fluidic element relative to another fluidic element such that no potential structures fluidically are interposed between the two elements that might potentially interrupt fluid flow between the two fluidic elements. For example, in a flow path having a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve arranged sequentially therealong, the first valve would be fluidically adjacent to the second valve, the second valve fluidically adjacent to both the first and third valves, and the third valve fluidically adjacent to the second valve.

[0108] For the purposes of this disclosure, “at least one of X, Y, . . ., and Z” and “at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, . . ., and Z” may be construed as X only, Y only, . . ., Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, . . ., and Z, such as, for instance, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0109] Although the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the disclosure. To this end, use of such identifiers, e.g., “a first element,” should not be read as suggesting, implicitly or inherently, that there is necessarily another instance, e.g., “a second element.” Further, the use, if any, of ordinal indicators, such as (a), (b), (c), . . ., or (1), (2), (3), . . ., or the like, in this disclosure and accompanying claims, is to be understood as not conveying any particular order or sequence, except to the extent that such an order or sequence is explicitly indicated. For example, if there are three steps labeled (i), (ii), and (iii), it is to be understood that these steps may be performed in any order (or even concurrently, if not otherwise contraindicated), unless indicated otherwise. For example, if step (ii) involves the handling of an element that is created in step (i), then step (ii) may be viewed as happening at some point after step (i). In a similarAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO manner, if step (i) involves the handling of an element that is created in step (ii), the reverse is to be understood.

[0110] Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “under,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “over,” “higher,” “side” (e.g., as in “sidewall”), and the like, may be used herein for descriptive purposes, and, thereby, to describe one element’s spatial relationship to at least one other element as illustrated in the drawings. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of an apparatus in use, operation, and / or manufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the apparatus in the drawings is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” or “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. Furthermore, the apparatus may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and, as such, the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0111] The term “between,” as used herein and when used with a range of values, is to be understood, unless otherwise indicated, as being inclusive of the start and end values of that range. For example, between 1 and 5 is to be understood as inclusive of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, not just the numbers 2, 3, and 4.

[0112] As used herein, the phrase “operatively connected” is to be understood as referring to a state in which two components and / or systems are connected, either directly or indirectly, such that, for example, at least one component or system can control the other. For instance, a controller may be described as being operatively connected with (or to) a resistive heating unit, which is inclusive of the controller being connected with a sub-controller of the resistive heating unit that is electrically connected with a relay that is configured to controllably connect or disconnect the resistive heating unit with a power source that is capable of providing an amount of power that is able to power the resistive heating unit so as to generate a desired degree of heating. The controller itself likely will not supply such power directly to the resistive heating unit due to the current(s) involved, but it is to be understood that the controller is nonetheless operatively connected with the resistive heating unit.

[0113] As used herein, the singular forms, “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is also to be understood that the phrases “for each <item> of the one or more <items>,” “each <item> of the one or more <items>,” and / or the like, if used herein, are inclusive of both a single-item group and multipleitem groups, i.e., the phrase “for . . . each” is used in the sense that it is used in programming languages to refer to each item of whatever population of items is referenced. For example, ifAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO the population of items referenced is a single item, then “each” would refer to only that single item (despite dictionary definitions of “each” frequently defining the term to refer to “every one of two or more things”) and would not imply that there must be at least two of those items. Similarly, the term “set” or “subset” should not be viewed, in itself, as necessarily encompassing a plurality of items — it is to be understood that a set or a subset can encompass only one member or multiple members (unless the context indicates otherwise). Tn addition, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0114] Various implementations are described herein with reference to sectional views, isometric views, perspective views, plan views, and / or exploded illustrations that are schematic depictions of idealized implementations and / or intermediate structures. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result of, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, implementations disclosed herein should not be construed as limited to the particular illustrated shapes of regions, but are to include deviations in shapes that result from, for instance, manufacturing. To this end, regions illustrated in the drawings may be schematic in nature and shapes of these regions may not reflect the actual shapes of regions of a device, and, as such, are not intended to be limiting.

[0115] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure is a part. Terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

[0116] As customary in the field, some implementations are described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in terms of functional blocks, units, and / or modules. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these blocks, units, and / or modules are physically implemented by electronic (or optical) circuits, such as logic circuits, discrete components, microprocessors, hard-wired circuits, memory elements, wiring connections, and the like, which may be formed using semiconductor-based fabrication techniques or other manufacturing technologies. In the case of the blocks, units, and / or modules being implemented by microprocessors or other similar hardware, they may be programmed and controlled using software (e.g., microcode) to perform various functions discussed herein and may optionally be driven by firmware and / or software. ItAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO is also contemplated that each block, unit, and / or module may be implemented by dedicated hardware, or as a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry) to perform other functions. Also, each block, unit, and / or module of some implementations may be physically separated into two or more interacting and discrete blocks, units, and / or modules without departing from the inventive concepts. Further, the blocks, units, and / or modules of some implementations may be physically combined into more complex blocks, units, and / or modules without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.

[0117] Although the foregoing implementations have been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes, systems, and apparatuses of the disclosed implementations. Accordingly, implementations are to be considered as illustrative and not as restrictive, and implementations are not to be limited to the details given herein.

[0118] It is to be understood that the above disclosure, while focusing on a particular example implementation or implementations, is not limited to only the discussed example, but may also apply to similar variants and mechanisms as well, and such similar variants and mechanisms are also considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the above disclosure is directed to at least, but not exclusively, the following numbered implementations.

[0119] Implementation 1: A radio frequency (RF) connector rod for connecting an RF source to an RF rod of a substrate support of a semiconductor processing system, the RF connector rod, comprising: a tubular body portion extending along a center axis and having a first central bore extending through the tubular body portion along the center axis and an outer surface with a first outer diameter; a first end portion configured to receive the RF rod and having a plurality of fingers arranged around the center axis and defining a second central bore, wherein each finger: has a proximal end connected to the tubular body portion and a distal end, extends parallel to the center axis, is circumferentially offset from other fingers, is compliant along a second axis perpendicular to the center axis, and the distal end forms a portion of frustoconical surface; andAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO a second end portion opposite the first end portion such that the tubular body portion spans between the first end portion and the second end portion, the second end portion having an electrical connector pin region having a third central bore, a proximal pin end at the tubular body portion, a distal pin end, and a unitary cylindrical outer surface with a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter, wherein: the distal pin end and a portion of the electrical connector pin region are configured to be inserted into an electrical socket, and the unitary cylindrical outer surface is configured to make physical and electrical contact with an electrical connector inside the electrical socket.

[0120] Implementation 2: The RF connector rod of implementation 1, wherein the unitary cylindrical outer surface is unperforated and unthreaded.

[0121] Implementation 3: The RF connector rod of implementations 1 or 2, wherein the RF connector rod is a thermal choke.

[0122] Implementation 4: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-3, wherein: the RF connector rod is configured to cause a temperature gradient along the total length, and when the first end portion is at a temperature of about 450 °C or less, the second end portion is at a temperature of about 150 °C.

[0123] Implementation 5: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-4, wherein the unitary cylindrical outer surface has a tubular shape with a second central bore adjacent to the first central bore of the tubular body portion.

[0124] Implementation 6: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-5, wherein the distal pin end has an edge with a radius.

[0125] Implementation 7 : The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-6, wherein the plurality of fingers has a third outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter and larger than the second outer diameter.

[0126] Implementation 8: The RF connector rod of any of implementation 1-7, wherein: the tubular body portion comprises a plurality of wrench slots proximate to the second end portion, and each wrench slot has a fourth outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter.

[0127] Implementation 9: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-8, wherein: the total length of the RF connector rod is between 7.5 inches and 6 inches, and the unitary cylindrical outer surface extends along the center axis for a length of between about 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0128] Implementation 10: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-9, wherein theRF connector rod comprises stainless steel or a nickel-chromium-based superalloy.

[0129] Implementation 11: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-10, wherein the RF connector rod does not comprise gold.

[0130] Implementation 12: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-11, wherein the RF connector rod has a unitary structure.

[0131] Implementation 13: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-12, wherein the tubular body portion and the electrical connector pin region are separate structures connected together.

[0132] Implementation 14: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-13, wherein the RF rod is configured to be inserted into the second central bore.

[0133] Implementation 15: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 1-14, wherein a total overall length of the RF connector rod is defined by the distal end of the fingers and the distal pin end.

[0134] Implementation 16: A semiconductor processing system, comprising: an electrical connector socket configured to connect electrically with an RF generator, and having a body with a recess and one or more electrical connectors extending into the recess; and a radio frequency (RF) connector rod configured to electrically connect with an RF rod and RF connector, the RF connector rod, having: a tubular body portion extending along a center axis and having a first central bore extending through the tubular body portion along the center axis and an outer surface with a first outer diameter; a first end portion configured to receive the RF rod and having a plurality of fingers arranged around the center axis and defining a second central bore, wherein each finger has a proximal end connected to the body and a distal end, and the distal end has a portion of a frustoconical surface, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion such that the tubular body portion spans between the first end portion and the second end portion, the second end portion having an electrical connector pin region having a third central bore, a proximal pin end, a distal pin end, and a unitary cylindrical outer surface with a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter, wherein: the distal pin end and a portion of the electrical connector pin region are positioned inside the recess of the electrical connector socket, andAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO the one or more electrical connectors are in physical and electrical contact with the unitary cylindrical outer surface.

[0135] Implementation 17: The system of implementation 16, wherein the distal pin end is offset from a bottom surface of the recess by a non-zero distance.

[0136] Implementation 18: The system of implementation 16 or 17, wherein the recess extends around the circumference of the distal pin end and the portion of the electrical connector pin region.

[0137] Implementation 19: The system of any of implementations 16-18, wherein the one or more electrical connectors are springs.

[0138] Implementation 20: The system of any of implementations 16-19, further comprising: a substrate support with one or more electrodes; the RF rod electrically connected to the one or more electrodes; and the RF connector, wherein: the RF rod is inserted into the first central bore of the RF connector rod, the RF connector extends around a first portion of the RF connector rod and a second portion of the RF rod, the RF connector is configured to cause the RF connector rod to be physically and electrically connected to the RF rod, and an RF pathway spans between the one or more electrodes and the one or more electrical connectors, such that RF signals are configured to travel through the one or more electrical connectors of the electrical connector socket to the unitary cylindrical outer surface of the electrical connector pin region, through the tubular body portion, through the first end portion of the RF connector rod to the RF rod, and through the RF rod to the one or more electrodes.

[0139] Implementation 21: The system of any of implementations 16-20, further comprising an RF source coupled with the electrical connector socket.

[0140] Implementation 22: The system of any of implementations 16-21, wherein the third central bore remains free of any components when inserted into the recess.

[0141] Implementation 23: The system of any of implementations 16-22, wherein: each finger further: extends parallel to the center axis, is circumferentially offset from other fingers, and is compliant along a second axis perpendicular to the center axis,Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO the first end portion of the RF connector rod is threaded, the RF connector is threaded and has an internal frustoconical surface, the RF connector is threaded to the first end portion of the RF connector rod, and the internal frustoconical surface of the RF connector is physically and electrically connected with the frustoconical surfaces of the fingers.

[0142] Implementation 24: A radio frequency (RF) connector rod for a semiconductor processing system, the RF connector rod, comprising: a tubular body comprising a central longitudinal axis, a first end portion, a second end portion, and a bore extending longitudinally through the first end portion and the second end portion; the first end portion comprising a plurality of fingers arranged circumferentially and extending longitudinally parallel to the central longitudinal axis to receive an RF rod, each finger having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal ends of the plurality of fingers collectively form a frustoconical-like shape; and the second end portion comprising a connector pin region configured to be inserted into an electrical socket and contact an electrical connector within the electrical socket, the connector pin region having a continuous outer surface defining a first outer diameter; wherein the tubular body has an outer surface defining a second outer diameter that is greater than the first outer diameter of the connector pin region.

[0143] Implementation 25: The RF connector rod of implementation 24, wherein the second end portion is unperforated and unthreaded.

[0144] Implementation 26: The RF connector rod of implementation 24 or 25, wherein the connector pin region has a distal pin end with an edge having a radius.

[0145] Implementation 27: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 24-26, wherein the plurality of fingers has a third outer diameter smaller than the second outer diameter.

[0146] Implementation 28: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 24-27, wherein: the tubular body comprises a plurality of wrench slots proximate to the second end portion, and each wrench slot has a fourth outer diameter smaller than the second outer diameter.

[0147] Implementation 29: The RF connector rod of any one of implementations 24-28, wherein: the total length of the RF connector rod is between 7.5 inches and 6 inches, and the second end portion extends along the center axis for a length of between about 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO

[0148] Implementation 30: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 24-29, wherein the RF connector rod comprises stainless steel or a nickel-chromium-based superalloy.

[0149] Implementation 31 : The RF connector rod of any of implementations 24-30, wherein the RF connector rod does not comprise gold.

[0150] Implementation 32: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 24-31, wherein the RF connector rod has a unitary structure.

[0151] Implementation 33: The RF connector rod of any of implementations 24-32, wherein a total overall length of the RF connector rod is defined by the distal end of the fingers and the connector pin region.

Claims

Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WOCLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A radio frequency (RF) connector rod for connecting an RF source to an RF rod of a substrate support of a semiconductor processing system, the RF connector rod, comprising: a tubular body portion extending along a center axis and having a first central bore extending through the tubular body portion along the center axis and an outer surface with a first outer diameter; a first end portion configured to receive the RF rod and having a plurality of fingers arranged around the center axis and defining a second central bore, wherein each finger: has a proximal end connected to the tubular body portion and a distal end, extends parallel to the center axis, is circumferentially offset from other fingers, is compliant along a second axis perpendicular to the center axis, and the distal end forms a portion of frustoconical surface; and a second end portion opposite the first end portion such that the tubular body portion spans between the first end portion and the second end portion, the second end portion having an electrical connector pin region having a third central bore, a proximal pin end at the tubular body portion, a distal pin end, and a unitary cylindrical outer surface with a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter, wherein: the distal pin end and a portion of the electrical connector pin region are configured to be inserted into an electrical socket, and the unitary cylindrical outer surface is configured to make physical and electrical contact with an electrical connector inside the electrical socket.

2. The RF connector rod of claim 1, wherein the unitary cylindrical outer surface is unperforated and unthreaded.

3. The RF connector rod of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the RF connector rod is a thermal choke.

4. The RF connector rod of claim 3, wherein: the RF connector rod is configured to cause a temperature gradient along the total length, and when the first end portion is at a temperature of about 450 °C or less, the second end portion is at a temperature of about 150 °C.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO5. The RF connector rod of any of claims 1-4, wherein the unitary cylindrical outer surface has a tubular shape with a second central bore adjacent to the first central bore of the tubular body portion.

6. The RF connector rod of claim 1 , wherein the distal pin end has an edge with a radius.

7. The RF connector rod of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers has a third outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter and larger than the second outer diameter.

8. The RF connector rod of claim 1, wherein: the tubular body portion comprises a plurality of wrench slots proximate to the second end portion, and each wrench slot has a fourth outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter.

9. The RF connector rod of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: the total length of the RF connector rod is between 7.5 inches and 6 inches, and the unitary cylindrical outer surface extends along the center axis for a length of between about 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches.

10. The RF connector rod of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the RF connector rod comprises stainless steel or a nickel-chromium-based superalloy.

11. The RF connector rod of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the RF connector rod does not comprise gold.

12. The RF connector rod of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the RF connector rod has a unitary structure.

13. The RF connector rod of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tubular body portion and the electrical connector pin region are separate structures connected together.

14. The RF connector rod of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the RF rod is configured to be inserted into the second central bore.

15. The RF connector rod of claim 1 , wherein a total overall length of the RF connector rod is defined by the distal end of the fingers and the distal pin end.

16. A semiconductor processing system, comprising: an electrical connector socket configured to connect electrically with an RF generator, and having a body with a recess and one or more electrical connectors extending into the recess; and a radio frequency (RF) connector rod configured to electrically connect with an RF rod and RF connector, the RF connector rod, having:Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO a tubular body portion extending along a center axis and having a first central bore extending through the tubular body portion along the center axis and an outer surface with a first outer diameter; a first end portion configured to receive the RF rod and having a plurality of fingers arranged around the center axis and defining a second central bore, wherein each finger has a proximal end connected to the body and a distal end, and the distal end has a portion of a frustoconical surface, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion such that the tubular body portion spans between the first end portion and the second end portion, the second end portion having an electrical connector pin region having a third central bore, a proximal pin end, a distal pin end, and a unitary cylindrical outer surface with a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter, wherein: the distal pin end and a portion of the electrical connector pin region are positioned inside the recess of the electrical connector socket, and the one or more electrical connectors are in physical and electrical contact with the unitary cylindrical outer surface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the distal pin end is offset from a bottom surface of the recess by a non-zero distance.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the recess extends around the circumference of the distal pin end and the portion of the electrical connector pin region.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more electrical connectors are springs.

20. The system of any of claims 16 to 19, further comprising: a substrate support with one or more electrodes; the RF rod electrically connected to the one or more electrodes; and the RF connector, wherein: the RF rod is inserted into the first central bore of the RF connector rod, the RF connector extends around a first portion of the RF connector rod and a second portion of the RF rod, the RF connector is configured to cause the RF connector rod to be physically and electrically connected to the RF rod, and an RF pathway spans between the one or more electrodes and the one or more electrical connectors, such that RF signals are configured to travel through the one or more electrical connectors of the electrical connector socket to the unitary cylindrical outer surface of the electrical connector pin region, through the tubular body portion,Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO through the first end portion of the RF connector rod to the RF rod, and through the RF rod to the one or more electrodes.

21. The system of any of claims 16 to 19, further comprising an RF source coupled with the electrical connector socket.

22. The system of any of claims 16 to 19, wherein the third central bore remains free of any components when inserted into the recess.

23. The system of any of claims 16 to 19, wherein: each finger further: extends parallel to the center axis, is circumferentially offset from other fingers, and is compliant along a second axis perpendicular to the center axis, the first end portion of the RF connector rod is threaded, the RF connector is threaded and has an internal frustoconical surface, the RF connector is threaded to the first end portion of the RF connector rod, and the internal frustoconical surface of the RF connector is physically and electrically connected with the frustoconical surfaces of the fingers.

24. A radio frequency (RF) connector rod for a semiconductor processing system, the RF connector rod, comprising: a tubular body comprising a central longitudinal axis, a first end portion, a second end portion, and a bore extending longitudinally through the first end portion and the second end portion; the first end portion comprising a plurality of fingers arranged circumferentially and extending longitudinally parallel to the central longitudinal axis to receive an RF rod, each finger having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal ends of the plurality of fingers collectively form a frustoconical-like shape; and the second end portion comprising a connector pin region configured to be inserted into an electrical socket and contact an electrical connector within the electrical socket, the connector pin region having a continuous outer surface defining a first outer diameter; wherein the tubular body has an outer surface defining a second outer diameter that is greater than the first outer diameter of the connector pin region.

25. The RF connector rod of claim 24, wherein the second end portion is unperforated and unthreaded.

26. The RF connector rod of claim 24, wherein the connector pin region has a distal pin end with an edge having a radius.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P055WO-11958-1WO27. The RF connector rod of claim 24, wherein the plurality of fingers has a third outer diameter smaller than the second outer diameter.

28. The RF connector rod of claim 24, wherein: the tubular body comprises a plurality of wrench slots proximate to the second end portion, and each wrench slot has a fourth outer diameter smaller than the second outer diameter.

29. The RF connector rod of any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein: the total length of the RF connector rod is between 7.5 inches and 6 inches, and the second end portion extends along the center axis for a length of between about 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches.

30. The RF connector rod of any of claims 24 to 28, wherein the RF connector rod comprises stainless steel or a nickel-chromium-based superalloy.

31. The RF connector rod of any of claims 24 to 28, wherein the RF connector rod does not comprise gold.

32. The RF connector rod of any of claims 24 to 28, wherein the RF connector rod has a unitary structure.

33. The RF connector rod of claim 24, wherein a total overall length of the RF connector rod is defined by the distal end of the fingers and the connector pin region.

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