US 11,781,650 B2
Edge seal for lower electrode assembly
David Schaefer, Fremont, CA (US); Ambarish Chhatre, San Jose, CA (US); Keith William Gaff, Fremont, CA (US); Sung Je Kim, Pleasanton, CA (US); and Brooke Mesler Lai, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed by Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/843,849.
Application 15/843,849 is a division of application No. 13/528,194, filed on Jun. 20, 2012, granted, now 9,869,392.
Application 13/528,194 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/277,873, filed on Oct. 20, 2011, granted, now 9,859,142.
Prior Publication US 2018/0106371 A1, Apr. 19, 2018
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16J 15/02 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H02N 13/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/683 (2006.01)
CPC F16J 15/021 (2013.01) [H01J 37/3255 (2013.01); H01J 37/32495 (2013.01); H01J 37/32532 (2013.01); H01J 37/32568 (2013.01); H01J 37/32715 (2013.01); H01J 37/32724 (2013.01); H01L 21/6831 (2013.01); H01L 21/6833 (2013.01); H01L 21/6838 (2013.01); H02N 13/00 (2013.01); Y10T 29/49908 (2015.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An edge seal for sealing an outer surface of a lower electrode assembly, the lower electrode assembly including an annular groove defined between a lower member and an upper member of the lower electrode assembly, the edge seal comprising:
an elastomeric band configured to be arranged within the annular groove, and compressed, the elastomeric band comprising
a flat annular upper surface arranged between an inner top corner and an outer top corner,
a flat annular lower surface arranged between an inner lower corner and an outer lower corner,
an inner surface extending from the inner top corner to the inner lower corner, the inner surface has a uniform diameter, the entire inner surface being perpendicular to both the flat annular upper surface and the flat annular lower surface, and
an outer surface extending from the outer top corner to the outer lower corner, the outer surface comprises a concave surface,
wherein the concaved surface defines a smallest outer diameter of the elastomeric band at about a midpoint between the outer top corner and the outer lower corner,
wherein, the concaved surface is configured to bulge outwardly in a direction that is radially outward relative to the groove;
when the flat annular upper surface and the flat annular lower surfaces are axially compressed at least 1% such that the elastomeric band is in a compressed state, an outward bulging of the outer surface is not greater than a predetermined distance, and
the predetermined distance corresponds to a maximum outer diameter of the elastomeric band in the uncompressed state.