SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TREATING FLAMMABLE EFFLUENT GASES FROM MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

• US 20090216061A1
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, Daniel O., Chandler, Phil, Vermeulen, Robbert M., Moalem, Mehran
• Granted Patent: US 9,387,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 588/313
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/108 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/0216 from CVD treatment or semi-conductor manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/005 by heat treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/40 Acidic components B01D53/44 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for treating flammable effluent gas is provided. The system includes an exhaust conduit to carry the flammable effluent gas to an abatement unit, a control system coupled to the abatement unit to determine an operating parameter of the abatement unit, a bypass valve coupled to the exhaust conduit which is an operative responsive to the monitoring system, and a source of second gas to be mixed with the effluent gas diverted from the abatement unit when the bypass valve is operating in a bypass mode to provide a mixed gas having a flammability lower than the effluent gas. Methods of the invention as well as numerous other aspects are provided.

Claims

1. A method of treating a flammable effluent gas from an electronic device manufacturing process, comprising the steps of:

providing the flammable effluent gas from the manufacturing process to an abatement unit which is adapted to abate the flammable effluent gas;

monitoring a parameter of the abatement unit;

diverting the flammable effluent gas to bypass the abatement unit if the parameter of the abatement unit falls outside a predefined bound; and

mixing the diverted flammable effluent gas with a second gas to form a gas mixture having a lower flammability than the flammable effluent gas.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of exhausting the gas mixture to the atmosphere.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second gas comprises an inert gas.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the inert gas comprises nitrogen.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the flammable effluent gas comprises hydrogen.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the flammable effluent gas comprises between about 0.1% and about 20% hydrogen.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the flammable effluent gas comprises silane.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the flammable effluent gas comprises between about 0.1% and about 20% silane.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the flammable effluent gas comprises hydrogen and silane.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the flammable effluent gas comprises between about 0.1% and about 20% hydrogen and between about 0.1% and about 20% silane.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of flammable effluent gas in the gas mixture is below the lower flammability limit of the flammable effluent gas.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring comprises sensing a presence of a flame in the abatement unit.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring comprises sensing a presence of a flammable gas within the abatement unit.

14. A method for treating a flammable effluent gas, comprising the steps of:

providing the flammable effluent gas from an electronic device manufacturing process tool to an abatement unit which is adapted to abate the flammable effluent gas;

diverting the flammable effluent gas from the abatement unit at certain times; and

mixing the diverted flammable effluent gas with a second gas to form a gas mixture having a flammability lower than the flammable effluent gas.

15. A method of treating a flammable effluent gas from an electronic device manufacturing process, comprising the steps of:

flowing the flammable effluent gas from a process chamber of the electronic device manufacturing process to an abatement unit wherein the flammable effluent gas is comprised of silane and hydrogen;

monitoring a parameter of the abatement unit;

diverting the flammable effluent gas to bypass the abatement unit if the parameter of the abatement unit falls outside a predefined bound; and

mixing the diverted flammable effluent gas with a nitrogen gas to form a gas mixture having a lower flammability than the flammable effluent gas.

16. A system for treating a flammable effluent gas of an electronic device manufacturing process chamber, comprising:

an exhaust conduit adapted to carry the flammable effluent gas to an abatement unit;

a monitoring system coupled to the abatement unit and adapted to sense a parameter of the abatement unit;

a bypass valve coupled to the exhaust conduit and operatively responsive to the monitoring system, wherein the bypass valve has a bypass mode and a flow through mode, and wherein a flow of the flammable effluent gas is diverted from the abatement unit in the bypass mode, and a flow of the flammable effluent gas is directed to the abatement unit in the flow through mode; and

a second gas source adapted to mix the second gas with the flammable effluent gas when the bypass valve is operating in the bypass mode.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the second gas comprises an inert gas.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the second gas comprises nitrogen.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the monitoring system comprises a flame sensor.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the monitoring system comprises a flammable gas sensor.

21. A method of treating a flammable effluent gas, comprising the steps of:

flowing the flammable effluent gas from an electronic device manufacturing process tool through a pump and exhaust conduit to an abatement unit and, during the step of flowing, purging the pump with a volumetric flow rate of purge gas of a first magnitude;

shutting down the flow of the flammable effluent gas from the manufacturing process tool; and

reducing the volumetric flow rate of the purge gas to a second, nonzero flow rate for a period of time to at least partially purge the pump and the exhaust conduit between the pump and the abatement unit.

22. A method of treating a flammable effluent gas, comprising the steps of:

flowing the flammable effluent gas from an electronic device manufacturing process tool to an abatement unit through exhaust components;

shutting down the flow of the flammable effluent gas from the manufacturing process tool; and

delaying a shutdown of the abatement unit for a period of time to purge the flammable effluent gas from at least some of the exhaust components located between the manufacturing process tool and the abatement unit.