Systems and methods for treating flammable effluent gases from manufacturing processes

• US 9,387,428 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, Daniel O., Moalem, Mehran, Vermeulen, Robbert M., Chandler, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woodard, Joye L
• Application Number:
  US12/365,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,715 Days
• Field of Search: 422/115, 422/117, 422/119, 422/168, 422/169, 422/170, 422/171, 422/173, 422/2, 481/92, 423/210, 423/240.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 a first configuration and a second configuration of conduits for mixing a second gas with the flammable effluent gas, the second configuration comprising a distribution unit configured to receive the second gas from at least an external source and configured to input the second gas at one or more input points including directly to an abatement unit which is adapted to abate the flammable effluent gas, the first configuration excluding the distribution unit and including a stored gas supply comprising the second gas, the first configuration configured to input the second gas from the stored gas supply into a bypass conduit bypassing the abatement unit;

providing the flammable effluent gas from the manufacturing process to the abatement unit;

monitoring a parameter of the abatement unit;

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

mixing, substantially coincident with actuating the bypass valve, the diverted flammable effluent gas with the second gas in the bypass conduit downstream of the bypass valve in the first configuration to form a gas mixture having a lower flammability than the flammable effluent gas, wherein a concentration of flammable effluent gas in the gas mixture is below a lower flammability limit of 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 step of monitoring comprises sensing a presence of a flame in the abatement unit.

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

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

providing a first configuration and a second configuration of conduits for mixing a nitrogen gas with the flammable effluent gas, the second configuration comprising a distribution unit configured to receive the nitrogen gas from at least an external source and configured to input the nitrogen gas at one or more input points including directly to an abatement unit, the first configuration excluding the distribution unit and including a stored gas supply comprising the nitrogen gas, the first configuration configured to input the nitrogen gas from the stored gas supply into a bypass conduit bypassing the abatement unit;

flowing the flammable effluent gas from a process chamber of the electronic device manufacturing process to the 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 by actuating a bypass valve to bypass the abatement unit if the parameter of the abatement unit falls outside a predefined bound; and

mixing, substantially coincident with actuating the bypass valve, the diverted flammable effluent gas with the nitrogen gas in the bypass conduit downstream of the bypass valve in the first configuration to form a gas mixture having a lower flammability than the flammable effluent gas, wherein a concentration of flammable effluent gas in the gas mixture is below a lower flammability limit of the flammable effluent gas.

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

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

a bypass conduit adapted to carry one or more gases and to bypass the 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 at least one exhaust conduit and to the bypass 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 to the bypass conduit in the bypass mode, and a flow of the flammable effluent gas is directed to the abatement unit via a flow through the at least one exhaust conduit in the flow through mode;

a stored gas supply connected to mix a second gas with the flammable effluent gas in the bypass conduit downstream of the bypass valve substantially coincident with the bypass valve switching to the bypass mode to form a gas mixture when the bypass valve is operating in the bypass mode such that a concentration of flammable effluent gas in the gas mixture is below a lower flammability limit of the flammable effluent gas;

a distribution unit coupled to an external source of the second gas, to the stored gas supply, and to the at least one exhaust conduit and configured to input the second gas at one or more input points along the at least one exhaust conduit upstream of the bypass valve and directly to the abatement unit; and

a second gas conduit coupled to the bypass conduit and to the stored gas supply, wherein a flow of the second gas from the stored gas supply is directed through the second gas conduit bypassing the distribution unit in the bypass mode to mix with the flammable effluent gas in the bypass conduit.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the monitoring system comprises a flame sensor.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the monitoring system comprises a flammable gas sensor.