Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Chemical reactor – Including heat exchanger for reaction chamber or reactants...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-01
2004-11-30
Stoner, Kiley (Department: 1725)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Chemical reactor
Including heat exchanger for reaction chamber or reactants...
C422S211000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06824748
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention is related to treating an effluent gas from a process chamber.
Fluorocarbon, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrocarbon, and other fluorine containing gases are used in, or formed as a byproduct during, the manufacture of integrated circuits in process chambers. Many of these gases are toxic to humans and hazardous to the environment. In addition, they may also absorb infrared radiation and have high global warming potentials. Especially notorious are persistent fluorinated compounds or perfluorocompounds (PFCs) which are long-lived, chemically stable compounds that have lifetimes often exceeding thousands of years. Some examples of PFCs are carbon tetrafluoride (CF
4
), hexafluoroethane (C
2
F
6
), perfluorocyclobutane (C
4
F
8
), difluoromethane (CH
2
F
2
), perfluorocyclobutene (C
4
F
5
), perafluoropropane (C
3
F
8
), trifluoromethane (CHF
3
), sulfur hexafluoride (SF
6
), nitrogen trifluoride (NF
3
), carbonyl fluoride (COF
2
) and the like. For example, CF
4
has a lifetime in the environment of about 50,000 years and can contribute to global warming for up to 6.5 million years. Thus it is desirable to have an apparatus or method can reduce the hazardous gas content of an effluent gas, and especially the PFCs, that may be released from the process chambers.
Perfluorocompounds are utilized in numerous semiconductor fabrication processes. For example, perfluorocompounds are used in the etching of layers on substrates, such as oxide, metal and dielectric layers. Perfluorocompounds can also be used during chemical vapor deposition processes. Additionally, process chambers can be cleaned of etch or deposition residue using perfluorocompounds. These hazardous compounds are either introduced into a process chamber or are formed as byproducts within the process chamber and may be exhausted from the chamber in an effluent gas stream.
It is desirable to minimize the introduction of such harmful gases and byproducts into the environment. It is also desirable to minimize the harmful content of the effluent gas released into the atmosphere in an efficient manner. There is a further need to reduce PFC and other harmful gases to low levels especially for industries which widely use PFCs, even though such use is a relatively small component of the overall consumption or release of PFCs in the world.
SUMMARY
An effluent gas treatment apparatus comprising a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet and an effluent gas outlet, and a heater adapted to heat an effluent gas in the catalytic reactor, whereby effluent gas introduced through the effluent gas inlet is treated while flowing through the catalytic reactor to the effluent gas outlet.
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a process chamber comprising a substrate support, a gas supply to introduce a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas to process the substrate and thereby generate an effluent gas, and an exhaust system to exhaust the effluent gas from the chamber; a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet to receive the effluent gas and an effluent gas outlet; and a heater adapted to heat effluent gas in the catalytic reactor, whereby the effluent gas introduced through the effluent gas inlet is treated while flowing through the catalytic reactor to the effluent gas outlet.
An effluent gas treatment method comprises (a) flowing an effluent gas over a catalyst, and (b) during (a), heating the effluent gas.
A substrate processing apparatus comprises a process chamber comprising a substrate support, a gas supply to introduce a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas in the processing of a substrate and thereby generate an effluent gas, a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet to receive the effluent gas and an effluent gas outlet, and a heater adapted to heat the effluent gas in the catalytic reactor.
A method of processing a substrate comprising (a) placing a substrate in a process zone, (b) providing an energized gas in a process zone to process the substrate and thereby forming an effluent gas, (c) flowing the effluent gas over a catalyst; and (d) during (c), heating the effluent gas.
An effluent gas treatment apparatus comprising a scrubber capable of treating an effluent gas, the scrubber comprising a surface having a pH of at least about 8, a heater adapted to heat the effluent gas, and a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet and an effluent gas outlet, whereby effluent gas introduced through the effluent gas inlet is treated while flowing through the catalytic reactor to the effluent gas outlet.
A substrate processing method comprising (a) placing a substrate in a process zone; (b) providing an energized gas in a process zone to process the substrate and thereby forming an effluent gas; (c) passing the effluent gas over a surface having a pH of at least about 8; (d) flowing the effluent over a catalyst; and (e) during (d), heating the effluent gas.
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a process chamber comprising a substrate support, a gas supply to introduce a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas to process the substrate and thereby generate an effluent gas, and an exhaust system to exhaust the effluent gas from the chamber; a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet to receive the effluent gas and an effluent gas outlet; a heater adapted to heat the effluent gas in the catalytic reactor; and a controller adapted to control the heater to heat the effluent gas in the catalytic reactor to a pre-selected temperature, whereby effluent gas introduced through the effluent gas inlet is heated while flowing through the catalytic reactor to the effluent gas outlet.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2819151 (1958-01-01), Flemmert
patent: 3203759 (1965-08-01), Flemmert
patent: 3969482 (1976-07-01), Teller
patent: 3969485 (1976-07-01), Flemmert
patent: 3983021 (1976-09-01), Henis
patent: 4099923 (1978-07-01), Milberger
patent: 4206189 (1980-06-01), Kosintsev et al.
patent: 4207290 (1980-06-01), Lee
patent: 4355003 (1982-10-01), Grobel
patent: 4479443 (1984-10-01), Faldt et al.
patent: 4661323 (1987-04-01), Olesen
patent: 4662352 (1987-05-01), Aviles, Jr.
patent: 4753915 (1988-06-01), Vogt et al.
patent: 4788036 (1988-11-01), Eiselstein et al.
patent: 4954320 (1990-09-01), Birmingham et al.
patent: 4966611 (1990-10-01), Schumacher et al.
patent: 5137701 (1992-08-01), Mundt
patent: 5151116 (1992-09-01), Scholz et al.
patent: 5176897 (1993-01-01), Lester
patent: 5417934 (1995-05-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5439568 (1995-08-01), Uchiyama
patent: 5510066 (1996-04-01), Fink et al.
patent: 5584959 (1996-12-01), Kimura et al.
patent: 5589148 (1996-12-01), Otsuka et al.
patent: 5597540 (1997-01-01), Akita et al.
patent: 5643545 (1997-07-01), Chen et al.
patent: 5649985 (1997-07-01), Imamura
patent: 5720444 (1998-02-01), Wheeler et al.
patent: 5720931 (1998-02-01), Rossin et al.
patent: 5762893 (1998-06-01), Scholz et al.
patent: 5779863 (1998-07-01), Ha et al.
patent: 5817284 (1998-10-01), Nakano et al.
patent: 5843288 (1998-12-01), Yamamoto
patent: 5858065 (1999-01-01), Li et al.
patent: 5865879 (1999-02-01), Lee
patent: 5914091 (1999-06-01), Holst et al.
patent: 5955037 (1999-09-01), Holst et al.
patent: 5965786 (1999-10-01), Rostaing et al.
patent: 5977427 (1999-11-01), Tamata et al.
patent: 6030591 (2000-02-01), Tom et al.
patent: 6069291 (2000-05-01), Rossin et al.
patent: 6153150 (2000-11-01), Moore et al.
patent: 6187072 (2001-02-01), Cheung et al.
patent: 6190507 (2001-02-01), Whealton et al.
patent: 6426443 (2002-07-01), Rossin et al.
patent: 6509511 (2003-01-01), Rossin
patent: 215706 (1984-11-01), None
patent: 19526737 (1997-01-01), None
patent: 0885648 (1998-12-01), None
patent: 09166388 (1999-05-01), None
patent: 51129868 (1976-11-01), None
patent: 5845718 (1983-03-01), None
patent: 39768 (1991-02-01), None
patent: 10192653 (1998-07-01), None
patent: 11070322 (1999-03-01), None
patent: 11319485 (1999-11-01), None
PCT Search Report dated Dec. 4, 2000, no PCT # avail.
U.S. patent application entitled, “Treatment of Proce
Bhatnagar Ashish
Borgaonkar Harshad
Chafin Michael G.
Kaushal Tony S.
Shamouilian Shamouil
Applied Materials Inc.
Janah & Associates
Johnson Jonathan
Stoner Kiley
LandOfFree
Heated catalytic treatment of an effluent gas from a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Heated catalytic treatment of an effluent gas from a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Heated catalytic treatment of an effluent gas from a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3288709