Apparatus and process for the abatement of semiconductor manufacturing effluents containing fluorine gas

Abstract

Apparatus and process for the abatement of fluorine and fluorine-containing compounds from gases containing same, such as effluent gas streams from semiconductor manufacturing operations, wherein a fluorocompound abatement medium is injected into the fluorocompound-containing gas. The fluorocompound abatement medium comprises at least one of steam, methane and hydrogen, with the proviso that when the fluorocompound abatement medium contains methane and / or hydrogen, the injection of the fluorocompound abatement medium is conducted under non-combustion conditions.

Description

[0001] This application is a division of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 551,279, filed Apr. 18, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to an apparatus and process for abatement of fluorine in gases containing same, as for example in effluent gas streams produced in semiconductor manufacturing operations. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART [0003] The trend of recent years in the semiconductor industry has been to optimize reactors that use perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), as an approach to minimizing the presence of PFCs in the effluents of such reactor systems. [0004] Despite the pervasiveness of this approach, there is also emerging a renewed effort to resolve the problem of PFC emissions by treatment of effluent gas streams from such reactor systems, to remove high concentrations of fluorine gas and other fluorinated organic gases from the effluent gas streams that are disc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is about a device and process for removing gaseous fluorocompounds from gases that contain them. The invention involves injecting a medium, such as steam, methane, or hydrogen, into the gas to react with the fluorocompounds and remove them from the gas. The injection can be done under non-combustion conditions. The invention also includes a steam injection fluorocompound abatement apparatus that includes a heat source and a steam source to react with the fluorocompounds in the gas. The technical effect of the invention is to provide a simple and effective way to remove gaseous fluorocompounds from gases."

Problems solved by technology

Existing non-optimized conditions result in PFC utilization that vary depending on the specific gas and process used.

High PFC conversions result inevitably in the formation of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).

The toxic and corrosive nature of fluorinated HAPs pose considerable health and environmental hazards in addition to jeopardizing the integrity of exhaust systems.

Users do not desire adding such gases since they thereby increase hazard risk and cost of ownership of the abatement system.

The removal efficiencies in these scrubbers are often compromised due to the fact that the scrubbing efficiency of most acid gases decreases as a function of increasing temperature.

In addition, containment of hot concentrated acids requires expensive materials of construction to prevent temperature-enhanced corrosive attack on lines, vessels and fittings.

Objections to using water scrubbers include concerns over the formation of unwanted OF2, and the large water consumption necessary to achieve acceptable removal efficiencies at high fluorine challenges.

It therefore is apparent that all of the conventionally employed approaches to abating fluorine in effluent gas streams have associated deficiencies, which limit their commercial viability and amenability to economic and practical use.

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