Plasma processing system with gas recycling system

Abstract

A gas recycling system attachable to a semiconductor processing chamber is provided, wherein a membrane filtering system is in fluid communication with the semiconductor processing chamber, the membrane filtering system comprising at least one gas separation membrane that filters pressurized exhaust gas from the semiconductor processing chamber to separate at least one gas from the pressurized exhaust gas.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Application No. 63 / 400,516, filed August 24, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to semiconductor device manufacturing, and more particularly to wafer processing systems used in manufacturing semiconductor devices. [Background technology]

[0003] During semiconductor wafer processing, a variety of gases are used, such as process gases, heat exchange gases, gas carriers, vacuum leak detection gases, and gas line purge gases, some of which are limited resources and / or expensive.

[0004] The background art description provided herein is intended to generally present the context for the present disclosure. The information described in this background art section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise be considered prior art at the time of filing, are not admitted expressly or impliedly as prior art to the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To achieve the above and in accordance with the objects of the present disclosure, a gas recycling system attachable to a semiconductor processing chamber is provided, wherein a membrane filtering system is in fluid communication with the semiconductor processing chamber, the membrane filtering system comprising at least one gas separation membrane, the at least one gas separation membrane filtering pressurized exhaust gas from the semiconductor processing chamber to separate at least one gas from the pressurized exhaust gas.

[0006] In another statement, an apparatus for processing a substrate is provided. A processing chamber for processing the substrate is provided. A gas inlet provides gas to the processing chamber. A gas source provides gas to the gas inlet. An exhaust pump pumps exhaust gas from the processing chamber. A membrane filtering system is adapted to receive the exhaust gas from the exhaust pump, the membrane filtering system comprising at least one gas separation membrane, the at least one gas separation membrane filtering the exhaust gas to separate at least one gas from the exhaust gas.

[0007] In another statement, a method for processing a substrate in a semiconductor processing chamber is provided. A gas is provided to the semiconductor processing chamber from a gas source. Exhaust gas is pumped from within the semiconductor processing chamber through an exhaust pump to a membrane filtering system comprising at least one gas separation membrane. At least one gas is separated from the exhaust gas using the at least one gas separation membrane.

[0008] These and other features of the present disclosure are described in more detail in the following detailed description and in conjunction with the following figures.

[0009] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example semiconductor processing chamber that may be used in some embodiments.

[0011] [Figure 2] 1 is a high-level flowchart that may be used in some embodiments.

[0012] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a gas recycling system that may be used in some embodiments.

[0013] [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an H2 separation system for separating H2 from He, as used in some embodiments.

[0014] [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of another gas recycle system that may be used in some embodiments.

[0015] [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a membrane filtering system that may be used in some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] In the drawings, like reference numerals are sometimes used to designate like structural elements, and it should be appreciated that the depictions in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

[0017] The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to several preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process steps and / or structures have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure.

[0018] Helium (He) is a rare and limited resource on Earth. Obtaining He by mining or distillation using low-temperature processes is expensive. He has many uses and is used extensively in the production of semiconductor devices. He is often used in semiconductor processing systems that use plasma processes. As He becomes more expensive, the cost of semiconductor processing that uses He increases.

[0019] Some embodiments recycle gases used in semiconductor processing chambers. In etching and / or deposition, many gases are not ionized or chemically reacted and remain in their original form. Remaining in the original form applies to the majority of process gases, as well as some noble / inert gases such as xenon, helium, and argon. It would be desirable to recycle or regenerate high-cost noble gases. Semiconductor processing chambers have extensive use of helium, as it can be used for semiconductor processing, chamber heat exchange, as a gas carrier, for vacuum leak detection, gas line purging, etc. The gas is pumped down in the exhaust of the etching or deposition tool, goes to the foreline, and then to abatement. Helium is highly volatile due to its mass and its size being 58% smaller than hydrogen. Therefore, helium escapes to and travels to higher parts of the atmosphere, eventually leaving Earth's gravity, which makes it more rare.

[0020] For ease of understanding, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example semiconductor processing chamber 100 that may be used to perform a process for etching a silicon-containing layer according to one embodiment. The semiconductor processing chamber 100 includes a plasma reactor 102 having a semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 therein. A plasma power source 106, regulated by a matching network 108, supplies power to a transformer-coupled plasma (TCP) coil 110 located near a power window 112 to create a plasma 114 in the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 by providing inductively coupled power. The TCP coil (top power source) 110 may be configured to generate a uniform diffusion profile within the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104. For example, the TCP coil 110 may be configured to generate a circular power distribution in the plasma 114. The power window 112 is provided to separate the TCP coil 110 from the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 while allowing energy to pass from the TCP coil 110 to the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104. A wafer bias voltage power supply 116, regulated by a matching network 118, provides power to the electrode 120 to set a bias voltage on a substrate 164 supported by the electrode 120. A controller 124 sets the points for the plasma power supply 106, the gas source / gas delivery mechanism 130, and the wafer bias voltage power supply 116. The electrode 120 is used to support a substrate 164 in the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104.

[0021] The plasma power supply 106 and wafer bias voltage power supply 116 can be configured to operate at specific radio frequencies, such as, for example, 13.56 megahertz (MHz), 27 MHz, 2 MHz, 60 MHz, 200 kHz, 2.54 GHz, 400 kHz, and 1 MHz, or a combination thereof. The plasma power supply 106 and wafer bias voltage power supply 116 can be appropriately sized to provide various powers to achieve desired process performance. For example, in one embodiment, the plasma power supply 106 can provide a power in the range of 50-5000 watts, and the wafer bias voltage power supply 116 can provide a bias voltage in the range of 20-2000 V. For biases up to 4 kV or 5 kV, powers of up to 25 kW are provided. Furthermore, the TCP coil 110 and / or electrode 120 can be composed of two or more sub-coils or sub-electrodes, which can be powered by a single power supply or by multiple power supplies.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 , the semiconductor processing chamber 100 further includes a gas source / gas supply mechanism 130. The gas source 130 is fluidly connected to the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 through a gas inlet, such as a showerhead 140. The gas inlet may be located at any advantageous location in the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 and may take any form for injecting gas. Preferably, however, the gas inlet may be configured to generate a “tunable” gas injection profile, which allows for independent adjustment of the flow of gas to multiple zones in the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104. Process gases and by-products are removed from the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 via a pressure control valve 142 and an exhaust pump 144, which also serve to maintain a specific pressure within the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104. The gas source / gas supply mechanism 130 is controlled by a controller 124. A Kiyo by Lam Research Corp. of Fremont, CA, may be used to practice one embodiment. In another example, Flex by Lam Research Corp. of Fremont, CA, which uses capacitive coupling, can be used to practice one embodiment.

[0023] In this embodiment, a gas recycling system 132 is provided after the exhaust pump 144 and connected to an exhaust line 146, through which the exhaust gas flows. The gas recycling system 132 is capable of separating one or more gases from the exhaust gas. In some embodiments, the separate gases may be directed back to the gas source 130 for use in processing semiconductors in the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104, or may be directed to a collector 138. The gases directed to the collector 138 may be compressed and sent to another facility for further processing, or may be sold to a gas vendor.

[0024] For ease of understanding, Figure 2 is a high-level flowchart of a process used in some embodiments. Gas is provided from a gas source 130 to the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 (step 204). A semiconductor process is provided to process a substrate 164 (step 208). In some embodiments, the gas is used as at least one of a process gas, a heat exchange gas, a gas carrier, a vacuum leak detection gas, and a gas line purge gas. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) power is used to convert the gas into a plasma. The gas is flowed from the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 through an exhaust pump 144 to a gas recycling system 132 (step 212). The gas recycling system 132 separates the gas to be recycled (step 216). The separated gas is recycled (step 220). The remaining exhaust gas is directed to the exhaust system 134.

[0025] In some embodiments, the recycled gas is He. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a gas recycling system 132 for recycling He used in some embodiments. Exhaust gas is provided to the gas recycling system 132 through an exhaust pipe 146. In some embodiments, the gas recycling system 132 includes a first dust / particle filter 320. In some embodiments, the first dust / particle filter 320 is a stainless steel metal mesh filter for filtering particles larger than about 1 μm. In some embodiments, the first dust / particle filter 320 includes a second dust / particle filter 324. In some embodiments, the second dust / particle filter 324 is a stainless steel metal mesh filter for filtering particles larger than about 0.1 μm. A purge gas source 312 provides purge gas to the second dust / particle filter 324. A He and H gas separation filter 328 is included in the second dust / particle filter 324 to filter He and hydrogen (H) from the remaining exhaust gas. In some embodiments, the He and H gas separation filter 328 is a membrane filter, such as a graphene membrane filter. In some embodiments, the membrane filter is at least one of a single layer membrane and a multilayer membrane, such as a multilayer graphene oxide membrane. The separated He and H gases are provided to the H separation system 316 through a tube 348. A temperature controller 340 is thermally connected to the He and H gas separation filter 328. The He and H gas separation filter 328 provides a membrane filtering system.

[0026] In some embodiments, pressurized exhaust gas is provided under pressure to the gas recycling system 132 through an exhaust line 146. The pressure causes particles smaller than 1 μm to pass through a first dust / particle filter 320. The remaining exhaust gas passes to the exhaust 134. Within the first dust / particle filter 320, particles smaller than 0.1 μm pass through a second dust / particle filter 324. The remaining exhaust gas passes to the exhaust system 134. The He and H2 pass through a He and H2 gas separation filter 328. The remaining exhaust gas passes to the exhaust system 134. The He and H2 gases pass through a line 348 to the H2 separation system 316. In some embodiments, some neon (Ne) also passes through the He and H2 gas separation filter 328. A purge gas source 312 provides a purge gas to the first dust / particle filter 320. In some embodiments, the purge gas is nitrogen (N2). The purge gas removes dust and other particles from the first dust / particle filter 320 and the second dust / particle filter 324 .

[0027] 4 is a schematic diagram of an H separation system 316 for separating H from He, used in some embodiments. He and H gases pass to the H separation system 316 through He and H valves 408 on line 348. An oxygen source 412 is also connected to the H separation system 316. An igniter 420 is also connected to the H separation system 316. Within the H separation system 316 is a He filter system 460 capable of filtering He from H2O. The H2 separation system 316 is connected to an H2O purge through an H2O valve 448. In some embodiments, the He filter system 460 comprises one or more membrane filters, such as one or more graphene membrane filters. The He filter system 460 is connected to a He output 424 through a He valve 452.

[0028] In some embodiments, the mixture of He and H2 is passed through tube 348 and through He and H2 valve 408 to H2 separation system 316. Oxygen is also flowed into H2 separation system 316. Igniter 420 creates a reaction that causes H2 and O2 to form water. In some embodiments, igniter 420 uses field electron emission, which uses a sharp needle and high voltage to create a reaction of O2 with H2. In some embodiments, because separating O2 from He is easier than separating H2 from He, the flow rate of O2 is high enough so that H2 is the limiting reactant to react with all the H2. As a result of the reaction, He, O2, and H2O remain in H2 separation system 316. He filter system 460 separates He from O2 and H2O. The separated He passes through He valve 452 to He output 424. In some embodiments, the He output 424 provides He to the gas source 130 for reuse in the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104. Such embodiments may not require cryogenic distillation to separate the He. In some embodiments, the separated He is collected and sold to a gas supplier, which may further process the He.

[0029] The HO passes through an HO valve to an HO purge, which provides a water recycling system. In some embodiments, the HO may be provided to the gas source 130 for use in the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104. In some embodiments, the HO may be sold or discharged as waste. In some embodiments, the heat from the reaction to create HO may be used in semiconductor processing. In some embodiments, excess O may remain in the H separation system 316 and be reacted with H to form HO.

[0030] Some embodiments use temperature control, such as cooling, of the graphene membrane He and H gas separation filter 328 to increase separation selectivity, which is the ratio of the number of moles of H and the number of moles of He divided by the total number of moles of exhaust gas.

[0031] Because He and H2 are the smallest gas molecules or atoms, a single set of filters to separate the smallest gas molecules or atoms is needed to separate He. Because He atoms are so small and He is a noble gas, He is a limited resource. As a result, the ability to recycle He allows for the conservation of limited resources.

[0032] In some embodiments, it may be desirable to recycle larger gas molecules or atoms. For ease of understanding, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a gas recycle system 132 used in some embodiments to separate larger gas molecules or atoms, such as xenon (Xe). Exhaust gas is provided to the gas recycle system 132 through an exhaust line 146. In some embodiments, the gas recycle system 132 includes a dust / particle filter 520. In some embodiments, the dust / particle filter 520 is one or more dust / particle filters for removing dust / particles larger than 0.1 μm. A purge gas source 512 provides purge gas to the dust / particle filter 520. Within the dust / particle filter 520 is a high-pass gas separation filter 526 that passes gas atoms or molecules approximately equal to or larger than Xe. In some embodiments, the high-pass gas separation filter 526 is a membrane filter, such as a graphene membrane filter. In some embodiments, the high-pass gas separation filter 526 includes a low-pass separation filter 528. In some embodiments, low-pass separation filter 528 passes gas molecules or atoms smaller than Xe. A temperature controller 540 provides a temperature control system thermally connected to high-pass gas separation filter 526 and low-pass separation filter 528. High-pass gas separation filter 526 and low-pass separation filter 528 provide a membrane filtering system.

[0033] In some embodiments, pressurized exhaust gas is provided under pressure to the gas recycling system 132 through the exhaust line 146. The pressure causes particles smaller than 0.1 μm to pass through the dust / particle filter 520. The remaining exhaust gas passes to the exhaust system 134. The Xe-containing gas passes through a high-pass gas separation filter 526, providing a separated gas comprising Xe and smaller gas molecules and atoms. The remaining exhaust gas passes to the exhaust system 134. The separated gas is exposed to a low-pass separation filter 528. Atoms and molecules smaller than Xe pass through the low-pass separation filter 528 and then pass to the exhaust system 134, providing a purified Xe-containing gas that flows through the isolation valve 518 to the collector 138. In some embodiments, the isolation valve 518 is used to keep the Xe-containing gas at a pressure sufficient to cause atoms and molecules smaller than Xe to pass through the low-pass separation filter 528. The purge gas source 512 provides a purge system that provides purge gas to the dust / particle filter 520 to remove dust and other particles from the dust / particle filter 520 .

[0034] Using the high-pass gas separation filter 526 and the low-pass gas separation filter, gas atoms and / or molecules of any size can be separated for recycling. Additional gas separation filters allow for the separation and recycling of more than one type of gas at a time. Furthermore, various chemical reactions can be used to further separate the gases, such as producing water. Furthermore, other separation processes can be used, such as thermal distillation by cooling the gas to form a liquid, in combination with separation using membranes to further separate the gases.

[0035] In some embodiments, a membrane filter, such as a graphene membrane, is used. The membrane filter can provide gas separation at an acceptable pressure. A graphene membrane is a membrane of one or more layers of graphene. Graphene is a two-dimensional sheet of carbon. Temperature, electric field, and pressure are parameters that can be applied to a graphene membrane to modify its properties, changing the size of particles that can pass through it. Nanowindows, or nanoholes, of different sizes on the nanoscale can be created in the graphene membrane to determine the size of molecules or atoms that can pass through the graphene membrane. In some embodiments, multiple graphene layers can be stacked together to form a multilayer stack of graphene used as a membrane filter. In some embodiments, the membrane filter is at least one of a graphene membrane filter, a covalent triazine-based framework (CTF-0) membrane filter, a polyphenylene membrane filter, a graphdiyne membrane filter, a graphitized carbon nitride (g-CN) membrane filter, and a silicene membrane filter. In some embodiments, the membrane filter is an inorganic porous membrane of at least one of graphenylene-1, polyphenylene, graphidine, silicene, graphitic carbon nitride, etc., which exhibits the best selective permeability properties for targeting helium separation.

[0036] 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a membrane filtering system 604 that may be used in some embodiments. The portion of the membrane filtering system 604 includes a first mesh 608. In some embodiments, the first mesh 608 includes a metal mesh. A first filter layer 612 is on a first side of the first mesh 608. In some embodiments, the first filter layer 612 is a polypropylene layer. A first bonding layer 616 is on a first side of the first filter layer 612. In some embodiments, the first bonding layer 616 includes a gas-permeable bonding material, such as a gas-permeable silicone layer. A membrane layer 620 is on a first side of the first bonding layer 616. In some embodiments, the membrane layer includes at least one of a graphene layer and a polyethyleneimine (PEI) layer. A second bonding layer 624 is on a first side of the membrane layer 620. In some embodiments, the second bonding layer 624 includes a gas-permeable bonding material, such as a gas-permeable silicone layer. A second filter layer 628 is on a first side of the second bonding layer 624. In some embodiments, the second filter layer 628 is a polypropylene layer. A second mesh 632 is on a first side of the second filter layer 628. In some embodiments, the second mesh 632 comprises a metal mesh. In some embodiments, a bonding agent 636, such as an epoxy, may be used to seal and bond portions of the membrane filtering system 604 to the support 640.

[0037] During operation, membrane filtering system 604 is subjected to gas pressure. During various stages of operation and adjustment, gas pressure may be provided on either side of membrane filtering system 604. Without additional support, gas pressure would bend and / or stretch membrane layer 620. Bending and / or stretching of membrane layer 620 could alter the filtering properties of membrane layer 620, such as allowing larger particles to pass through membrane layer 620. Therefore, portions of membrane filtering system 604 are designed to reduce bending and / or stretching of membrane layer 620. First mesh 608 and second mesh 632 provide bending strength that reduces bending of membrane filtering system 604 when subjected to gas pressure. First mesh 608 and second mesh 632 have openings to allow gas to pass to and from membrane layer 620. First filter layer 612 provides support between first mesh 608 and membrane layer 620. The second filter layer 628 provides support between the second mesh 632 and the membrane layer 620. The first mesh 608 and the second mesh 632 have openings to allow gas to pass to and from the membrane layer 620. The first bonding layer 616 bonds the first filter layer 612 to the membrane layer 620. The second bonding layer 624 bonds the second filter layer 628 to the membrane layer 620. The first filter layer 612, the second filter layer 628, the first bonding layer 616, and the second bonding layer 624 have openings or are sufficiently porous or gas permeable to allow gas to pass to and from the membrane layer 620.

[0038] In some embodiments, additional layers may be provided in a portion of membrane filtering system 604. In some embodiments, a portion of membrane filtering system 604 may not have one or more of first mesh 608, second mesh 632, first filter layer 612, second filter layer 628, first bonding layer 616, and second bonding layer 624. For example, in some embodiments, a portion of membrane filtering system 604 does not have first bonding layer 616 and second bonding layer 624. Instead, membrane layer 620 is sandwiched between first filter layer 612 and second filter layer 628. Without first bonding layer 616 and second bonding layer 624, gas may be filtered more rapidly. In some embodiments, a portion of membrane filtering system 604 may have first bonding layer 616 but not second bonding layer 624. In some embodiments, at least one of the first mesh 608, the second mesh 632, the first filter layer 612, the second filter layer 628, the first bonding layer 616, and the second bonding layer 624 may be missing a portion thereof, forming a partial layer.

[0039] In some embodiments, the gas separation membrane filter can be a filter that uses one or more of Knudsen diffusion, molecular sieving, solution diffusion, and adsorption separation to separate different gas molecules or atoms. Knudsen diffusion filters provide mass-based separation. Molecular sieve filters provide size-based separation. Solution diffusion filters provide diffusivity-based separation. Adsorption separation filters provide affinity-based separation. A single layer of graphene membrane can be used as a molecular sieve with pores large enough to allow only molecules and / or atoms of a certain size to pass through. In some embodiments, the membrane can be supported by a substrate, which can be used to reduce tension on the membrane and deformation of the membrane. Deformation of the membrane can reduce selectivity and damage the membrane.

[0040] In some embodiments, multiple filters of the same membrane material can be used to sequentially filter and purify the gas. For example, passing the gas through a first filter can provide an 80% purified gas. Passing the 80% purified gas through a second filter can provide a 96% purified gas. In some embodiments, a series of high-pass and low-pass separation filters can be used to further purify the separated gas and provide the separated gas at a desired purity. In some embodiments, the multiple filters can be made from different materials.

[0041] In some embodiments using He for temperature heat exchange, the purity of the He does not need to be high: in some embodiments, recycled He of 90% purity or less is used for temperature heat exchange in semiconductor processing systems.

[0042] In some embodiments, gases such as chlorine (Cl), hydrogen bromide (HBr), xenon (Xe), neon (Ne), and bromine (Br) may be recycled. In some embodiments, Cl and / or Br may react or dissociate during semiconductor processing, but some Cl and / or Br may not react and may be recycled. In some embodiments, high-pass and low-pass separation filters may be used to separate HBr, Cl, Ar, or Br. In some embodiments, the gas being regenerated is at least one of a gas that is a limited resource, a costly gas, and a gas that is a significant pollutant. Recycling a gas that is a significant pollutant reduces pollution.

[0043] In some embodiments, the gas recycle system 132 is located in or near at least one of the semiconductor processing confinement chamber 104 or the exhaust foreline after the exhaust pump 144. In some embodiments based on molecular transport through gas separation membranes with specific properties, filters using such gas separation membranes can be easily serviced and replaced because they are disposed along the current exhaust stream.

[0044] Although the gas recycling system is shown in FIG. 1 as being used for an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), other types of semiconductor processing chambers may be used in some embodiments. Examples of other types of semiconductor processing chambers that may use the gas recycling system are capacitively coupled plasma processing chambers (CCP), bevel plasma processing chambers, atomic layer deposition chambers, and similar processing chambers. In some embodiments, the plasma processing chamber may be a dielectric processing chamber or a conductor processing chamber. An example of such a plasma processing chamber is the Exelan Flex® Etch System manufactured by Lam Research Corporation® of Fremont, California. In some embodiments, the process gas is converted into a remote plasma before being provided to the semiconductor processing chamber.

[0045] While the present disclosure has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alterations, substitutions, modifications, and various substitute equivalents that fall within the scope of the present disclosure. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following appended claims are intended to be construed as including all such alterations, substitutions, and various substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the phrase "A, B, or C" should be construed to mean a logic using a non-exclusive logical "OR" ("A OR B OR C"), and not to mean "only one of A or B or C." Each step within a process may be optional and not required. Different embodiments may remove one or more steps or provide steps in a different order. Furthermore, various embodiments may provide different steps simultaneously rather than sequentially.

Claims

1. 1. A gas recycling system attachable to a semiconductor processing chamber, the gas recycling system comprising: a membrane filtering system in fluid communication with the semiconductor processing chamber, the membrane filtering system having at least one gas separation membrane that filters pressurized exhaust gas from the semiconductor processing chamber to separate at least one gas from the pressurized exhaust gas; Gas recycling system.

2. 2. The gas recycling system according to claim 1, A gas recycling system, wherein the membrane filtering system filters at least one of helium, hydrogen, and neon from the pressurized exhaust gas.

3. 3. The gas recycling system according to claim 2, H for forming water from hydrogen and oxygen and separating helium from said water. 2 The gas recycling system further comprising a separation system.

4. 4. The gas recycling system according to claim 3, The gas recycling system further comprising a water recycling system for using water separated from the helium in the semiconductor processing chamber.

5. 2. The gas recycling system according to claim 1, The gas recycling system, wherein the membrane filtering system further comprises a mesh filter, the mesh filter filtering and removing particles.

6. 6. The gas recycling system according to claim 5, The gas recycling system further comprising a purge system for purging the mesh filter.

7. 2. The gas recycling system according to claim 1, The gas recycling system, wherein the membrane filtering system further comprises a temperature control system for controlling the temperature of the at least one gas separation membrane.

8. 2. The gas recycling system according to claim 1, The gas recycling system, wherein the at least one gas separation membrane comprises a high-pass gas separation membrane and a low-pass gas separation membrane.

9. 2. The gas recycling system according to claim 1, The gas recycling system, wherein the at least one gas separation membrane comprises at least one membrane selected from the group consisting of a graphene membrane filter, a covalent triazine-based structure membrane filter, a polyphenylene membrane filter, a graphidine membrane filter, a graphitized carbon nitride membrane filter, and a silicene membrane filter.

10. 2. The gas recycling system according to claim 1, The membrane filtering system is a filter for He and Cl. 2 And,Br 2 and a gas recycling system that separates at least one of HBr, xenon, and neon.

11. 2. The gas recycling system according to claim 1, The semiconductor processing chamber includes an exhaust pump, and the gas recycling system receives exhaust gas under pressure from the exhaust pump.

12. 1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a processing chamber for processing the substrate; a gas inlet for providing gas to the processing chamber; a gas source for providing the gas to the gas inlet; an exhaust pump for pumping exhaust gases from the processing chamber; a membrane filtering system adapted to receive the exhaust gas from the exhaust pump, the membrane filtering system having at least one gas separation membrane that filters the exhaust gas to separate at least one gas from the exhaust gas; and An apparatus comprising:

13. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, The apparatus, wherein the membrane filtering system filters at least one of helium, hydrogen, and neon from the exhaust gas.

14. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, The membrane filtering system includes a H filter for forming water from hydrogen and oxygen and separating helium from the water. 2 The apparatus further comprises a separation system.

15. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, The apparatus, wherein the membrane filtering system further comprises a mesh filter, the mesh filter filtering out particles.

16. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, The apparatus, wherein the membrane filtering system further comprises a purge system for purging the mesh filter.

17. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, The apparatus, wherein the membrane filtering system further comprises a temperature control system for controlling the temperature of the at least one gas separation membrane.

18. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, The device, wherein the at least one gas separation membrane comprises a high-pass gas separation membrane and a low-pass gas separation membrane.

19. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, The apparatus, wherein the at least one gas separation membrane comprises at least one of a graphene membrane filter, a covalent triazine-based structure membrane filter, a polyphenylene membrane filter, a graphidine membrane filter, a graphitized carbon nitride membrane filter, and a silicene membrane filter.

20. 1. A method for processing a substrate in a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising: providing a gas from a gas source to the semiconductor processing chamber; pumping exhaust gases from within the semiconductor processing chamber through an exhaust pump to a membrane filtering system comprising at least one gas separation membrane; separating at least one gas from said exhaust gas using at least one gas separation membrane; A method comprising:

21. 21. The method of claim 20, The method, wherein said separating at least one gas from said exhaust gas separates at least one of helium, hydrogen, and neon from said exhaust gas.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, forming water from hydrogen and oxygen; separating helium from the water; The method further comprises:

23. 21. The method of claim 20, The separating of at least one gas from the exhaust gas comprises: exposing the exhaust gas to a high-pass gas separation membrane to provide a separated gas; exposing the separated gas to a low pass gas separation membrane; A method comprising:

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