Exhaust gas systems and methods

Abstract

A system for recovering neon from spent neon is provided. The system may include a pre-treatment component operably coupled to receive spent neon gas from a system for producing UV light using neon, and a capture component operably coupled to the pre-treatment component. A method for recovering neon from spent neon is provided.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 435,535, entitled "Laser Exhaust Gas Systems and Processing," filed December 27, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to exhaust gas systems and methods. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for recovering and / or purifying neon from spent neon, which can be produced from laser exhaust gases. [Background technology]

[0003] Neon is used in industrial processes, including the production of UV light used in excimer lasers used in semiconductor manufacturing. Neon is a noble gas that is vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and is produced in large quantities in conflict-affected regions of the world. The neon is not consumed in the process and is typically emitted into the atmosphere. The invention described herein is a process to capture and process neon for reuse. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A system for recovering neon from spent neon is provided. The system can include a pre-treatment component operably coupled to receive spent neon gas from a system for producing UV light using neon, and a capture component operably coupled to the pre-treatment component. A method for recovering neon from spent neon is provided. The method can include pre-treating spent neon gas received from the system for producing UV light using neon, capturing the pre-treated neon, and compressing the captured neon.

[0005] A system for recovering and purifying neon gas from spent neon gas is also provided, and the system can include a pre-treatment component operably coupled to receive the spent neon from the system for producing UV light using neon, and a purification component operably engaged to receive the released neon from the pre-treatment component.

[0006] A method for recovering and purifying neon from spent neon gas is also provided, which may include pre-treating the spent neon gas after use to produce UV light and purifying the pre-treated neon. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of at least one embodiment of the disclosed system and method. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram of an exemplary exhaust gas system and / or method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram of an exemplary exhaust gas system and / or method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0009] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a system and / or method for recovering neon from spent neon is shown. The system and method can include pre-processing components configured to remove at least some materials from the spent neon. The spent neon can be neon used during the production of UV light as a laser, for example, the spent neon can be neon and other materials generated during use. Exemplary materials that can be part of the spent neon are shown as A, B, and C. Thus, the spent neon can include Ne+A+B+C.

[0010] A pre-treatment component of the system and / or method can remove A and allow at least Ne to continue through the system and / or method. Ne can include B and C, and A can be, for example, reactive fluorine. Thus, the pre-treatment component can be operatively coupled to receive spent neon gas from a system for producing UV light using neon. The pre-treatment component contains an absorption medium including one or more of alumina, modified alumina, zeolite, transition metal hydride, transition metal getter, silica gel, and / or activated carbon, where the absorption medium is configured to retain spent neon gas contaminants.

[0011] The system may include pretreatment components operably configured with one or more of membrane, cryogenic separation, and / or pressure swing adsorption, each of which may be configured to retain the spent neon gas contaminant.

[0012] The system can also include a capture component operably coupled to the pre-treatment component. The capture component can be configured to further purify the spent neon by passing other materials through it while retaining the Ne. Some of the materials that pass through are material B. As the Ne is released, it can contain additional material C. The capture component can include a vacuum pump and / or a compressor. Thus, the pre-treated neon can be captured by compressing at least the neon in the pre-treated neon using the compressor and / or pump to apply a pressure differential to the pre-treated neon.

[0013] The system and / or method may also include a purification component operably engaged to receive the neon released from the pre-treatment component and / or the purification component, such that Ne+C is received by the purification component, C is removed, and Ne is released to further purify Ne from the spent neon.

[0014] 2, the systems and methods may also include an analytical component operably aligned between the pre-treatment component and the purification component and configured to determine the impurity concentration. The analytical component may be one or more of a GC-PDHID (Pulsed Discharge Helium Ionization Detector), FTIR, CRDS (Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy), and / or BGA (Binary Gas Analyzer). Thus, the systems and / or methods may include trapping and / or compressing components operably engaged between the pre-treatment component and the analytical component.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment, a method for recovering and purifying neon from spent neon gas is provided. The method includes pre-treating the spent neon gas after use to produce UV light and purifying the pre-treated neon. The pre-treatment removes fluorine from the spent neon gas.

[0016] Purifying can include exposing the pretreated and / or captured neon gas to alumina, modified alumina, zeolites, transition metal hydrides, transition metal getters, silica gel, and / or activated carbon using membranes, cryogenic separation, and / or pressure swing adsorption to remove "C" materials such as HF, HO, CH, N, CO, CO, CF, SF, SiF, O, COF, NF, He, FNO, SO, F, C, F, and / or CHF.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment, after purification, the purified neon gas can be mixed with additional materials. The mixing and / or removal of materials can be based on analysis of the used neon performed in the system and / or during the method.

[0018] 2, the present disclosure provides a system and process for recovering neon preferably from laser gas effluent. The system and process may include the steps of 1) pretreatment (adsorbent bed), 2) gas capture (capture and compression), 3) gas analysis, 4) gas purification, and 5) component mixing / addition.

[0019] The adsorbent beds can be configured to remove residual impurity components, such as fluorine, in the laser exhaust gas. Additionally, initial purification to remove other impurity components can be performed in this first step of the process using adsorbent beds or media that may include alumina, modified alumina, zeolites, transition metal hydrides, transition metal getters, silica gel, and / or activated carbon using membrane, cryogenic separation, and / or pressure swing adsorption. The lower pressures and flow rates at this stage of operation can result in better purification with some techniques.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, a skid 10 having a bellows pump compressor 12 in combination with a vacuum pump 14 and buffer tank 16 can be configured to transfer the processed laser gas into gas cylinders or other packaging suitable for transportation to allow transport to complete the process at another location.

[0021] Analysis of compressed gases can be used to control subsequent purification steps. Techniques including GC-PDHID, FTIR, CRDS, and BGA are used to determine impurity concentrations. The measured impurity concentrations determine subsequent purification steps.

[0022] The purification step can include treating the recovered gas with alumina, modified alumina, zeolites, transition metal hydrides, transition metal getters, silica gel, and / or activated carbon using membranes, cryogenic separation, and / or pressure swing adsorption to remove any HF, HO, CH, N, CO, CO, CF, SF, SiF, O, COF, NF, He, FNO, SO, F, C, F, CHF, or CHF.

[0023] An additive (mixing) step can add components to ensure the final gas mixture is suitable for use as a laser gas. At this point, the laser-ready mixture can be filled into cylinders for transport to the point of use.

[0024] Thus, a system and / or process for capturing, purifying, and concentrating excimer laser gases that can be reused is provided. According to an exemplary embodiment, the process includes using an adsorption bed to remove reactive fluorine, capturing the gas using a vacuum pump and compressor, analyzing the captured laser gas to determine impurity concentrations, purifying to remove components that interfere with laser operation, and adding krypton, argon, xenon, and / or fluorine to create a bimix or trimix suitable for laser use.

[0025] The analysis can be performed in-line to monitor the process operation, for example, an oxygen analyzer to monitor the purity of the gas being captured.

[0026] The trapped laser gases can be analyzed using GC-PDHID, FTIR, CRDS, and BGA to determine impurity concentrations, which in turn determine subsequent purification steps involving alumina, modified alumina, zeolites, transition metal hydrides, transition metal getters, silica gel, and / or activated carbon using membranes, cryogenic separation, pressure swing sorption to remove impurities such as HF, H2O, CH4, N2, CO2, CO, CF4, SF6, SiF4, O2, COF2, NF3, He, FNO2, SO2F2, C2F6, CHF3, etc.

[0027] The discharge pressure from the laser system can be between 1 psia and 70 psia.

[0028] The bimix or trimix is ​​concentration adjusted using dynamic mixing.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, at least 90% of the excimer laser gas effluent is captured, and the yield of reusable mixture is at least 90% of the amount captured.

Claims

1. 1. A system for recovering neon from spent neon, comprising: a pre-treatment component operably coupled to receive spent neon gas from a system for producing UV light using neon; a capture component operably coupled to the pre-processing component.

2. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-treatment component contains an absorbent medium comprising one or more of alumina, modified alumina, zeolite, transition metal hydride, transition metal getter, silica gel, and / or activated carbon, the absorbent medium configured to retain spent neon gas contaminants.

3. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the pretreatment component is configured to operate with one or more of membrane, cryogenic separation, and / or pressure swing adsorption, each configured to retain spent neon gas contaminants.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the capture component comprises a vacuum pump and / or a compressor.

5. 1. A method for recovering neon from spent neon, comprising: pre-treating spent neon gas received from a system for producing UV light using neon; capturing the pre-treated neon; compressing the trapped neon.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising receiving laser gas from a UV light generator prior to pre-treating.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the laser gas is exhausted at a pressure between 1 psia and 70 psia.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pre-treatment removes reactive fluorine from the laser gas.

9. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising capturing the pre-treated neon using a compressor and / or a pump to provide a pressure differential to the pre-treated neon.

10. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising compressing the captured neon using a compressor and / or a pump.

11. 1. A system for recovering and purifying neon gas from spent neon gas, comprising: a pre-treatment component operably coupled to receive spent neon from a system for producing UV light using neon; a purification component operably engaged to receive the neon emitted from the pre-treatment component.

12. 12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an analytical component operatively aligned between the pretreatment component and the purification component and configured to determine an impurity concentration.

13. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the analytical component is one or more of a GC-PDHID (Pulsed Discharge Helium Ionization Detector), FTIR, CRDS (Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy), and / or BGA (Binary Gas Analyzer).

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising capturing and / or compressing a component operably engaged between the absorbent component and the analytical component.

15. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the purification component is configured to expose the neon retained on the absorbent component.

16. 1. A method for recovering and purifying neon from spent neon gas, comprising: pre-treating the spent neon gas after use to produce UV light; and purifying the pretreated neon.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-treatment removes fluorine from the spent neon gas.

18. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the purifying step includes exposing the pretreated neon gas to alumina, modified alumina, zeolite, transition metal hydride, transition metal getter, silica gel, and / or activated carbon using membrane, cryogenic separation, and / or pressure swing adsorption to remove HF, HO, CH, N, CO, CO, CF, SF, SiF, O, COF, NF, He, FNO, SO, F, C, F, and / or CHF.

19. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of mixing the purified neon gas with additional materials after purification.

20. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising analyzing the pretreated neon gas to select a purification method and / or material.

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