Catalyst Bed Abatement Train for Residual PFC Remediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing abatement apparatuses face challenges in achieving the required conditions to abate compounds within effluent streams from semiconductor processing tools, particularly residual perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and other compounds, which are difficult to remove and pose environmental concerns due to high greenhouse activity, and the composition of these compounds can vary, complicating effective remediation.
Innovation Solution
An abatement apparatus comprising an abatement chamber, a wet scrubber, and a catalyst bed is used to abate and remediate effluent streams. The abatement chamber operates at lower temperatures to manage combustion by-products and hydrocarbons, while the catalyst bed further reduces their concentrations through catalytic reactions, utilizing various catalytic materials to convert these compounds into safer forms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If combustion is used to remove PFCs and other compounds from the effluent gas stream, then the compounds are abated, but high temperatures are required which increases energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The abatement process is divided into multiple stages: a first abatement chamber for initial combustion at lower temperature, a wet scrubber for intermediate treatment, and a second abatement chamber for final treatment. This segmentation allows each stage to operate under optimized conditions, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective PFC removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by introducing a two-stage abatement process with different temperature regimes. The first chamber operates at lower temperature with controlled oxygen levels, followed by the wet scrubber that modifies the gas composition, enabling the second chamber to operate efficiently at lower temperatures than conventional single-stage systems.
2Reliability
If the abatement chamber operates at high temperatures to ensure complete abatement, then compound removal is effective, but the composition of PFCs and other compounds cannot be maintained at a constant level
Solution Approach 1:
The wet scrubber acts as a feedback mechanism between the two abatement chambers. It monitors and adjusts the gas stream composition by removing intermediates and controlling moisture content, providing stable conditions for the second abatement chamber to maintain consistent PFC removal efficiency despite variations in inlet composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The first abatement chamber performs preliminary treatment to reduce the load on subsequent stages. By removing a portion of the PFCs and other compounds in the first chamber, the wet scrubber receives a pre-treated stream that is easier to manage, allowing the second chamber to operate under more stable and controlled conditions.
3Device complexity
If a single abatement chamber is used, then the device complexity is low, but it is difficult to achieve required conditions to abate compounds to levels that can be exhausted
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into three main components: a first abatement chamber, a wet scrubber, and a second abatement chamber. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function optimized for its purpose, achieving superior overall abatement performance compared to a single chamber while keeping each individual component relatively simple in design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively reduces the concentration of combustion by-products and hydrocarbons to environmentally acceptable levels, lowering energy consumption and improving the efficiency of the abatement process by operating at lower temperatures and utilizing catalytic materials to remediate compounds that would otherwise be difficult to remove.
Implementation Method 1
Known abatement apparatus use combustion to remove the PFCs and other compounds from the effluent gas stream
Implementation Method 2
the catalyst bed being configured to receive the scrubbed effluent stream and provide a remediated effluent stream... The catalyst bed may support a catalytic reaction on the scrubbed effluent stream
Data Source
AI summary
An abatement apparatus includes: an abatement chamber configured to receive aneffluent stream and to provide an abated effluent stream; a wet scrubber located downstream of the abatement chamber, the wet scrubber being configured to receive the abated effluent stream and provide a scrubbed effluent stream; and a catalyst bed located downstream of the wet scrubber, the catalyst bed being configured to receive the scrubbed effluent stream and provide a remediated effluent stream. In this way, undesirable compounds present in the abated effluent stream, which are there because they were either already present in the effluent stream and were insufficiently abated by the abatement chamber or because they are abatement by-products generated within the abatement chamber, can be remediated, removed or reduced by the catalyst bed prior to being vented by the abatement apparatus.