Ion Implanter Integrated Ventilation System Hazard Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ion implantation apparatuses in semiconductor manufacturing incur substantial capital and operating costs due to the need for extensive ventilation systems to manage hazardous gases, which involves costly filtration, purification, and ductwork for exhaust ventilation.
Innovation Solution
An integrated ventilation system for ion implantation apparatuses that includes a monitoring and control assembly to modulate gas flow rates, allowing for reduced exhaust flow during normal operations and increased flow during hazardous events, eliminating the need for rooftop venting and associated ductwork, and utilizing sub-atmospheric pressure gas supply packages for enhanced safety and reduced exhaust requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extensive ventilation systems with filtration, purification, and ductwork are used to manage hazardous gases, then safety and gas containment are improved, but capital costs and operating costs increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas box exhaust stream from the extensive ventilation system and directs it separately to a treatment unit. This separation allows the majority of the ventilation system to be simplified while still ensuring hazardous gas management through dedicated treatment of the gas box exhaust.
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilation system is segmented into distinct streams: shell exhaust and gas box exhaust. The gas box exhaust is further separated and directed to treatment, while the shell exhaust can be vented more simply. This segmentation allows different parts of the system to be optimized for their specific functions, reducing overall complexity.
2Reliability
If extensive ventilation systems with filtration, purification, and ductwork are used to manage hazardous gases, then safety and gas containment are improved, but operating costs increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The gas box exhaust is extracted and treated separately, allowing the main shell exhaust to be vented with minimal treatment. This reduces the overall energy consumption and operating costs while maintaining safety through targeted treatment of the most hazardous stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment unit processes gas box exhaust to remove or neutralize hazardous contaminants before discharge. By treating only the necessary stream and recovering safe exhaust, the system reduces operating costs compared to treating all exhaust air extensively.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If rooftop venting and associated ductwork are used for gas box exhaust, then hazardous gas discharge is achieved, but capital equipment costs and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gas box exhaust is extracted and directed to a compact treatment unit, eliminating the need for extensive rooftop ductwork and venting infrastructure. This reduces capital equipment costs and energy consumption while still achieving safe discharge of hazardous gases.
Solution Approach 2:
A treatment unit serves as an intermediary between the gas box exhaust and the atmosphere. This intermediary device processes the hazardous exhaust locally, eliminating the need for long-distance ductwork and rooftop venting infrastructure.
4Reliability
If high flow rates are maintained for gas box exhaust, then hazardous gas containment and safety are improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the flow rate of gas box exhaust based on operational conditions and hazard levels. During normal operation, lower flow rates reduce energy consumption, while the system can increase flow rates when hazards are detected, maintaining safety without continuous high energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow rate parameter of the exhaust system is changed based on operational needs. By varying the flow rate rather than maintaining a constant high rate, the system reduces energy consumption while still ensuring safety when required through the treatment unit.
Data Source
AI summary
An ion implantation system is described, including: an ion implanter comprising a housing defining an enclosed volume in which is positioned a gas box configured to hold one or more gas supply vessels, the gas box being in restricted gas flow communication with gas in the enclosed volume that is outside the gas box; a first ventilation assembly configured to flow ventilation gas through the housing and to exhaust the ventilation gas from the housing to an ambient environment of the ion implanter; a second ventilation assembly configured to exhaust gas from the gas box to a treatment apparatus that is adapted to at least partially remove contaminants from the gas box exhaust gas, or that is adapted to dilute the gas box exhaust gas, to produce a treated effluent gas, the second ventilation assembly comprising a variable flow control device for modulating flow rate of the gas box exhaust gas between a relatively lower gas box exhaust gas flow rate and a relatively higher gas box exhaust gas flow rate, and a motive fluid driver adapted to flow the gas box exhaust gas through the variable flow control device to the treatment apparatus; and a monitoring and control assembly configured to monitor operation of the ion implanter for occurrence of a gas hazard event, and thereupon to responsively prevent gas-dispensing operation of the one or more gas supply vessels, and to modulate the variable flow control device to the relatively higher gas box exhaust gas flow rate so that the motive fluid driver flows the gas box exhaust gas to the treatment apparatus at the relatively higher gas box exhaust gas flow rate. Preferably, in a gas hazard event, the shell exhaust discharge from the housing is also terminated, to facilitate exhausting all gas within the housing, outside as well as inside the gas box, to the treatment unit.