Plasma Abatement Device Multi-Inlet Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plasma abatement systems for treating gas streams in semiconductor and similar industries require continuous operation of a primary plasma burner, leading to high costs due to the need for a backup device, as they cannot function without a functioning plasma burner, which is often idle and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A system with a DC plasma torch and multiple inlets allows for reagent gas to be used efficiently in normal conditions and switches to using process gas through a secondary inlet in backup conditions, ensuring uninterrupted treatment by diverting gas streams through existing plasma abatement devices, even if primary ducts or burners fail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a backup plasma burner device is provided to ensure continuous operation, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The second inlet, originally designed solely for reagent gas supply, is made multi-functional to also accept process gas streams when the primary plasma burner fails. This allows the same physical infrastructure to serve dual purposes: normal reagent injection and backup process gas treatment, eliminating the need for separate backup ducting and reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates dynamic switching capability through a control unit that can redirect process gas streams from the primary plasma burner to the second inlet of an alternative plasma burner. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt to failure conditions without requiring permanent duplicate infrastructure, maintaining reliability while reducing static complexity.
2Reliability
If a backup plasma burner device is provided to ensure continuous operation, then system reliability is improved, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The existing plasma abatement device with its second inlet is made to serve itself as a backup unit. Instead of requiring an entirely separate backup system, the device can redirect its own or alternative process gas streams through the second inlet to continue treatment functions, reducing the need for redundant expensive equipment and lowering operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers the functionality of the second inlet, which would otherwise be underutilized or idle during normal operation, and repurposes it for backup process gas treatment. This recovery of latent capability eliminates the need to maintain expensive idle backup plasma burners, reducing operational costs while ensuring continuous treatment capability.
3Productivity
If reagent gas is supplied to improve treatment efficiency, then treatment efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second inlet is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a reagent gas supply port during normal operation and as an alternative process gas inlet during backup conditions. This eliminates the need for completely separate ducting systems for different gas streams, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining treatment efficiency through reagent injection.
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
This configuration maintains continuous operation of semiconductor processing by allowing process gases to be treated without reagents, reducing system redundancy and operational costs by utilizing existing plasma abatement devices for backup, ensuring uninterrupted gas treatment with a modest reduction in efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a DC plasma torch for generating a plasma stream, from an inert gas, for injection into the chamber for treating said process gas stream
Implementation Method 2
The plasma causes dissociation of the gas stream into reactive species, such as radicals
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides apparatus for treating a gas stream (22). A plasma abatement device (10) has a reaction chamber (14) and a plasma torch (12) for generating a plasma stream for injection into the chamber for treating the gas stream. A first inlet (18) conveys a gas stream into the plasma abatement device for treatment, and a second inlet (20), in a normal condition of the apparatus, is in flow communication with a source of reagent for conveying reagent (24) into the plasma device for improving the efficiency of the treatment. In a back-up condition of the apparatus, the second inlet is in flow communication with a gas stream source for conveying a gas stream into the device for treatment.