Plasma Scrubber for Semiconductor Process Gas Without Combustion Emissions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scrubbers used for purifying semiconductor process gases are complex and generate large amounts of harmful exhaust materials, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, due to the combustion process.
Innovation Solution
A scrubber system incorporating a plasma treatment system, a hydrogen supply system, and a wet treatment system, which uses plasma to decompose semiconductor process gases in the presence of hydrogen, thereby reducing harmful emissions and simplifying the equipment structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a burner is used to combust the semiconductor process gas, then the semiconductor process gas is decomposed or purified, but an exhaust gas includes a lot of harmful materials such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide and an amount of the exhaust gas is large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the decomposition method from thermal combustion to plasma decomposition. This parameter change eliminates the need for combustion reactions that produce CO2 and NOx, thereby reducing harmful materials in exhaust gas without increasing exhaust volume
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/thermal combustion system with a plasma-based decomposition system. The plasma treatment system uses electromagnetic energy to decompose the semiconductor process gas directly, avoiding the combustion chain reaction that generates harmful exhaust materials
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a burner and supply line for combustion gas are included in the scrubber, then the semiconductor process gas is combusted, but the equipment becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the combustion-related components (burner and combustion gas supply line) from the scrubber system. By eliminating these components and replacing them with a plasma treatment system, the equipment structure is simplified while maintaining the gas purification function
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma treatment system serves multiple functions: it decomposes the semiconductor process gas, eliminates harmful emissions, and does so without requiring separate combustion gas supply infrastructure. This multi-functional approach reduces overall equipment complexity
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 proposed scrubber system effectively reduces the amount of harmful materials in the exhaust gas and decreases the exhaust load, while also simplifying the equipment structure and reducing operational complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a plasma treatment system that performs a plasma treatment in which a process gas and a hydrogen gas are reacted using plasma
Implementation Method 2
The hydrogen supply system may include an electrolysis unit
Data Source
AI summary
A scrubber includes a plasma treatment system, a hydrogen supply system, and a wet treatment system. The plasma treatment system performs a plasma treatment in which a process gas and a hydrogen gas are reacted using plasma. The hydrogen supply system supplies the hydrogen gas to the plasma treatment system. The wet treatment system performs a wet treatment in which a by-product generated by the plasma treatment is wet-treated.