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US 12,636,592 B2Granted
System to collect, recover and recycle chemical exhaust from semiconductor processing chambers
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsAndrea Leoncini, Zhijie Chua
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Chemical precursor recovery systems and methods of recovering and reusing semiconductor manufacturing chemistry are disclosed. The recovery systems include a cold trap inlet line in fluid communication with a plurality of cold traps and a cold trap outlet line. The plurality of cold traps is configured to condense the chemical precursors and are arranged based on semiconductor manufacturing process conditions.
Claims19
A chemical precursor recovery system comprising:
- a cold trap inlet line;
- a plurality of cold traps downstream of and in fluid communication with the cold trap inlet line, the plurality of cold traps configured to condense a chemical precursor, the plurality of cold traps arranged in series with a decreasing temperature gradient with a lowest temperature cold trap last and each of the plurality of cold traps connected to a downstream collection system through a collection line with a valve, the downstream collection system comprising one or more of a compressor or gas cylinder;
- a cold trap outlet line downstream of and in fluid communication with the plurality of cold traps, and
- an activated charcoal filter downstream of the cold trap outlet line.
1 more element
A chemical precursor recovery system comprising:
- a cold trap inlet line;
- a plurality of cold traps downstream of and in fluid communication with the inlet line, each of the plurality of cold traps configured to condense a chemical precursor;
- a cold trap outlet line downstream of and in fluid communication with the plurality of cold traps;
- one or more gas separation module (GSM) downstream of and in fluid communication with the cold trap outlet line, wherein there are two GSMs in series downstream of the cold trap outlet line, the first GSM separating one or more of methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), molecular nitrogen (N2), nitrous oxide (N2O), argon (Ar), and krypton (Kr) from effluent in the cold trap outlet line, the second GSM separating hydrogen (H2) and helium (He) from effluent exiting the first GSM;
- and
- an activated charcoal filter downstream of the one or more GSM.
3 more elements
A chemical precursor recovery system for an atomic layer deposition processing chamber, the chemical precursor recovery system comprising:
- a cold trap inlet line configured to be connected to an exhaust line of the atomic layer deposition processing chamber;
- a cold trap outlet line downstream of the cold trap inlet line;
- a plurality of cold traps downstream of and in fluid communication with the inlet line, each of the plurality of cold traps configured to condense a chemical precursor, the plurality of cold traps arranged in parallel with an inlet junction connected to and in fluid communication with the cold trap inlet line and an outlet junction connected to and in fluid communication with the cold trap outlet line downstream of the plurality of cold traps, each cold trap having one or more of an upstream pneumatic valve or upstream manual valve, and one or more of a downstream pneumatic valve or downstream manual valve, to isolate each cold trap separately from the plurality of cold traps;
- a bypass line in fluid communication with the inlet line upstream of the inlet junction and in fluid communication with the outlet line downstream of the outlet junction, the bypass line comprising an upstream bypass valve and a downstream bypass valve to isolate the bypass line from the plurality of cold traps;
- one or more gas separation module (GSM) downstream of and in fluid communication with the cold trap outlet line, wherein there are two GSMs in series downstream of the cold trap outlet line, the first GSM separating one or more of methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), molecular nitrogen (N2), nitrous oxide (N2O), argon (Ar), and krypton (Kr) from effluent in the cold trap line, the second GSM separating hydrogen (H2) and helium (He) from effluent exiting the first GSM;
- and
- an activated charcoal filter downstream of the GSM.
4 more elements
A chemical precursor recovery system for a chemical vapor deposition processing chamber, the chemical precursor recovery system comprising:
- a cold trap inlet line;
- a plurality of cold traps downstream of and in fluid communication with the inlet line, each of the cold traps configured to condense a chemical precursor, the plurality of cold traps arranged in series with a decreasing temperature gradient with the lowest temperature cold trap last, the cold trap closest to the inlet line has one or more of an upstream manual valve or upstream pneumatic valve, and one or more of a downstream pneumatic valve or downstream manual valve to isolate the cold trap, a pneumatic valve is positioned between each of the cold traps, and one or more of a pneumatic valve or manual valve downstream of the last cold trap;
- a cold trap outlet line downstream of and in fluid communication with the plurality of cold traps;
- each cold trap is connected to a downstream collection system through a collection line with a valve, the collection system comprising one or more of a compressor or gas cylinder;
- and
- an activated charcoal filter downstream of the cold trap outlet line.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.