Minimizing corrosion in pre-plasma abatement systems

A method of reducing corrosion in a pump exhaust foreline of a processing system, the method comprising:

• operating a plasma processing system and evacuating a fluorine or chlorine containing gas as effluent into a processing chamber exhaust foreline;
• abating the effluent in a plasma abatement system with a hydrogen based reagent in a vacuum environment, wherein an abated effluent contains one or more of hydrogen fluoride (HF) or hydrogen chloride (HCl);
• pumping the abated effluent through an abatement exhaust foreline coupled between a pump and the plasma abatement system, wherein the abatement exhaust foreline is at a vacuum pressure;
• determining with a controller if a condition for condensation of HF or HCl exist based on a characteristic, flow rate and pressure of the effluent;
• providing instructions to inject a non-condensable gas into the abated effluent upon determining a condition for condensation may exist;
• and
• pumping the abated effluent into a pump exhaust foreline coupled to the pump, wherein the pump exhaust foreline is at atmospheric pressure.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a program, which, when executed by a processor performs an operation for reducing corrosion in a plasma abatement system, the operation comprising:

• operating a plasma processing system and evacuating a fluorine or chlorine containing gas into an exhaust foreline as effluent;
• abating the effluent in a plasma abatement system with a hydrogen containing gas in a vacuum environment, wherein an abated effluent contains one or more of hydrogen fluoride (HF) or hydrogen chloride (HCl);
• pumping the abated effluent through an abatement exhaust foreline coupled between a pump and the plasma abatement system, wherein the abatement exhaust foreline is at a vacuum pressure;
• determining with a controller if a condition for condensation of HF or HCl exist based on a characteristic, flow rate and pressure of the effluent;
• injecting a non-condensable gas into the abated effluent;
• and
• pumping the abated effluent into a pump exhaust foreline coupled to the pump, wherein the pump exhaust foreline is at atmospheric pressure.