Process and system for separation and recovery of perfluorocompound gases

A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:

• a) at least one reactor chamber adapted to receive perfluorocompound gases and carrier gases, the reactor chamber having a reactor effluent gas conduit attached thereto;
• b) compression means located in the reactor effluent conduit to compress an effluent gas from the reactor chamber;
• c) at least one glassy polymer membrane separation unit having a feed side and a permeate side, said membrane being permeable to at least one carrier gas and being substantially non-permeable to at least one perfluorocompound gas, said membrane unit connected to said reactor chamber via the reactor effluent conduit downstream of the compression means, said membrane unit having a permeate vent conduit and a non-permeate conduit;
• d) means to recycle at least a portion of a non-permeate stream from said membrane unit back to the at least one reactor chamber;
• e) pretreatment means positioned in the reactor effluent gas conduit said pretreatment means selected from the group consisting of plasma decomposition, thermal decomposition, catalytic removal, scrubbing, and adsorption;
• f) the membrane unit comprising a sweep gas conduit connecting the non-permeate conduit and the permeate side of the membrane;
• g) a damper or surge tank positioned in the non-permeate conduit;
• and
• h) a compressor, heat exchanger, cryogenic pump or vacuum pump positioned in the non-permeate conduit upstream of the surge tank, allowing a perfluorocarbon enriched stream to be stored in liquid form for future use if so desired.