Abatement of fluorine gas from effluent

Abstract

An effluent abatement system 200 that may be used to abate F 2 gas content of effluent exhausted from a process chamber 35, such as effluent from a CVD chamber cleaning process, includes a catalytic reactor 250 to reduce the content of F 2 in the effluent 100. The system may further include a prescrubber 230 to add reactive gases to the effluent 100 and/or to treat the effluent 100 prior to treatment in the catalytic reactor 250. Alternatively reactive gases can be added to the effluent 100 by a gas source 220.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a process chamber capable of performing a process with a process gas and thereby forming an effluent gas comprising F 2  gas, the chamber comprising: 
 (i) a substrate support;  
 (ii) a gas distributor;  
 (iii) a gas energizer; and  
 (iv) an exhaust; and  
   (b) a catalytic reactor to treat the effluent gas to reduce the F 2  content thereof.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  comprising a source of additive capable of introducing an additive comprising a hydrogen species and an oxygen species, into the effluent gas.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the additive comprises H 2 O.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the source of additive is downstream of the catalytic reactor.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  further comprising a controller to control the addition of the additive into the effluent gas.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a scrubber capable of scrubbing the effluent gas before treatment in the catalytic reactor.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the process chamber is a chemical vapor deposition chamber.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the catalytic reactor comprises a catalyst comprising a ceramic impregnated with a metal.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the ceramic comprises one or more of Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , and TiO 2 .  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the metal comprises one or more of Pt, Pd, Rh, Cu, Ni, Co, Ag, Mo, W, V, and La.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the apparatus comprises a process gas source that is a source of a gas capable of cleaning the chamber.  
     
     
         12 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a process chamber capable of performing a process with process gas and thereby forming an effluent gas comprising F 2  gas, the chamber comprising: 
 (i) a substrate support;  
 (ii) a gas distributor;  
 (iii) a gas energizer; and  
 (iv) an exhaust;  
   (b) an additive source capable of introducing an additive into the effluent gas to reduce the F 2  content of the effluent gas, the additive comprising a hydrogen species and an oxygen species; and    (c) a catalytic reactor to treat the effluent gas to reduce the F 2  content thereof.    
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the hydrogen and oxygen species comprises a hydroxy species.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the additive comprises H 2 O.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  comprising a controller adapted to control the addition of the additive into the effluent gas to maintain a volume percent of additive in the effluent gas of at least about 2%.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the process chamber is a chemical vapor deposition chamber.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  comprising a scrubber to scrub the effluent gas before passing the effluent gas into the catalytic reactor.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 17  wherein the source of additive introduces the additive into the effluent gas while the effluent gas is in the scrubber.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the source of additive introduces the additive into the effluent gas after the effluent gas is passed through the catalytic reactor.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  comprising wherein the source of additive comprises a source of an acid dissolving additive.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the catalytic reactor comprises a catalyst comprising a ceramic impregnated with a metal.  
     
     
         22 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a process chamber capable of performing a process with the process gas and thereby forming an effluent gas comprising F 2  gas, the chamber comprising: 
 (i) a substrate support;  
 (ii) a gas distributor;  
 (iii) a gas energizer; and  
 (iv) an exhaust; and  
   (b) a source of additive capable of introducing additive into the effluent gas, the additive comprising H 2 O; and    (c) a catalytic reactor to treat the resulting effluent gas to reduce the F 2  content thereof.    
     
     
         23 . An apparatus according to  claim 22  wherein the process chamber comprises a chemical vapor deposition chamber.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus according to  claim 22  wherein the catalytic reactor comprises a catalyst comprising a ceramic impregnated with a metal.  
     
     
         25 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a process chamber capable of performing a process with the process gas and thereby forming an effluent gas comprising F 2  gas, the chamber comprises a substrate support, a gas distributor, a gas energizer and an exhaust;    (b) a heater to heating the effluent gas; and    (c) a catalytic reactor to treat the resulting effluent gas to reduce the F 2  content thereof.    
     
     
         26 . An apparatus according to  claim 25  comprising a source of additive capable of introducing additive into the effluent gas, the additive comprising a hydrogen species and an oxygen species.