US 12,170,192 B2
Plasma abatement system utilizing water vapor and oxygen reagent
Colin John Dickinson, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/939,843.
Application 16/939,843 is a continuation of application No. 15/884,028, filed on Jan. 30, 2018, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/457,036, filed on Feb. 9, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0357615 A1, Nov. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); B01D 53/32 (2006.01); B01D 53/68 (2006.01); B01D 53/70 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32844 (2013.01) [B01D 53/70 (2013.01); H01J 37/32357 (2013.01); H01J 37/32449 (2013.01); B01D 53/32 (2013.01); B01D 53/68 (2013.01); B01D 2251/102 (2013.01); B01D 2257/204 (2013.01); B01D 2257/2066 (2013.01); B01D 2258/0216 (2013.01); B01D 2259/818 (2013.01); H01J 37/32862 (2013.01); H01J 2237/3321 (2013.01); H01J 2237/334 (2013.01); Y02C 20/30 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for plasma abatement, the system comprising:
a processing chamber;
a chamber foreline;
a water and oxygen delivery system positioned downstream from and fluidly coupled to the processing chamber by the chamber foreline, the water and oxygen delivery system comprising:
a water vapor reagent source fluidly coupled with the chamber foreline via a first conduit; and
an oxygen reagent source fluidly coupled with the chamber foreline via a second conduit fluidly coupled with the first conduit;
a plasma source positioned downstream from and fluidly coupled with the water and oxygen delivery system via the chamber foreline; and
a first controller configured to:
cause the water and oxygen delivery system to deliver an abating reagent comprising water vapor and oxygen into the plasma source via the chamber foreline, wherein a mixture of the water vapor and the oxygen in the abating reagent is between 0.75×X+0.25×Y and 0.5×X+0.5×Y, X represents a water vapor only flow rate, and Y represents an oxygen only flow rate, the deliver the abating reagent comprising:
deliver the water vapor from the water vapor reagent source into the chamber foreline via the first conduit fluidly coupled with the chamber foreline; and
deliver the oxygen from the oxygen reagent source into the chamber foreline via the second conduit fluidly coupled with the first conduit; and
cause the plasma source to form a plasma from the water vapor, the oxygen, and an effluent comprising a fluorinated greenhouse gas to convert the fluorinated greenhouse gas to an abated material; and
wherein the water and oxygen delivery system comprises:
a housing comprising a floor that defines a horizontal plane and an interior wall extending vertically from the floor and dividing the housing into a first enclosed region and a second enclosed region;
the first enclosed region comprising the water vapor reagent source positioned on the floor and a flow control system positioned above the water vapor reagent source, the flow control system comprising a first flow controller that controls a flow of the water vapor, a second flow controller that controls a flow of the oxygen, and a third flow controller disposed between the first and second flow controller; and
the second enclosed region comprising a second controller configured to control tasks performable by components of the abatement system.