Apparatus for treating exhaust gas in a processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11110392-B2
Application number	US-201916429357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2019
Priority date	Dec 3, 2009
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for treating an exhaust gas in an exhaust conduit of a substrate processing system includes: flowing an exhaust gas from a process chamber into a plasma source via a foreline; injecting a reagent into the foreline; forming a plasma in the plasma source from the exhaust gas and the reagent; and injecting a cleaning gas into the foreline, wherein the cleaning gas and the reagent are different gases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a method to be performed, the method comprising:
injecting a reagent into a foreline, the foreline configured to remove exhaust gas from a process chamber;
forming a plasma in a plasma source from the exhaust gas and the reagent; and injecting a cleaning gas into the foreline, wherein the cleaning gas and the reagent are different gases.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the reagent and the cleaning gas are injected into foreline upstream of the plasma source.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning gas is injected into the plasma source intermittently.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning gas is injected into the plasma source continuously.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the reagent comprises water and the cleaning gas comprises oxygen gas.

6. A system, comprising:
a process chamber;
a foreline to flow an exhaust gas from the process chamber;
a plasma source coupled in-line with the foreline;
a reagent delivery system to inject a reagent into the foreline;
a gas panel to supply a flow of a cleaning gas to the foreline; and
a controller configured to:
inject the reagent into the foreline;
form a plasma in the plasma source from the exhaust gas and the reagent; and
inject the cleaning gas into the foreline, wherein the cleaning gas and the reagent are different gases.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the reagent and the cleaning gas are injected into the foreline upstream of the plasma source.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the cleaning gas is injected into the plasma source intermittently.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the cleaning gas is injected into t plasma source continuously.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the reagent comprises water and the cleaning gas comprises oxygen gas.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Dickinson Colin John
• Moalem Mehran
• Clark Daniel O

Classifications

• H10P95/00

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H10P72/00 Primary

  Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof · CPC title

• B01D53/32 Primary

  by electrical effects other than those provided for in group B01D61/00 · CPC title

• B01D2258/0216

  from CVD treatment or semi-conductor manufacturing · CPC title

• B01D2259/80

  Employing electric, magnetic, electromagnetic or wave energy, or particle radiation · CPC title