Apparatus trapping an exhaust material from a substrate-processing process and apparatus for processing a substrate including the trapping apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12390763-B2
Application number	US-202217708217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2022
Priority date	Sep 2, 2021
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus for trapping an exhaust material from a substrate-processing process includes: a cyclone configured to provide the exhaust material with a swirling flow, wherein the exhaust material is discharged from the substrate-processing process using a reaction gas; an atomization module for providing the cyclone with a mist to convert the exhaust material into a powder through a wet oxidation reaction; and a collector configured to collect the powder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for trapping an exhaust material from a substrate-processing process, the apparatus comprising:
a cyclone configured to provide the exhaust material with a swirling flow, wherein the exhaust material is discharged from the substrate-processing process using a reaction gas;
an atomization module for providing the cyclone with a mist to convert the exhaust material into a powder through a wet oxidation reaction; and
a collector configured to collect the powder,
wherein the atomization module includes:
an atomizer configured to form the mist;
a water supply module configured to supply water to the atomizer and to measure a flux of the water supplied to the atomizer;
a compressed gas supply module configured to supply a compressed gas to the atomizer and to measure a pressure of the compressed gas supplied to the atomizer;
a density transmitter configured to measure a density of the mist provided from the atomizer to the cyclone; and
a density controller configured to control the density of the mist formed by the atomizer based on data of the flux of water that received from the water supply module, data of pressure of compressed gas that is received from the compressed gas supply module, and data of the density of the mist that is received from the density transmitter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cyclone comprises:
a cyclone body configured to provide the exhaust material with the swirling flow, wherein the cyclone body includes an opened lower end through which the powder passes;
an inlet port connected to a side surface of the cyclone body and configured to introduce the exhaust material into the cyclone body;
an outlet port entering into the cyclone body and configured to discharge a residual gas, which is not converted into the powder, among the exhaust material; and
a first nozzle arranged on an inner surface of the cyclone body and configured to inject the mist provided from the atomization module into the cyclone body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cyclone further comprises a hydrophobic protection layer coated on the inner surface of the cyclone body.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the protection layer comprises Teflon, polychlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) or perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA).

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cyclone body comprises:
a cylindrical portion connected to the inlet port and the outlet port, and
a circular conical portion connected to the cylindrical portion and the collector.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first nozzle has a lower end positioned in the cylindrical portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the lower end of the first nozzle is positioned higher than a lower end of the outlet port.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the outlet port passes through the cylindrical portion and has a lower end positioned in the circular conical portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the outlet port has a lower end positioned in the cylindrical portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first nozzle is of a plurality of nozzles arranged in at least one of a vertical direction or a horizontal direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water supply module comprises:
a water tank configured to store the water; and
a flow transmitter configured to measure the flux of the water supplied from the water tank to the atomizer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the water supply module further comprises a pump configured to pump the water from the water tank to the atomizer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed gas supply module comprises:
a gas tank configured to store the compressed gas; and
a pressure regulator configured to measure the pressure of the compressed gas supplied from the gas tank to the atomizer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collector is configured to be connected to a lower end of the cyclone and to be detached from the lower end of the cyclone.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a trapping pipe connected a lower end of the cyclone and the collector and configured to allow a movement of the powder from the cyclone to the collector, wherein the collector is configured to be connected to a lower end of the trapping pipe and to be detached from the lower end of the trapping pipe.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:
a gate valve installed at the trapping pipe;
a swing gate installed at the trapping pipe and between the lower end of the cyclone and the gate valve; and
a pressure gauge arranged between the lower end of the cyclone and the swing gate.

17. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a reaction chamber configured to process the substrate by using a reaction gas;
a vacuum pump configured to provide the reaction chamber with vacuum to discharge an exhaust material from the reaction chamber;
a cyclone connected to the reaction chamber and the vacuum pump and configured to provide the exhaust material with a swirling flow;
an atomization module providing the cyclone with a mist to convert the exhaust material into a powder through a wet oxidation reaction; and
a collector configured to collect the powder from the cyclone,
wherein the atomization module includes:
an atomizer configured to form the mist;
a water supply module configured to supply water to the atomizer and to measure a flux of the water supplied to the atomizer;
a compressed gas supply module configured to supply a compressed gas to the atomizer and to measure a pressure of the compressed gas supplied to the atomizer;
a density transmitter configured to measure a density of the mist provided from the atomizer to the cyclone; and
a density controller configured to control the density of the mist formed by the atomizer based on data of the flux of water that received from the water supply module, data of pressure of compressed gas that is received from the compressed gas supply module, and data of the density of the mist that is received from the density transmitter.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein an operation of the atomization module and an operation of the collector are performed in real time during processing of the substrate in the reaction chamber.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Uihyoung
• Gim Suji
• Park Hongsik
• Lee Taeheon

Classifications

• H10P72/0418

  for etching · CPC title

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• B04C5/15

  with swinging flaps or revolving sluices; Sluices; Check-valves · CPC title

• C23C16/4412

  Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps · CPC title

• B04C2009/008

  with injection or suction of gas or liquid into the cyclone · CPC title