Plasma abatement technology utilizing water vapor and oxygen reagent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018366307-A1
Application number	US-201816110803-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 23, 2018
Priority date	Feb 9, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Implementations of the present disclosure relate to systems and techniques for abating F-gases present in the effluent of semiconductor manufacturing processes. In one implementation, a water and oxygen delivery system for a plasma abatement system is provided. The water and oxygen delivery system comprises a housing that includes a floor and a plurality of sidewalls that define an enclosed region. The water and oxygen delivery system further comprises a cylindrical water tank positioned on the floor, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical water tank is parallel to a plane defined by the floor and a length of the water tank is 1.5 times or greater than the diameter of the cylindrical water tank. The water and oxygen delivery system further comprises a flow control system positioned within the housing above the cylindrical water tank.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
flowing an effluent from a processing chamber into a plasma source, wherein the effluent comprises a fluorinated greenhouse gas; delivering an abating reagent comprising water vapor and oxygen into the plasma source; and activating the effluent and the abating reagent using a plasma to convert the fluorinated greenhouse gas to an abated material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the water vapor (“X”) and the oxygen (“Y”) in the abating reagent have a ratio between 0.75X:0.25Y and 0.5X:0.5Y.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorinated greenhouse gas comprises a sulfur-containing gas.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the sulfur-containing gas is SF 6 .

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is an inductively coupled plasma.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the abating reagent and the effluent are combined prior to forming the plasma.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the water vapor and oxygen are simultaneously delivered to the plasma source.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber is a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chamber, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber.

9 . A method comprising:
flowing an effluent comprising a fluorinated greenhouse gas from a processing chamber into a plasma source; delivering an abating reagent to the plasma source, the abating reagent comprising water vapor and oxygen, wherein the water vapor (“X”) and the oxygen (“Y”) have a ratio between 0.75X:0.25Y and 0.5X:0.5Y; and forming an inductively coupled plasma from the effluent and the abating reagent creating an abated material.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the fluorinated greenhouse gas comprises a sulfur-containing gas.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the sulfur-containing gas is SF 6 .

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the abating reagent and the effluent are combined prior to forming the inductively coupled plasma.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the processing chamber is a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chamber, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the water vapor and oxygen are simultaneously delivered to the plasma source.

15 . A method comprising:
flowing an effluent from a processing chamber into a plasma source via a foreline, wherein the effluent comprises a fluorinated greenhouse gas; delivering water vapor from a first reagent source into the plasma source via the foreline; delivering oxygen from a second reagent source into the plasma source via the foreline, wherein the first reagent source and the second reagent source are positioned in a housing; activating the effluent, the water vapor, and the oxygen using a plasma to convert the fluorinated greenhouse gas to an abated material.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the water vapor (“X”) and the oxygen (“Y”) in the abating reagent have a ratio between 0.75X:0.25Y and 0.5X:0.5Y.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the fluorinated greenhouse gas comprises a sulfur-containing gas.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the sulfur-containing gas is SF 6 .

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the plasma is an inductively coupled plasma.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the water vapor, oxygen, and effluent are combined prior to forming the plasma.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Dickinson Colin John

Classifications

• H01J2237/3321

  CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition] · CPC title

• H01J37/32862

  In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts · CPC title

• H01J37/32844 Primary

  Treating effluent gases · CPC title

• B01D2251/102

  Oxygen · CPC title

• H01J2237/334

  Etching · CPC title