Abstract: A plasma abatement apparatus includes: a plasma device configured to generate a plasma stream from a plasma gas; an effluent stream aperture configured to convey the effluent stream into the plasma stream for treatment by the plasma stream; a first aperture positioned to deliver a reducing reactant to a first region of the plasma stream; and a second aperture positioned to deliver an oxidising reactant to a second region of the plasma stream, wherein the second region is located at a position of the plasma stream which is cooler than the first region.

Abstract: A system comprising a pumping system configured to pump respective exhaust gases from each of a plurality of chemical etching process chambers and to combine the exhaust gases to provide a combined exhaust gas, and a noble gas recovery system configured to process the combined exhaust gas to remove one or more noble gases therefrom.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to an induction heating system for heating a component. The induction heating system includes a power module for outputting an alternating current, the power module being operable to output the alternating current at a variable supply frequency. A controller is provided to identify at least one resonant frequency of the alternating current supplied to the at least one induction element. The controller is configured to determine an operating temperature of the component in dependence on the at least one identified resonant frequency. Aspects of the present also relate to an induction heating controller; a component comprising an induction heating element; and to a method of heating a component by inductive heating.

Abstract: A system comprising a pumping system configured to pump respective exhaust gases from each of a plurality of chemical etching process chambers and to combine the exhaust gases to provide a combined exhaust gas, and a noble gas recovery system configured to process the combined exhaust gas to remove one or more noble gases therefrom.

Abstract: A foreline for a vacuum pump with an inlet connectable to e.g. a vessel to be evacuated and an outlet connected to and inlet of the vacuum pump to evacuate the vessel. Thereby, the foreline further comprises a discharge line with a first end and a second end, wherein the first end comprises an opening and the second end comprises a solid material trap. The second end is arranged outside the foreline. The first end is arranged within the foreline between the inlet and the outlet and the opening is open towards the inlet of the foreline such that incoming solid material is collected by the opening, discharged through the discharge line and caught in the solid material trap.

Abstract: A method is described for recovering a noble gas, such as xenon or krypton, from a first gas mixture comprising a plurality of components, one of which is the noble gas and the others are typically helium and/or nitrogen, argon, and relatively light fluorocarbons. The gas mixture is first conveyed to a gas chromatography column for separating the noble gas from the other components of the gas mixture. As the noble gas travels relatively slowly through the column, the other components are exhausted from the column before the relatively slow noble gas. Following the exhaust of these other components, a purge gas is supplied to the column to flush the noble gas therefrom. A second gas mixture comprising the noble gas and the purge gas is conveyed from the column to a membrane separator to separate the second gas mixture into a noble gas-rich gas stream and a purge gas-rich gas stream, which may be recirculated back to the column for re-use.

Abstract: A method is described for recovering a noble gas, such as xenon or krypton, from a first gas mixture comprising a plurality of components, one of which is the noble gas and the others are typically helium and/or nitrogen, argon, and relatively light fluorocarbons. The gas mixture is first conveyed to a gas chromatography column for separating the noble gas from the other components of the gas mixture. As the noble gas travels relatively slowly through the column, the other components are exhaust from the column before the relatively slow noble gas. Following the exhaust of these other components, a purge gas is supplied to the column to flush the noble gas therefrom. A second gas mixture comprising the noble gas and the purge gas is conveyed from the column to a membrane separator to separate the second gas mixture into a noble gas-rich gas stream and a purge gas-rich gas stream, which may be recirculated back to the column for re-use.