Abstract: Apparatus and method for utilizing recirculated exhaust gas in semiconductor manufacturing system, in a manner substantially reducing the effluent burden on the exhaust treatment system and infrastructure of the semiconductor process facility.

Abstract: A gas supply system arranged for dispensing of gas at a predetermined flow rate. The system employs a gas dispensing flow circuitry arranged for dispensing gas at selectively variable gas flow conductance conditions, to maintain the flow rate of the dispensed gas at a predetermined, e.g., constant, value in the operation of the system. The gas dispensing flow circuitry may include an array of dispensed gas flow passages, each of a differing conductance, or alternatively a variable conductance gas flow passage equipped with a variable conductance assembly for modulating the gas flow conductance of the passage, in response to sensed pressure of the gas or other system parameter. The system permits the flow rate of a dispensed gas to be maintained at a consistent desired level, despite the progressive decline in source gas pressure as the gas source vessel is depleted in use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an effluent abatement/energy generation system, as well as a method, for abating a process effluent gas stream that contains one or more target compounds such as hydrogen gas, ammonia gas, isopropanol, and other volatile organic compounds that are readily oxidizable, and for concurrently generating energy using such process effluent gas stream. Such effluent abatement/energy generation system comprises a purification unit for removing components other than such target compounds from the process effluent gas stream, and an energy generation unit for generating thermal and/or electrical energy. Such energy generation unit may comprise a combustion assembly, such as a microturbine, for direct combustion or catalytic combustion of the target compounds to generate thermal and/or electrical energy. Such energy generation unit may also comprise a fuel cell for using the target compounds to generate electrical energy.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for abating at least one acid or hydride gas component or by-product thereof, from an effluent stream deriving from a semiconductor manufacturing process, comprising, a first sorbent bed material having a high capacity sorbent affinity for the acid or hydride gas component, a second and discreet sorbent bed material having a high capture rate sorbent affinity for the same gas component, and a flow path joining the process in gas flow communication with the sorbent bed materials such that effluent is flowed through the sorbent beds, to reduce the acid or hydride gas component. The first sorbent bed material preferably comprises basic copper carbonate and the second sorbent bed preferably comprises at least one of, CuO, AgO, CoO, Co3O4, ZnO, MnO2 and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for utilizing recirculated exhaust gas in semiconductor manufacturing systems, in a manner substantially reducing the effluent burden on the exhaust treatment system and infrastructure of the semiconductor process facility.

Abstract: A system for in-situ generation of fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds XFn (wherein X is Cl, Br, or I, and n is an odd integer). Such system comprises a fluorine source, a halogen source for supplying halogen species other than fluorine, a chamber for mixing fluorine with halogen species other than fluorine, and an energy source to supply energy to such chamber to facilitate reaction between fluorine and the halogen species other than fluorine. The chamber may be a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the in situ generated fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogens are employed for cleaning the processing chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for dispensing a gas using a gas source coupled in selective flow relationship with a gas manifold. The gas manifold includes flow circuitry for discharging gas to a gas-using zone, and the gas source includes a pressure-regulated gas source vessel containing the gas at superatmospheric pressure. The pressure-regulated gas source vessel can be arranged with a pressure regulator at or within the vessel and a flow control valve coupled in flow relationship to the vessel, so that gas dispensed from the vessel flows through the regulator prior to flow through the flow control valve, and into the gas manifold. The apparatus and method permit an enhancement of the safety of storage and dispensing of toxic or otherwise hazardous gases used in semiconductor processes.

Abstract: A capacity increase and/or pressure decrease of gas in a gas storage and dispensing vessel is achieved by use of a physical adsorbent having sorptive affinity for the gas. Such approach enables conventional high pressure gas cylinders to be redeployed with contained sorbent, to achieve substantial enhancement of safety and capacity.

Abstract: A capacity increase and/or pressure decrease of gas in a gas storage and dispensing vessel is achieved by use of a physical adsorbent having sorptive affinity for the gas. Such approach enables conventional high pressure gas cylinders to be redeployed with contained sorbent, to achieve substantial enhancement of safety and capacity.

Abstract: An air manager and/or chemical containment apparatus, for environmental control of fumes from wet bench units of semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The air manager system is suitable for installation in an open architecture wet bench or an enclosed mini-environment wet bench, and includes an air source and an air exhaust arranged for flowing air across an open chemical tank, to entrain fumes from chemical in the tank that otherwise may migrate from the immediate vicinity of the tank, and transport such fumes to the exhaust with the air flowed from the air source to the exhaust.

Abstract: A gas containment assembly including a containment enclosure defining an enclosed interior volume, with an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet for flow of exhaust gas into the enclosed interior volume through the exhaust inlet and flow from the containment enclosure through the exhaust outlet. A gas supply vessel and/or gas flow circuitry is provided in the interior volume of the containment enclosure. A back-migration scrubber unit overlies and is sealed to the exhaust inlet so that back-flow migration of gas from the gas supply vessel and/or gas flow circuitry in the interior volume of the containment enclosure is sorptively taken up by sorbent material in the scrubber unit and prevented from passing into an ambient environment in which said gas containment assembly is deployed. This arrangement permits significant reduction in the flow rate of exhaust gas through the gas containment enclosure without compromising the safety of the gas containment assembly.

Abstract: An air manager and/or chemical containment apparatus, for environmental control of fumes from wet bench units of semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The air manager system is suitable for installation in an open architecture wet bench or an enclosed mini-environment wet bench, and includes an air source and an air exhaust arranged for flowing air across an open chemical tank, to entrain fumes from chemical in the tank that otherwise may migrate from the immediate vicinity of the tank, and transport such fumes to the exhaust with the air flowed from the air source to the exhaust.

Abstract: A process for recovery of fluorocompound gas from an effluent gas stream containing the fluorocompound gas and other gas components, in which at least one of the other gas components is removed, e.g., by oxidation or contacting of the effluent stream with a dry material such as an adsorbent or scrubber medium, to yield a first effluent gas mixture containing the fluorocompound gas. The fluorocompound gas is removed from the first effluent gas mixture and recovered as a concentrated fluorocompound gas, by a process such as cryogenic processing, membrane separation, and/or adsorption.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a dopant gas species which is a reaction product of a metal and a gas reactive therewith to form the dopant gas species. A source mass of metal is provided and contacted with the reactive gas to yield a dopant gas species. The dopant gas species may be passed to a chemical vapor deposition reactor, or flowed to an ionization chamber to generate ionic species for ion implantation.

Abstract: A method for n-doping a material layer with antimony, comprising ion implanting antimony from an antimony precursor composition including a compound of the formula SbX.sub.n ((CH.sub.2).sub.y SiR.sub.3).sub.n-3, wherein: n is an integer having a value of 1 or 2; y is an integer having a value of from 1 to 3 inclusive; each R is independently selected from C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl; and each X is independently selected from halo substituents. The antimony precursor composition may further include a fluorine-containing auxiliary gas, to effect in situ cleaning of the ionization chamber during ion implantation.

Abstract: A point-of-use catalytic oxidation system, for treatment of a VOC-containing gas stream, including: a heat exchanger for heat exchange of a VOC-containing gas stream and a VOC-reduced gas stream at higher temperature than the VOC-containing gas stream, for heat recovery from the VOC-reduced gas stream for cooling thereof, to preheat the VOC-containing gas stream; a supplemental heater for supplemental heating of preheated VOC-containing gas, if and as required, to an elevated temperature for catalytic oxidation of VOC therein; and a bed of catalytic oxidizer material for catalytic oxidation of VOC in the VOC-containing gas stream, to yield the VOC-reduced gas stream. The heat exchanger, supplemental heater, and bed of catalytic oxidizer material are sized, constructed, arranged, and operated to effect autothermal catalytic oxidation of VOC in the bed of catalytic oxidizer material.

Abstract: A gas storage and dispensing system in which a gas is sorptively retained on a bed of physical adsorbent material in a containment vessel, and gas is desorbed for selective dispensing thereof from the vessel. The vessel is equipped for gas discharge, with a valve head, mass flow controller, regulator assembly, or the like. A gas-flow resistance-reducing structure such as a gas-permeable porous tube, inert packing, or dispersed inert material, is provided within the vessel, to reduce the resistance to flow of desorbed gas from the bed of adsorbent material during the dispensing operation.

Abstract: A fill system and methodology for the manufacture of fluid storage and dispensing vessels containing sorbent material for holding a sorbable fluid, for on-demand dispensing of the fluid in the use of the vessel. The fill system and methodology are directed to minimizing the processing time required to dissipate the heat of sorption incident to the loading of the sorbable fluid onto the sorbent material, so that thermal equilibration time in the manufacture of the vessels is substantially reduced in relation to the use of only ambient convective air cooling for dissipation of the heat of sorption from the fluid-filled vessel.

Abstract: An adsorption-desorption apparatus, for storage and dispensing of a sorbable gas, wherein a physical sorbent medium bearing the adsorbed gas to be selectively dispensed is delivered by pressure differential desorption and/or thermal desorption of the sorbate gas from the sorbent material. The sorbent material preferably comprises a material which is characterized by a Sorbent Working Capacity, measured for arsine at 40 Torr and at 650 Torr, of at least 50 grams arsine per liter of bed of the sorbent material.

Abstract: An adsorption-desorption apparatus, for storage and dispensing of a sorbable gas, wherein a carbon physical sorbent medium bearing the adsorbed gas to be selectively dispensed is delivered by pressure differential desorption and/or thermal desorption of the sorbate gas from the sorbent material. The carbon sorbent material preferably comprises a material which is characterized by a Sorbent Working Capacity, measured for arsine at 40 Torr and at 650 Torr, of at least 100 grams arsine per liter of bed of the sorbent material, e.g., a carbon sorbent material having the adsorption isotherm characteristic of curve A in FIG. 1 herein.