Embodiments disclosed herein include an abatement system for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. The abatement system includes an exhaust cooling apparatus located downstream of a plasma source. The exhaust cooling apparatus includes at least one cooling plate a device for introducing turbulence to the exhaust flowing within the exhaust cooling apparatus. The device may be a plurality of fins, a cylinder with a curved top portion, or a diffuser with angled blades. The turbulent flow of the exhaust within the exhaust cooling apparatus causes particles to drop out of the exhaust, minimizing particles forming in equipment downstream of the exhaust cooling apparatus.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a plasma abatement process that takes effluent from a processing chamber and reacts the effluent with water vapor reagent within a plasma source placed in a foreline by injecting the water vapor reagent into the foreline or the plasma source. The materials present in the effluent as well as the water vapor reagent are energized by the plasma source, converting the materials into gas species such as HF that is readily scrubbed by typical water scrubbing abatement technology. An oxygen containing gas is periodically injected into the foreline or the plasma source relative to the water vapor injection to reduce or avoid the generation of solid particles. The abatement process has good destruction removal efficiency (DRE) with minimized solid particle generation.

The present invention relates to an ethylene disposal apparatus comprising: a plasma discharge part having an inlet and an outlet and being filled with an adsorbent; and an electrode part for generating plasma inside the plasma discharge part, wherein the adsorbent has a catalyst supported thereon. The present invention relates to an ethylene disposal method using the ethylene disposal apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: (a) injecting ethylene-containing gas into a plasma discharge part filled with the adsorbent; (b) applying voltage to the electrode part and generating plasma in the plasma discharge part, thereby degrading the injected ethylene; and (c) cooling the plasma discharge part.

Methods and apparatus for passivating a target are provided herein. For example, a method includes a) supplying an oxidizing gas into an inner volume of the process chamber; b) igniting the oxidizing gas to form a plasma and oxidize at least one of a target or target material deposited on a process kit disposed in the inner volume of the process chamber; and c) performing a cycle purge comprising: c1) providing air into the process chamber to react with the at least one of the target or target material deposited on the process kit; c2) maintaining a predetermined pressure for a predetermined time within the process chamber to generate a toxic by-product caused by the air reacting with the at least one of the target or target material deposited on the process kit; and c3) exhausting the process chamber to remove the toxic by-product.

The present disclosure describes material surface treatment systems and methods that employ a byproduct treatment system to receive a byproduct generated by application of a plasma, the byproduct treatment system configured to degrade the byproduct and exhaust the degraded byproduct from the material surface treatment. The disclosed byproduct treatment system modifies the byproduct prior to evacuation from the material treatment system in order to reduce or eliminate byproduct contamination into the surrounding atmosphere.

Apparatus for treating a gas in a conduit of a substrate processing system are provided. In some embodiments, an apparatus for treating a gas in a conduit of a substrate processing system includes: a dielectric tube configured to be coupled to a conduit of a substrate processing system to allow a flow of gases through the dielectric tube, wherein the dielectric tube has a conical sidewall; and a radio frequency (RF) coil wound about an outer surface of the conical sidewall of the dielectric tube. In some embodiments, the RF coil is hollow and includes coolant fittings to couple the hollow RF coil to a coolant supply.

A vacuum exhaust system and method of evacuating a plurality of chambers is disclosed. The vacuum exhaust system is within a clean room and comprises: a plurality of branch process gas channels each configured to connect to a corresponding chamber and a shared process channel formed from a confluence of the branch channels and configured to provide a shared fluid communication path for process gas from each of the chambers to flow from the clean room to a process channel outside of the clean room. There is also a plurality of branch pumpdown channels each configured to connect to a corresponding chamber and a shared pumpdown channel formed from a confluence of the branch pumpdown channels and configured to provide a fluid communication path for fluid to flow from the clean room to a pumpdown channel outside of the clean room during pumpdown of at least one of the vacuum chambers.

The present disclosure provides a method for converting the target gas contained in the exhaust gas in plasma phase and an apparatus for implementing the method, the method comprising the steps of: generating a plasma in a conversion region in which the conversion of the target gas occurs; supplying, to the conversion region, a conversion promoting agent containing a conversion promoting element of which the first ionization energy is not greater than 10 eV for promoting the conversion of the target gas; supplying, to the conversion region, a conversion agent that produces conversion products by combining with the dissociation products of the target gas and prevents the dissociation products from recombining into the target gas; and supplying the exhaust gas containing the target gas to the conversion region.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a particle collection trap for an abatement system for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. The particle collection trap includes a device for producing spiral gas flow in the particle collection trap. The spiral gas flow causes particles, which are heavier than the gas, to travel to the outside diameter of the flow path where the gas velocity is slower and to drop out of the gas stream. The device may be a spiral member coupled to a hollow tube or a rolled member having an inner portion coupled to a hollow tube. The particle collection trap increases the accumulation rate of particles in the gas stream without reducing the velocity of the gas flow.

A vacuum pumping line plasma source is provided. The plasma source includes a body defining a generally cylindrical interior volume extending along a central longitudinal axis. The body has an input port for coupling to an input pumping line, an output port for coupling to an output pumping line, and an interior surface disposed about the generally cylindrical interior volume. The plasma source also includes a supply electrode disposed adjacent to a return electrode, and a barrier dielectric member, a least a portion of which is positioned between the supply electrode and the return electrode. The plasma source further includes a dielectric barrier discharge structure formed from the supply electrode, the return electrode, and the barrier dielectric member. The dielectric barrier discharge structure is adapted to generate a plasma in the generally cylindrical interior volume.