INLET ASSEMBLY

Abstract

An inlet assembly includes: a combustion chamber module defining a plenum configured to supply combustion reagents to its combustion chamber, the combustion chamber module having a mount configured to interface with a common head which defines at least one gallery configured to supply the combustion reagents, the mount comprising a plurality of feed apertures positioned for fluid communication of the combustion reagents between the gallery and the plenum. In this way, a mount which is suited to its combustion chamber module interfaces with a standard or common head, which enables the combustion reagents to be supplied from the gallery of the common head via the mount and to the plenum of the combustion chamber module. This enables a common head to be used for different combustion chamber modules, which reduces the number of parts required for the assembly and maintenance of the abatement apparatus.

Claims

1. An inlet assembly for an abatement apparatus for treating an effluent stream from a semiconductor processing tool, said inlet assembly comprising: a combustion chamber module defining a plenum configured to supply combustion reagents to its combustion chamber, said combustion chamber module having a mount configured to interface with a common head which defines at least one gallery configured to supply said combustion reagents, said mount comprising a plurality of feed apertures positioned for fluid communication of said combustion reagents between said gallery and said plenum.

2. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein said plenum surrounds said combustion chamber and said feed apertures are located to overlie said plenum.

3. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein said feed apertures are located to extend around a perimeter of said mount.

4. The inlet assembly of claim 1, comprising a plurality of said combustion chamber modules, each having a mount configured to interface with a corresponding one of a plurality of galleries of said common head and wherein each mount comprises a plurality of feed apertures positioned for fluid communication of said combustion reagents between that gallery and a corresponding plenum.

5. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein said mount of at least one combustion chamber module is configured to interface with a plurality of galleries of said common head, said mount comprising a plurality of feed apertures positioned for fluid communication of said combustion reagents between those galleries and its plenum.

6. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein each combustion chamber module is configured to receive at least one effluent stream nozzle extending from said common head and said feed apertures are located to avoid a position each effluent stream nozzle.

7. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein said mount defines at least one effluent stream nozzle aperture positioned to receive a corresponding effluent stream nozzle.

8. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein said mount comprises at least one effluent stream nozzle seal positioned to surround each corresponding effluent stream nozzle.

9. The inlet assembly claim 8, wherein said feed apertures are located to avoid each effluent stream nozzle seal.

10. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein said mount comprises a perimeter seal configured to contain said combustion reagents.

11. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein said common head is configurable to removably provide at least one additional effluent stream nozzle extending from said common head for enhanced combustion chamber modules.

12. The inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein said combustion chamber module is an enhanced combustion chamber module, said mount is configured to receive at least one additional effluent stream nozzle extending from said common head and said feed apertures are located to avoid a position each additional effluent stream nozzle.

13. The inlet assembly of claim 12, wherein said mount of said enhanced combustion chamber module is at least one of: configured to receive a plurality of effluent stream nozzles extending from said common head; and configured to interface with a plurality of galleries of said common head.

14. The inlet assembly of claim 12, wherein said combustion chamber module is other than said enhanced combustion chamber module and said perimeter seal deviates to avoid a location of said at least one additional effluent stream nozzle.

15. The inlet assembly of claim 12, wherein said mount of said other than said enhanced combustion chamber module at least one of: configured to receive a single effluent stream nozzle extending from said common head; and configured to interface with a single gallery of said common head.

16. The inlet assembly of claim 10, wherein each perimeter seal follows a joggling path to avoid said at least one additional effluent stream nozzle.

17. The inlet assembly of claim 10, wherein said feed apertures are at least one of: positioned to avoid said perimeter seal; and located follow a deviating path extending around said perimeter of said mount.

18. The inlet assembly of claim 1, comprising at least one of: said common head having an inlet configured to feed said effluent stream combustion reagents to said gallery; said common head having a plurality of inlets configured to feed said effluent stream combustion reagents to a corresponding plurality of galleries; said combustion chamber modules; and said effluent stream nozzle.

19. The inlet assembly of claim 1 wherein said combustion chamber module comprises a foraminous sleeve configured to define said combustion chamber.

20. An abatement apparatus comprising the inlet assembly of claim 1.

21. A method, comprising: providing a combustion chamber module defining a plenum configured to supply combustion reagents to its combustion chamber and a mount configured to interface with a common head which defines at least one gallery configured to supply said combustion reagents; and providing said mount with a plurality of feed apertures positioned for fluid communication of said combustion reagents between said gallery and said plenum.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described further, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0069] FIG. 1A-C are sectional perspective views of components of a modular abatement apparatus according to one embodiment;

[0070] FIG. 2 illustrates components of an abatement apparatus according to one embodiment;

[0071] FIG. 3 illustrates the mounts in more detail according to one embodiment;

[0072] FIG. 4 illustrates components of an abatement apparatus according to one embodiment; and

[0073] FIG. 5 illustrates the mounts in more detail according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] Before discussing the embodiments in any more detail, first an overview will be provided. Embodiments provide an arrangement which utilises one or more common head configurations which can be used to support different types of combustion chamber modules. The common head is provided with at least one aperture through which inlet nozzles extend to convey one or more effluent streams to the combustion chambers of the combustion chamber modules. The common head at least partially defines one or more galleries into which combustion reagents are provided. Each combustion chamber module is provided with a mount which interfaces that combustion chamber module to the common head. The mount is provided with at least one aperture through which the inlet nozzles pass to allow full fluid communication of the effluent stream into the combustion chamber of that combustion chamber module. The combustion chamber is typically defined by a foraminous sleeve which defines a plenum between that foraminous sleeve and a housing of the combustion chamber module which is used to convey the combustion reagents for ignition on an inner surface of the sleeve, within the combustion chamber. The mount is provided with feed apertures which feed the combustion reagents from the gallery and into the plenum. These feed apertures are located on the mount at positions which both overlie the plenum and avoid the location of other structures within the common head, such as inlet nozzles, sight glasses, pilot feeds, purge feeds and the like. This enables combustion chamber modules and mounts of different configurations to be assembled with a common head which helps to reduce the inventory of parts required for different configurations of abatement apparatus.

Abatement Apparatus

[0075] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of components of a modular abatement apparatus 10 according to one embodiment. FIG. 1B is a sectional view through FIG. 1A providing a sectional view of a pilot module 20. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view through FIG. 1A providing a sectional view of the combustion chamber modules 30. FIG. 1D is sectional view showing the combustion chamber modules 30 in more detail.

[0076] A housing 40 is provided which defines a common housing chamber within which combustion chamber modules 30 are provided (label also in FIG. 1C). A common head 150 is provided which covers an upstream opening of the housing 40. The head 150 receives effluent stream inlets 60 for supplying an effluent stream, combustion reagent inlets 70 for supplying combustion reagents such as fuel, a pilot module inlet 110 for supplying fuel and a purge inlet 160 for supplying an inter-module purge gas such as nitrogen. Downstream of the housing 40 is a weir 170 which defines a wetted wall chamber 180 which in operation has walls over which a fluid such as water flows. In this example, there are two combustion chamber modules 30 arranged linearly within the housing 40, however as will be explained in more detail below, different configurations of combustion chamber modules 30 are possible which share a common housing and common head.

[0077] Between the head 150 and the combustion chamber modules 30 is provided a mount 50 which retains the combustion chamber modules 30 in place within the housing 40. The depth of this mount 50 can vary to accommodate different length combustion chamber modules 30 while still ensuring that each combustion chamber modules 30 discharges at the same position into the weir 170.

[0078] The combustion chamber module 30 has a module housing 80 within which is fitted a foraminous sleeve 90. The foraminous sleeve 90 defines a combustion chamber 120 within which the supplied effluent stream is treated. Each combustion chamber module 30 is provided with an effluent stream inlet 60 which conveys an effluent stream to be treated into the combustion chamber of that combustion chamber module 30. The foraminous sleeve 90 is spaced away slightly from the module housing 80 to define a plenum 100. Combustion reagent inlets 70 convey treatment materials such as fuel through the mount 50 and into the plenum 100 of the respective combustion chamber module 30. Hence, each combustion chamber module 30 is essentially self-contained and its operation has no effect on other combustion chamber modules 30 within the housing 40.

[0079] FIG. 2 illustrates components of an abatement apparatus 10A according to one embodiment. A common head 150A is provided which defines apertures 760A, 770A, which are dimension to receive inlet assemblies. In this example, the apertures 760A receive an inlet assembly 780A, while the aperture 770A is unused and so remains unfiled or blanked off. The common head 150A defines a gallery 790A which has an inlet (not shown) which receives combustion reagents, in this case fuel and an oxidant.

[0080] A pair of mounts 50A are provided which attach to the downstream surface of the common head 150A. Each mount 50A is provided with feed apertures 810A which extend through the mount 50A. A combustion chamber module 30A attaches to the downstream surface of each mount 50A. The combustion chamber module 30A has an aperture which receives the inlet assembly 780A. The combustion chamber module 30A also contains a foraminous sleeve 90A which has an upstream ceiling 200 and depending, diverging walls 180A which define a combustion chamber 120A. An outer surface of the foraminous sleeve 90A and an inner surface of a housing retaining the combustion chamber module 30A defines a plenum 100A. The feed apertures 810A are located to overlie the plenum 100A.

[0081] FIG. 3. illustrates the mounts 50A in more detail. Each mount 50A is provided with a seal 840A which surrounds the inlet assembly 780A and cooperates with the common head 150A. Additionally, a peripheral seal 850A extends around the perimeter of the mount 50A and also cooperates with the common head 150A. These seals 840A, 850A in cooperation with the common head 150A retain the combustion reagents in the area between the seals, within the gallery 790A. Hence, all of the feed apertures 810A are located between these seals 840A, 850A and are each supplied with combustion reagents. The feed apertures 810A are located generally around the perimeter of the mount 50A to overlie an upstream portion of the plenum 100A. However, in order to avoid the location of the apertures 770A (which in this case are unused), both the feed apertures 810A and the peripheral seal 850A deviates away from the location of the apertures 770A. That is to say that the feed apertures 810A and the peripheral seal 850A are positioned along a joggling, non-linear path in the vicinity of the apertures 770A.

[0082] FIG. 4 illustrates components of an abatement apparatus 10B according to one embodiment. This arrangement is similar to that described above and has the same common head 150A. However, in this arrangement further inlet assemblies 780B are provided which are received by the apertures 770A and a single mount 50B is provided which retains a single combustion chamber module 30B.

[0083] The mount 50B attaches to the downstream surface of the common head 150A. The mount 50B is provided with feed apertures 810B which extend through the mount 50B. The combustion chamber module 30B attaches to the downstream surface of the mount 50B. The combustion chamber module 30B has apertures which receives the inlet assemblies 780A, 780B. The combustion chamber module 30B also contains a foraminous sleeve 90B which has an upstream ceiling 200B and depending, diverging walls 180B which define a combustion chamber 120B. An outer surface of the foraminous sleeve 90B and an inner surface of a housing retaining the combustion chamber module 30B defines a plenum 100B. The feed apertures 810B are located to overlie the plenum 100B.

[0084] FIG. 5. illustrates the mount 50B in more detail. The mount 50B is provided with a seal 840A which surrounds the inlet assemblies 780A and a seal 840B which surrounds the inlet assemblies 780B and cooperates with the common head 150A. Additionally, a peripheral seal 850B extends around the perimeter of the mount 50B and also cooperates with the common head 150A. These seals 840A, 840B, 850B in cooperation with the common head 150A retain the combustion reagents in the area between the seals, within the gallery 790A. Hence, all of the feed apertures 810B are located between these seals 840A, 840B, 850B and are each supplied with combustion reagents. The feed apertures 810B are located generally around the perimeter of the mount 50B to an overlie an upstream portion of the plenum 100B. However, both the feed apertures 810B and the peripheral seal 850B also deviate away from a possible location of further apertures. That is to say that the feed apertures 810B and the peripheral seal 850B are positioned along a joggling, non-linear path in the vicinity of the possible location of further apertures.

[0085] Hence, it can be seen that different configuration combustion chamber modules can be attached to the same common head using different configuration mounts, without interfering with the supply of combustion reagents to their plenum(s).

[0086] Some embodiments provide a modular architecture for abatement systems which allows standard burner elements to be tessellated to form an array of different system configurations. This provides a harmonised design whereby combinations and permutations of burner elements can form a leak-tight seal to a common head, thereby reducing inventory and allowing upgrade/future proofing.

[0087] Unlike existing approaches which required a different head for each combination and permutation of modules since there is overlap between the inter-module purge region with premix supply regions and both of these coincide with the positions of the auxiliary inlets on a double width module, some embodiments provide a new geometry that circumvents these problems, allowing a significant reduction in cost/complexity/design work.

[0088] Joggling the seal groove and relocating a number of fuel-air premix ports allows commonality of seal locations. In particular, the seals around the auxiliary inlets in a double module coincide with the joggles in the peripheral sealing groove.

[0089] Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0090] Although elements have been shown or described as separate embodiments above, portions of each embodiment may be combined with all or part of other embodiments described above.

[0091] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are described as example forms of implementing the claims.