Tool exhaust system and treatment method

1 . A method of processing a process gas from a semiconductor tool, the method comprising:

receiving a substrate in the semiconductor processing tool;

exposing the substrate to a volatile organic component in the semiconductor processing tool;

carrying out a semiconductor manufacturing process on the substrate using the volatile organic component;

exhausting from the semiconductor tool to a gas scrubber, an exhaust gas containing an acid component or an alkaline component and the volatile organic component;

removing thermal energy from a scrubbing liquid by passing the scrubbing liquid through a thermal management device;

contacting, in the gas scrubber, the exhaust gas with the scrubbing liquid that has passed through the thermal management device in the presence of a structured packing material in the form of corrugated monolithic structured packing with finned inlets;

removing a portion of the acid or the alkaline component and a portion of the volatile organic component (VOC) from the exhaust gas in the gas scrubber; and

exhausting the scrubbed exhaust gas from the gas scrubber.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing thermal energy from the scrubbing liquid includes passing the scrubbing liquid through a heat exchanger.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing the portion of the VOC from the exhaust gas in the gas scrubber includes reducing the VOC content of the exhaust gas in the gas scrubber to less than 10 ppm.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

delivering the exhaust gas from the gas scrubber to a system exhaust treatment unit;

treating the exhaust gas in the system exhaust treatment unit; and

exhausting from the system exhaust treatment unit, the exhaust gas treated in the system exhaust treatment unit.

5 . A method of processing exhaust gas from a semiconductor wet bench, the method comprising:

introducing a volatile organic component (VOC) into a semiconductor wet bench;

carrying out a process in the semiconductor wet bench utilizing the VOC;

exhausting, from the semiconductor wet bench to a VOC exhaust treatment unit, a VOC-containing exhaust gas that includes a portion of the VOC or a degradation product of the VOC;

introducing an alkaline component or an acidic component into the semiconductor wet bench;

carrying out a process in the wet bench utilizing the acidic component or the alkaline component that results in an exhaust gas including the acidic component or the alkaline component;

exhausting from the semiconductor wet bench to a tool exhaust treatment unit, a combined exhaust gas that includes the exhaust gas and a portion of the VOC-containing exhaust gas remaining in the wet bench after the exhausting the VOC-containing exhaust gas, from the semiconductor wet bench to a VOC exhaust treatment unit;

receiving in an impurity scrubbing unit of a gas scrubber, the combined exhaust gas, the impurity scrubbing unit including a packing material section and a dispenser section;

removing thermal energy from a scrubbing liquid;

dispensing the scrubbing liquid from the dispenser section into the packing material section;

contacting the combined exhaust gas with the scrubbing liquid in the packing material section and removing from the combined exhaust gas, greater than 90% of the acidic component or the alkaline component contained in the combined exhaust gas and removing, from the combined exhaust gas, greater than 70% of the volatile organic component or degradation product of the volatile organic component in the combined exhaust gas, wherein the packing material section comprises a structured packing material in the form of corrugated monolithic structured packing with finned inlets; and

exhausting, from the gas scrubber, a treated exhaust gas.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the acidic component is sulfuric acid and the alkaline component is ammonia.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the VOC is isopropyl alcohol or acetone.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the removing thermal energy from the scrubbing liquid includes recirculating scrubbing liquid collected in a collection tank of the gas scrubber through a heat exchanger to reduce the temperature of the scrubbing liquid in the collection tank.

9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the receiving the combined exhaust gas in the impurity scrubbing unit of the gas scrubber includes receiving the combined exhaust gas into an impurity scrubbing unit of the gas scrubber that includes a packing material section including a structured packing material having an interfacial area of greater than 250 m 2 /m 3 .

10 . A method, comprising:

delivering an exhaust gas from a semiconductor processing tool into a gas scrubber, wherein the exhaust gas comprises an acid component, an alkaline component, a volatile organic component or combinations thereof;

flowing the exhaust gas upwards through a first washing segment comprising a first packing material in a first direction;

contacting a first washing liquid with the exhaust gas in the first washing segment as the first washing liquid flows downwards through the first washing segment in a second direction opposite the first direction;

flowing the exhaust gas through a second washing segment comprising a second packing material downstream the first washing segment in the first or the second direction; and

contacting a second washing liquid with the exhaust gas in the second washing segment as the second washing liquid flows downwards through the second washing segment in the second direction,

wherein the first washing liquid and the second washing liquid independently have a temperature ranging from 5 to 10° C., and

wherein the first washing segment comprises a first structured packing material and the second washing segment comprises a second structured packing material, the first and second structured packing materials in the form of corrugated monolithic structured packing with finned inlets.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the exhaust gas flows downwards through the second washing segment in the same direction as the second washing liquid.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the exhaust gas flows upwards through the second washing segment in the opposite direction as the second washing liquid.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising supplying the first washing liquid to the first washing segment by spraying the first washing liquid from a first spray nozzle, and supplying the second washing liquid to the second washing segment by spraying the second washing liquid from a second spray nozzle.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing the first washing liquid and the second washing liquid from a cooled water source, wherein a temperature of a source washing liquid from which the first washing liquid and the second washing liquid are derived is reduced by at least 9° C.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising passing the exhaust gas through a droplet separator to remove droplets from the exhaust gas after the exhaust gas exits the first washing segment.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising collecting the first washing liquid by a first collection tank after the first washing liquid exits the first washing segment, and collecting the second washing liquid by a second collection tank after the second washing liquid exits the second washing segment.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure drop through the structured packing material ranges from 440 Pa to 660 Pa.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the structured packing material exhibits a number of transfer units (NTU)/hour of greater than 2 up to 5.

19 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second structured packing materials exhibit a max F factor to NTU ratio of greater than 5 to about 10.

20 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second structured packing materials exhibit a specific volume (1/F×NTU) of less than 0.2 down to 0.1.