Semiconductor manufacturing facility and method of operating the same

1 . A semiconductor manufacturing facility comprising:

a process chamber in which an amorphous carbon layer (ACL) process is performed such that an ACL is formed;

a vacuum pump that discharges a residual gas generated in the process chamber from the process chamber while the ACL process is being performed;

a chamber exhaust pipe through which the process chamber and the vacuum pump communicate with each other;

a plasma reactor configured to form a plasma reaction region using plasma; and

a gas supplying device configured to supply oxygen (O 2 ) gas to the plasma reactor,

wherein the residual gas is discharged from the process chamber and flows along the chamber exhaust pipe to form an exhaust gas,

wherein the oxygen gas is decomposed by the plasma in the plasma reaction region to form a reactive species which is an excited gen atoms (O*),

wherein the excited oxygen atoms (O) is introduced into the vacuum pump through the chamber exhaust pipe,

wherein hydrogenated amorphous carbon deposited in the vacuum pump reacts with the excited oxygen atoms (O*) and is oxidized,

wherein a thickness reduction rate of the hydrogenated amorphous carbon deposited in the vacuum pump due to the reaction with the excited oxygen atoms (O*) increases in proportion to an oxygen gas supply flow rate within a range below an upper limit of the oxygen gas supply flow rate,

wherein the upper limit is an oxygen gas supply flow rate that represents the maximum generation rate of excited oxygen according to an operating power of the plasma reactor,

wherein the gas supplying device supplies the oxygen gas to the plasma reactor at the upper limit.

2 . The semiconductor manufacturing facility of claim 1 , wherein the excited oxygen atoms (O*) are supplied to the chamber exhaust pipe through a discharge pipe through which the plasma reactor and the chamber exhaust pipe communicate with each other.

3 . The semiconductor manufacturing facility of claim 1 , wherein the plasma reactor is installed on the chamber exhaust pipe, wherein the plasma reactor decomposes hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C: H) included in the exhaust gas in the plasma reaction region into excited carbon atoms (C*) and excited hydrogen atoms (H*) wherein the excited carbon atoms (C*) react with the excited oxygen atoms (O*) and are oxidized into carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) or carbon monoxide (CO) before being introduced into the vacuum pump, and wherein the excited hydrogen atoms (H react with the excited oxygen atoms (O*) and are oxidized into water vapor (H2O) before being introduced into the vacuum pump.

4 . The semiconductor manufacturing facility of claim 1 , wherein the plasma reactor is installed on the chamber exhaust pipe.

5 . A method of operating a semiconductor manufacturing facility, the semiconductor manufacturing facility comprising a process chamber in which an amorphous carbon layer (ACL) process is performed such that an ACL is formed, a vacuum pump that discharges a residual gas generated in the process chamber from the process chamber while the ACL process is being performed, a chamber exhaust pipe through which the process chamber and the vacuum pump communicate with each other; a plasma reactor configured to form a plasma reaction region using plasma, and a gas supplying device that supplies oxygen (O 2 ) gas to the plasma reactor, the method comprising:

a deposited material removing step of removing hydrogenated amorphous carbon deposited in the vacuum pump,

wherein, in the deposited material removing step, the oxygen gas supplied by the gas supplying device to the plasma reactor is decomposed in the plasma reaction region to generate a reactive species which is an excited oxygen atoms (O*), and the hydrogenated amorphous carbon deposited in the vacuum pump reacts with the excited oxygen atoms (O*) and is removed,

wherein, in the deposited material removing step, a thickness reduction rate of the hydrogenated amorphous carbon deposited in the vacuum pump increases in proportion to an oxygen gas supply flow rate within a range below an upper limit of the oxygen gas supply flow rate,

wherein the upper limit is an oxygen gas supply flow rate that represents the maximum generation rate of excited oxygen according to the operating power of the plasma reactor,

wherein the gas supplying device supplies the oxygen gas to the plasma reactor at the upper limit.