Semiconductor manufacturing facility utilizing exhaust recirculation
View Patent ↗A semiconductor manufacturing process facility requiring use therein of air exhaust for its operation, such facility including clean room and gray room components, with the clean room having at least one semiconductor manufacturing tool therein, and wherein air exhaust is flowed through a region of the clean room. The facility includes an air exhaust treatment apparatus arranged to (i) receive air exhaust after flow thereof through said region of said clean room, (ii) produce a treated air exhaust, and (iii) recirculate the treated air exhaust to an ambient air environment in the facility, e.g., to the gray room of the facility.
1. A process facility requiring use therein of air exhaust for its operation, such facility including a processing tool generating heat and contaminants in said operation, and an air exhaust recirculation system arranged to flow air exhaust so that it captures at least a portion of said heat and contaminants generated by the processing tool, said air exhaust recirculation system comprising an air exhaust treatment apparatus adapted to (i) thermally condition the air exhaust and recover heat therefrom, and (ii) reduce contaminants of the air exhaust to a level safe for breathing exposure in the process facility, and the air exhaust recirculation system being adapted to recirculate the air exhaust, after thermal conditioning and contaminant reduction thereof, to cool other apparatus or structure in the process facility.
2. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust treatment apparatus comprises a sorbent adapted to remove toxic gas components from the air exhaust.
3. The process facility in claim 2 , wherein the sorbent comprises a chemisorbent.
4. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the processing tool is contained in an enclosure through which the air exhaust is flowed by said air exhaust recirculation system.
5. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust treatment apparatus comprises a filter.
6. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust treatment apparatus comprises a heat exchanger.
7. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust recirculation system comprises flow circuitry containing a motive driver for the air exhaust.
8. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the processing tool is adapted to operate at negative pressure.
9. The process facility of claim 7 , wherein the flow circuitry is coupled with at least one gas monitor.
10. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the facility includes clean room and gray room components, and said other apparatus or structure in the process facility are in said gray room component of the process facility.
11. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the processing tool comprises a semiconductor manufacturing tool.
12. The process facility of claim 11 , wherein said processing tool comprises an ion implantation tool.
13. The process facility according to claim 12 , wherein said ion implantation tool comprises an implanter enclosure, through which air exhaust is flowed, wherein said implanter enclosure includes a multiplicity of discharge passages for discharge of air exhaust after it has captured at least a portion of said heat and contaminants generated by the ion implanter, wherein each of said discharge passages is coupled to a manifold arranged for flow of air exhaust containing said heat and contaminants, to the air exhaust treatment apparatus.
14. The process facility of claim 13 , wherein each of the discharge passages from the implanter enclosure contains a flow control device that is adjustable to modulate the flow of the air exhaust therethrough, said process facility further comprising a temperature sensor in the implanter enclosure, and a controller responsive to said temperature sensor to adjust the adjustable flow control devices in the discharge passages in response to temperature sensed by said temperature sensor, so that flow of the air exhaust in said discharge passages is modulated in response to heat generated in the implanter enclosure.
15. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein said processing tool generates an effluent, and said process facility includes a house exhaust treatment system, and flow circuitry coupling the processing tool and said house exhaust treatment system, for flow of processing tool effluent to the house exhaust treatment system.
16. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein said air exhaust treatment apparatus comprises a metal oxide scrubber medium arranged for contacting the air exhaust to remove at least part of said contaminants from the air exhaust.
17. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust after thermal conditioning and contaminant reduction thereof is recirculated to cool another process tool, flow circuitry, or a monitoring device.
18. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein said air exhaust is recirculated for convective heat dissipation.
19. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust treatment apparatus further comprises a toxic gas monitor arranged to actuate shut-down of the processing tool upon detection of toxic gas in the air exhaust.
20. The process facility of claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust treatment apparatus comprises a scrubber that is effective to remove hydrides and acid gas contaminants from the air exhaust.