Plasma abatement system utilizing water vapor and oxygen reagent

1. A system for plasma abatement, the system comprising:

a processing chamber;

a chamber foreline;

a water and oxygen delivery system positioned downstream from and fluidly coupled to the processing chamber by the chamber foreline, the water and oxygen delivery system comprising:

a water vapor reagent source fluidly coupled with the chamber foreline via a first conduit; and

an oxygen reagent source fluidly coupled with the chamber foreline via a second conduit fluidly coupled with the first conduit;

a plasma source positioned downstream from and fluidly coupled with the water and oxygen delivery system via the chamber foreline; and

a first controller configured to:

cause the water and oxygen delivery system to deliver an abating reagent comprising water vapor and oxygen into the plasma source via the chamber foreline, wherein a mixture of the water vapor and the oxygen in the abating reagent is between 0.75×X+0.25×Y and 0.5×X+0.5×Y, X represents a water vapor only flow rate, and Y represents an oxygen only flow rate, the deliver the abating reagent comprising:

deliver the water vapor from the water vapor reagent source into the chamber foreline via the first conduit fluidly coupled with the chamber foreline; and

deliver the oxygen from the oxygen reagent source into the chamber foreline via the second conduit fluidly coupled with the first conduit; and

cause the plasma source to form a plasma from the water vapor, the oxygen, and an effluent comprising a fluorinated greenhouse gas to convert the fluorinated greenhouse gas to an abated material; and

wherein the water and oxygen delivery system comprises:

a housing comprising a floor that defines a horizontal plane and an interior wall extending vertically from the floor and dividing the housing into a first enclosed region and a second enclosed region;

the first enclosed region comprising the water vapor reagent source positioned on the floor and a flow control system positioned above the water vapor reagent source, the flow control system comprising a first flow controller that controls a flow of the water vapor, a second flow controller that controls a flow of the oxygen, and a third flow controller disposed between the first and second flow controller; and

the second enclosed region comprising a second controller configured to control tasks performable by components of the abatement system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluorinated greenhouse gas comprises a sulfur-containing fluorinated gas.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the sulfur-containing fluorinated gas is SF 6 .

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma source is an inductively coupled plasma.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the abating reagent and the effluent are combined prior to forming the plasma.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the water vapor and the oxygen are simultaneously delivered to the plasma source.

7. A system for plasma abatement, the system comprising:

a processing chamber;

a vacuum source;

a chamber foreline coupling the processing chamber with the vacuum source;

an abatement system fluidly coupled with the chamber foreline via a first conduit, the abatement system positioned downstream from the processing chamber, the abatement system comprising:

a water vapor reagent source coupled with the chamber foreline via the first conduit; and

an oxygen reagent source coupled with the chamber foreline via a second conduit coupled with the first conduit,

a plasma source positioned downstream from and fluidly coupled with the abatement system via the chamber foreline; and

a first controller configured to:

cause the abatement system to deliver an abating reagent comprising water vapor and oxygen into the plasma source via the chamber foreline, wherein a mixture of the water vapor and the oxygen in the abating reagent is between 0.75×X+0.25×Y and 0.5×X+0.5×Y, X represents a water vapor only flow rate, and Y represents an oxygen only flow rate, the deliver the abating reagent comprising:

deliver the water vapor from the water vapor reagent source into the chamber foreline via the first conduit fluidly coupled with the chamber foreline; and

deliver the oxygen from the oxygen reagent source into the chamber foreline via the second conduit fluidly coupled with the first conduit; and

cause the plasma source to form a plasma from the water vapor, the oxygen, and an effluent comprising a fluorinated greenhouse gas to convert the fluorinated greenhouse gas to an abated material,

wherein the abatement system comprises:

a housing comprising a floor that defines a horizontal plane and an interior wall extending vertically from the floor and dividing the housing into a first enclosed region and a second enclosed region;

the first enclosed region comprising the water vapor reagent source positioned on the floor and a flow control system positioned above the water vapor reagent source, the flow control system comprising a first flow controller that controls a flow of the water vapor, a second flow controller that controls a flow of the oxygen, and a third flow controller disposed between the first and second flow controller; and

the second enclosed region comprising a second controller configured to control tasks performable by components of the abatement system.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the fluorinated greenhouse gas comprises a sulfur-containing fluorinated gas.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sulfur-containing fluorinated gas is SF 6 .

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plasma is an inductively coupled plasma.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the abating reagent and the effluent are combined prior to forming the plasma.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the water vapor and the oxygen are simultaneously delivered to the plasma source.