Patent · US Expired

Method for H2 Recycling in semiconductor processing system

US6737361B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
12References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 6, 2001
Grant dateMay 18, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 3, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC30B25/02
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A system and method for conserving and/or recycling hydrogen used in processing operations. The present invention can be used with any conventional reactor, which supports semiconductor processes using hydrogen. Hydrogen is pumped into the reactor from a hydrogen gas supply chamber. The hydrogen is used in the reactor as needed to perform the process function. The hydrogen accompanied with other process gases is exhausted from the reactor. The exhausted gases are routed through a scrubber, which is used to separate the hydrogen from the other gases. The other gases are allowed to vent from the system in a typical manner. The hydrogen is then pumped through an H2 purifier, which cleans the hydrogen gas making the gas once again useable in the semiconductor process.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.