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Walter F. Worth, International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative, USAa

ABSTRACT

Rather than collecting the exhausts from tools in a common duct and dealing with them at the end of the line (e.g., the centralized acid scrubbers), point-of-use abatement devices treat gaseous emissions at the tool where they are produced.    There are several reasons for treating tool emissions at the source.  One reason is to avoid the danger of fire or explosion in case of flammable or pyrophoric gases, and another may be protection of personnel from toxic chemicals.  A third reason may be the prevention of solids deposition, blockage or corrosion of exhaust lines.  A fourth reason is frequently the desire to treat environmentally harmful emissions such as the perfluorocompounds (PFCs), before they become diluted by air present in the centralized exhaust system.  Treatment of the harmful substances at the higher concentration is normally much more effective and efficient.  A modern high volume integrated circuit (IC) chip manufacturing facility (fab) can have a hundred or more of such point-of-use (POU) abatement devices [1], which represent a significant capital investment and operating expense.