Abatement of perfluorocompounds (PFCs) in a microwave tubular reactor using O/sub 2/ as an additive gas

This paper discusses the abatement of four perfluorocompounds (PFCs) in a microwave tubular reactor-C/sub 2/F/sub 6/, CF/sub 4/, SF/sub 6/, and CHF/sub 3/. The abatement was carried out using O/sub 2/ as an additive gas, and was studied as a function of O/sub 2/:PPC ratio, flow rate, power and pressure. Near 100% abatement was achieved for all the PFCs investigated. A detailed characterization of C/sub 2/F/sub 6/ abatement using GC, GC/MS, and inline Mass Spectrometer showed the major abatement products to be CO/sub 2/, COF/sub 2/, and F/sub 2/. The parameteric dependence of CF/sub 4/, SF/sub 6/, and CHF/sub 3/ abatement was also characterized experimentally, the major products from CF/sub 4/ abatement were similar to those from C/sub 2/F/sub 6/ abatement. Mass Spectroscopy indicated the main products for SF/sub 6/ abatement were SO/sub 2/F/sub 2/, SO/sub 2/, and F/sub 2/ while those for CHF/sub 3/ were CO/sub 2/, COF/sub 2/, F/sub 2/, and HF. Additional experiments indicate that the microwave abatement unit can be successfully used to abate these PFC's in the Integrated Circuit fabrication facilities.