"REDUCTION OF ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY TOXIC AIR EMISSIONS THROUGH THE USE OF A NOVEL VENT GAS SCRUBBER"

THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE AMERICAN MICROELECTRONICS INDUSTRY HAS SPAWNED NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROCESSES USED TO PREPARE SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS, THE KEY COMPONENTS OF SOPHISTICATED ELECTRONIC DEVICES. MOST OF THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN IGNORED BECAUSE RELATIVELY LOW VOLUMES OF CHEMICALS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION. HOWEVER, THE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH TOXICITY OF THESE MATERIALS CAN CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS FOR SMALL QUANTITY HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATORS. SILANE, PHOSPHINE AND/OR ARSINEARE USED IN CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (CVD) STEPS IN SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION. LARGE USERS HAVE BUILT EXPENSIVEFACILITIES FOR HANDLING SMALL AMOUNTS OF THESE MATERIALS, BUT SMALL GENERATORS HAVE VENTED TO THE ATMOSPHERE OR USED SIMILARLY UNACCEPTABLE TECHNIQUES. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY MATERIALS, INC. (ATM) PROPOSES TO BUILD A NOVEL VENT GAS SCRUBBER THAT WILL BE COST-EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING TOXIC AIR EMISSIONS FROM CVD PROCESSES. THE METHODOLOGY TO BE EMPLOYED WILL RESEMBLE THAT USED BY ATM TO DESIGN PUR-IFICATION DEVICES FOR THESE SAME GASES, EXCEPT THAT A BIFUNCTIONAL DEVICE WITH SCAVENGING CAPABILITY IS ENVISIONED THAT IS FULLY AUTOMATED TO HANDLE ANY SYSTEM SURGES. THE PHASE IPROGRAM WILL YIELD A PROTOTYPE DEVICE WITH HIGH CAPACITY ANDCAPTURE EFFECTIVENESS. THE PAHHASE II PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE ON-SITE TESTING AND INDUSTRY QUALIFICATION.