Patent ID: 6673323
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: B01D,C23C

Abstract:
A method of treating an effluent gas from a chamber, the method comprising:(a) introducing a first additive gas into a reactor, the first additive gas comprising (i) an inert gas at a first volumetric flow rate that is sufficiently high to strike a plasma when energized with microwave or RF energy, the inert gas comprising Ar, Ne, He or Xe, and (ii) a reactive gas comprising a first volumetric flow rate of at least one oxygen containing gas having oxygen atoms; (b) changing the first volumetric flow rate of the inert gas to a second volumetric flow rate that is different from the first volumetric flow rate and is sufficiently low to sustain a stabilized plasma and introducing the reactive gas into the plasma such that the volumetric flow ratio of inert gas to reactive gas is from about 1:1 to about 2.9:1, the reactive gas comprising an oxygen containing gas having a second volumetric flow rate that is selected so that the first volumetric flow rate of the oxygen containing gas is from about 20% to about 50% of the second volumetric flow rate of the oxygen containing gas; and (c) introducing the effluent gas into the reactor; and (d) energizing the gases in the reactor.