PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION FOR POINT-OF-USE ABATEMENT OF VOLATILE ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS IN MICROELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING

In gas-solid heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in process air or air vents can be rapidly and completely oxidized to innocuous by-products over a near-ultraviolet (UV) illuminated titanium dioxide thin film catalyst at room temperature. This class of advanced oxidation processes appears to be well-suited for point-of-use VOC abatement in the microelectronics manufacturing industry. In this article, we review industrial requirements and unresolved technical issues in the context of the recently published Semiconductor Industry Association roadmap. The specific requirements for VOC abatement from a typical photolithography track are presented. Bench-scale PCO kinetics for target VOCs are reviewed to demonstrate the typical process behavior expected. (C) 1995 American Vacuum Society.