Abatement of PFCs from Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes by Nonthermal Plasma Technologies: A Critical Review

Emission of various hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and greenhouse gases including perfluorocompounds (PFCs) from semiconductor industries, which individually may cause great impact on human health and the global environment, has attracted much public attention. In this paper, a potential application of nonthermal plasma technologies as an integrated approach for abating the emission of these gaseous pollutants is critically reviewed. Relevant studies indicate that direct electron impact with PFC molecules to form PFC fragment radicals is the first step leading to the destruction of PFCs in nonthermal plasmas (NTPs) and that further reactions of PFC fragments with radicals are essential for the effective removal of PFCs. Previous studies demonstrate that nonthermal plasma combined with catalyst or adsorbent has a good potential to be used as an integrated technology for abating PFCs from complicated gas streams of semiconductor manufacturing processes.