Method of recycling fluorine using an adsorption purification process

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for producing fluorine by providing a contained fluorine precursor source located proximate to or remotely from an adsorbent bed, optionally in a replaceable unit that may be a replaceable module comprising both the fluorine source and the adsorbent bed. Fluorine derived preferably from a nitrogen trifluoride source and used to remove deposited silicon-containing impurities in reaction chambers is reclaimed from an adsorbent bed, and made available to the reaction chamber as a supplemental fluorine source to reduce the total required amount of nitrogen trifluoride source gas. The separation column adsorbent is regenerated in cyclical intervals using a reverse flow of inert gas.

1 - 16 . (canceled)  
     
     
         17 . A method for cleaning impurities from an inner surface of a reaction chamber comprising the steps of: 
 providing a process chamber having impurities on an interior surface;    directing a flow of a fluorine-containing compound to the process chamber from a fluorine-containing source;    dissociating the fluorine from the fluorine-containing compound, said fluorine associating with the impurities on the interior surface of the process chamber;    directing the fluorine and impurities from the process chamber to a purification chamber, said cleaning chamber containing an amount of adsorbent;    adsorbing the impurities onto the adsorbent producing purified fluorine;    directing the purified fluorine from the purification chamber to the process chamber, said fluorine from the purification chamber supplementing the fluorine-containing source.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the fluorine-containing compound comprises nitrogen trifluoride.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the step of directing the fluorine from the purification chamber to the process chamber further comprises directing the fluorine to a storage tank.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the impurities comprise silicon-containing impurities.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the impurities comprise SiF 4 .  
     
     
         22 - 52 . (canceled)  
     
     
         53 . A method for cleaning impurities from an inner surface of a process chamber comprising the steps of: 
 providing a process chamber having impurities on an interior surface;    directing a flow of a fluorine-containing compound to the process chamber from a fluorine-containing source, said fluorine-containing source at least partially produced by providing a contained fluorine precursor source located proximate to an adsorbent bed in a replaceable unit;    providing an electrolytic cell comprising an electrode, said cell charged with an amount of electrolyte;    providing a power supply and directing current from said power supply to the electrolytic cell;    directing the fluorine precursor to the electrolytic cell;    collecting an amount of impure fluorine from the electrolyte of the electrolytic cell to the adsorbent bed;    adsorbing impurities from the impure fluorine on adsorbent in the adsorbent bed; and    directing purified fluorine from the adsorbent bed to the process chamber;    dissociating the fluorine from the fluorine-containing compound, said fluorine associating with the impurities on the interior surface of the process chamber;    directing the fluorine and impurities from the process chamber to a purification chamber, said purification chamber containing an amount of adsorbent;    adsorbing the impurities onto the adsorbent;    directing the purified fluorine from the purification chamber to the process chamber, said fluorine from the purification chamber supplementing the fluorine-containing source.    
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 53 , wherein the fluorine-containing compound comprises nitrogen trifluoride.  
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 53 , wherein the step of directing the fluorine from the purification chamber to the process chamber further comprises directing the fluorine to a storage tank.  
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 53 , wherein the impurities comprise silicon-containing impurities.  
     
     
         57 - 116 . (canceled)