CVD EXHAUST - SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITY

Abstract
Both atmospheric pressure and low pressure CVD reactors generate substantial quantities of hazardous waste. Burn boxes and wet scrubbers remove much of this waste from atmospheric pressure exhausts ; however, these methods are inefficient for CVD reactors using vacuum. Unless otherwise treated, the hazardous and toxic effluents distributed along the reactor exhaust system cause excessive vacuum pump maintenance, clogged exhaust lines, unscheduled downtime, the possibility of fire or other health/safety risks, and maximize the total cost of disposal. Scrubbing these effluents in the vacuum system before they reach the vacuum pump provides the safest and lowest cost method of handling such toxic wastes.