Safety and Environmental Control Systems Used in Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Reactors at AT&T-Microelectronics—Reading

Abstract The high degree of potential toxicity associated with the use of arsenic and phosphorus compounds requires special safety considerations during the design and operation of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors used for the production of photonic materials. As the use of photonic materials becomes more widespread with the growth of the optical communication industry, CVD reactors used for the growth of photonic materials (e.g., indium-gallium-arsenide-phosphide) must include sophisticated safety and environmental control systems. The control systems used at AT&T-Microelectronics are described in this article. The exhaust system is designed to prevent exposure to any of the toxic source chemicals used in the reactor. The vent scrubbing system traps arsenic-contaminated reaction products before they reach the outside environment. Safety control logic takes control of the reactor from the resident microprocessor during maintenance and emergency conditions to ensure that safe operating conditions a...