CN112913334A

CN112913334A - Plasma reactor with multiple electrode assemblies or injected gases

Info

Publication number: CN112913334A
Application number: CN201980068229.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 高京吾; 徐广河; 金大承
Original assignee: Eq Global Co ltd
Current assignee: Eq Global Co ltd
Priority date: 2018-10-29
Filing date: 2019-10-28
Publication date: 2021-06-04
Also published as: WO2020091324A1; SG11202103964PA

Abstract

A plasma reactor having multiple electrode assemblies or injected gases is disclosed. The plasma reactor includes a body and a plurality of spaced electrode assemblies formed on the body. Wherein the electrode assembly has a dielectric formed on the body and an electrode formed on the dielectric, and a plasma reaction occurs when a power is applied to the electrode of the electrode assembly to decompose a contaminant flowing inside the body.

Description

Plasma reactor with multiple electrode assemblies or injected gases

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a plasma reactor having multiple components or injection gases.

Background

Existing plasma reactors use an electrode assembly in the form of a circular coil around a dielectric.

Therefore, when the electrode assembly is in a problem, the power supply needs to be turned off, so that the plasma reaction cannot be performed, and the contaminant substances flowing from the process chamber flow to the vacuum pump.

Further, there is a problem that the electrode is connected to the ground due to the adhesion of the conductive material to the inner surface of the plasma reactor.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma reactor having a plurality of electrode assemblies.

Also, an object of the present invention is to provide a plasma reactor in which an electrode is insulated from ground by injecting a gas.

Technical scheme

To achieve the above object, a plasma reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body; and a plurality of spaced electrode assemblies formed on the body. Wherein the electrode assembly has a dielectric formed on the body and an electrode formed on the dielectric, and a plasma reaction occurs when a power is applied to the electrode of the electrode assembly to decompose a contaminant flowing inside the body.

A plasma reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a body functioning as a ground and having an inside for flowing a gas inputted from an engineering chamber; an electrode formed on the body; and a ground formed inside the body. Wherein an electric field is generated between the electrode and the ground when the power is applied to the electrode, and the gas is decomposed by the electric field.

A plasma reactor according to still another embodiment of the present invention includes a body functioning as a ground; at least a portion of a dielectric disposed on the body; and an electrode arranged on the dielectric. Wherein an inner space of the plasma reactor formed at least one of the body and the dielectric is a vacuum atmosphere in which a gas is injected into the inner space of the plasma reactor to change a conductive substance into an insulating substance or to prevent a substance from adhering to an inner surface of the plasma reactor or to clean the inner surface.

A plasma reactor according to yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a body; at least one electrode assembly having at least a portion of a dielectric disposed on the body and an electrode disposed on the dielectric; and a pressure sensor monitoring an environment of the electrode assembly.

The plasma reactor of the present invention uses a plurality of electrode assemblies, thereby being capable of improving the life span and function of the plasma reactor.

And, the gas is injected into the inner space of the plasma reactor, thereby preventing the conductive substance from connecting the electrode and the ground. That is, the electrode may be insulated from the ground.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an engineering system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a plasma reactor according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the flow of an electric field in the plasma reactor of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the flow of contaminant material in the plasma reactor of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a plasma discharge current in the plasma reactor of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the flow of contaminant material in the plasma reactor of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the flow of an electric field in a plasma reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the flow of contaminant material in the plasma reactor of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a plasma reactor according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of gas injection;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a gas injection configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 13 and 14 are enlarged schematic views of "a" of fig. 10;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a plasma reactor according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 16 is a schematic view of a plasma reactor according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "constituting" or "including" and the like described in the present specification should not be construed as necessarily including all of the constituent elements or all of the steps described in the specification, but should be construed as possibly not including some of the constituent elements or some of the steps or possibly including other additional constituent elements or steps. In addition, terms such as "… section" and "module" described in the specification indicate a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and these terms may be realized by hardware or software, or by a combination of hardware and software.

The present invention relates to a plasma reactor, which can realize a plurality of electrode assemblies to decompose pollutants.

The entire body of the conventional plasma reactor is formed with an electrode assembly. The power of the electrode assembly is cut off in case of a problem with the electrode assembly, so that no plasma reaction occurs. So that a problem occurs in that the contaminated materials flowing in from the engineering chamber directly flow to the vacuum pump.

In contrast, the plasma reactor of the present invention has a plurality of electrode assemblies formed on the body thereof, so that the plasma reaction continues to occur through the normal electrode assemblies even if some of the electrode assemblies are in trouble, and thus the problem of contaminant mass flow to the vacuum pump does not occur in the process.

According to another embodiment, the plasma reactor of the present invention may have a structure preventing the phenomenon of inlet blockage. For example, a ground may be formed near an inlet of the plasma reactor to surround the plasma inside the plasma reactor.

According to still another embodiment, the plasma reactor of the present invention can inject gas into the inside, change conductive substances in the inside into insulating substances or prevent a phenomenon that contaminating substances are deposited on the inner surface or clean the inner surface.

According to still another embodiment, the plasma reactor of the present invention may have a structure capable of maintaining the inside in a vacuum state and preventing gas from flowing out to the outside even when the dielectric is broken.

According to yet another embodiment, the plasma reactor of the present invention is capable of monitoring internal environmental conditions using a pressure sensor.

Various embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an engineering system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1, the engineering system of the present embodiment may include an engineering chamber 102, a plasma reactor 100, and a vacuum pump 104. The process chamber 102 is coupled to the plasma reactor 100 via a first vacuum line 110, and the plasma reactor 100 and the vacuum pump 104 are coupled via a second vacuum line 112.

However, the plasma reactor 100 may be disposed not only between the process chamber 102 and the vacuum pump 104, but also between the vacuum pump 104 and the scrubber or at the upper end of the scrubber. And, a plurality of plasma reactors may be disposed at various locations among the engineering chamber, the vacuum pipe, the vacuum pump, and the scrubber. That is, the position of the plasma reactor 100 is not limited as long as it can decompose the contaminant substances using the plasma reaction.

For ease of explanation, it is assumed that the plasma reactor 100 is disposed between the process chamber 102 and the vacuum pump 104.

The process chamber 102 may perform a deposition process, an etching process, a cleaning process, or the like under vacuum. However, the gas used in the process chamber 102 varies depending on the process.

Thus, according to the process, a waste gas containing a precursor, a process gas, a purge gas, or a byproduct is input from the process chamber 102 to the plasma reactor 100 through the first vacuum pipe 110. That is, the contaminant material is input to the plasma reactor 100 from the engineered chamber 102.

Such contaminants can deposit on the interior surfaces of the duct and block the interior of the duct. When the contaminants are supplied to the vacuum pump 104, the temperature and pressure conditions inside the vacuum pump 104 may change rapidly, and the contaminants may change phase and solidify or liquefy inside the vacuum pump 104. This may cause a failure of the vacuum pump 104. In particular, the discharge of the pollutants into the atmosphere causes a big problem.

Accordingly, a plasma reactor 100 for removing such contaminating substances may be disposed between the engineered chamber 102 and the vacuum pump 104.

The plasma reactor 100 serves to decompose and remove the input contaminant materials. Specifically, the plasma reactor 100 generates an electric field using electrodes, which enables the contaminating substances to undergo plasma reaction and be decomposed.

Wherein no plasma reaction occurs in the plasma reactor 100 in the case where the electrode is broken. As a result, the contaminant substances input from the process chamber 102 can be input to the vacuum pump 104.

Therefore, the plasma reactor 100 of the present invention does not utilize one electrode but utilizes a plurality of electrodes. As a result, even if some of the electrodes are broken, the other electrodes are normally operated, so that the plasma reactor 100 can continue to decompose and remove the contaminants. That is, the life of the plasma reactor 100 can be extended and the performance can be improved.

Various embodiments of the plasma reactor 100 are described in detail below.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a plasma reactor according to a first embodiment of the present invention, fig. 3 is a schematic view showing a flow of an electric field in the plasma reactor of fig. 2, and fig. 4 is a schematic view showing a flow of a contaminant in the plasma reactor of fig. 2.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, the plasma reactor 100 of the present embodiment may include a body 200, a plurality of

electrode assemblies

202a, 202b, 202c, and 202d, an inlet portion 210, and an outlet portion 212. Also, the plasma reactor 100 may further include a ground 204 formed through the body 200.

The body 200 is a housing in which the pollutants flow. According to one embodiment, the body 200 may function as a ground.

Electrode assembly 202 is formed on a portion of body 200 and may include a dielectric 300 formed on body 200 and an electrode 302 formed on dielectric 300. Wherein the electrode 302 may be applied with a positive voltage. As a result, as shown in fig. 3, an electric field is generated between the electrode 302 and the body 200 functioning as a ground, and a plasma reaction is generated by the electric field to decompose and remove the contaminant.

Specifically, the contaminant inputted through the inlet portion 210 flows through the space between the body 200 and the ground 204 as shown in fig. 4, and such contaminant can flow to the vacuum pump 104 through the outlet portion 212.

While the contaminants are flowing inside the body 200, the electric field is generated by the positive voltage applied to the electrode 302, and the plasma reaction occurs, so that the contaminants can be decomposed and removed by the plasma reaction. For example, the gas ionizes and the ions may react with the byproducts to decompose the byproducts.

According to one embodiment, more than two electrode assemblies 202, such as four

electrode assemblies

202a, 202b, 202c and 202d, may be formed on the body 200 at intervals.

For example, as shown in fig. 3, the body 200 may have a hexagonal shape, and

electrode assemblies

202a, 202b, 202c, or 202d may be formed on four faces of six faces, respectively. Specifically, the first electrode assembly 202a and the second electrode assembly 202b are formed on the right two surfaces of the body 200 at predetermined intervals, and the third electrode assembly 202c and the fourth electrode assembly 202d are formed on the left two surfaces of the body 200 at predetermined intervals.

In the case where only one electrode is formed on the entire body 200, when the electrode does not normally operate due to a dielectric or electrode breakage, the contaminant may flow into the vacuum pump 104 through the body 200. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately stop the operation of the plasma reactor, i.e., to immediately cut off the power applied to the electrodes.

In contrast, in the case where the body 200 is formed with a plurality of electrode assemblies 202, even though some of the electrode assemblies 202 do not normally operate, the other electrode assemblies 202 still normally operate, and thus the removal of contaminants can be continued. That is, the life of the plasma reactor 100 can be extended.

According to one embodiment, power may be separately applied to the electrode assemblies 202. Here, the power source may be a sub power source separated from one power source.

In the case where a part of the electrode assemblies in the electrode assembly 202 is abnormally operated, a higher power is applied to the normally operated electrode assemblies, and thus the plasma density can be increased. Here, the power supply to the electrodes of the electrode assembly that is not normally operated may be cut off. As a result, even if some of the electrode assemblies are not normally operated, the contaminant removal efficiency can be similar to that when all of the electrode assemblies are normally operated.

According to one embodiment, the ground 204 may be formed through a central portion of the body 200 such that at least a portion of the ground 204 is arranged inside the body 200. Such grounding 204 may serve to minimize interference between the electrodes to stabilize the plasma reaction. That is, interference between electric fields caused by the electrodes is minimized by the ground 204, so that the plasma reaction can be stabilized.

Further, as shown in fig. 3, since the electric field is not directed to the entrance but directed to the center due to the ground 204, the plasma can be suppressed from traveling to the entrance to the maximum extent by the ground 204. In the case where the plasma is introduced into the inlet, the density of the plasma at the inlet side is reduced, and thus the contaminant may not be completely treated, so that a phenomenon in which the inlet or a pipe connected to the inlet is blocked by the formation of solid matter may occur. The influence of the electric field on the inlet can be minimized in the case of using the ground 204, and thus the phenomenon of clogging of the inlet or the pipe can be prevented to the maximum extent.

Also, the ground 204 may also function as an antenna.

In addition, since the body 200 functions as a ground, the ground 204 may be omitted. Alternatively, when the ground 204 is present, the main body 200 may not function as a ground. However, in consideration of pollutant decomposition efficiency, etc., it is more advantageous that the body 200 functions as a ground and the ground 204 is formed inside the body 200 than that only one ground is formed.

According to one embodiment, the ground 204 may be rolled into a cylindrical shape so as to face the

electrode assemblies

202a, 202b, 202c, and 202d, respectively.

To sum up, a plurality of electrode assemblies 200 are formed on the surface of the body 200 at intervals, and the inner side of the body 200 may be formed with an additional ground 204.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a plasma reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention, fig. 6 is a schematic view of a discharge current of plasma in the plasma reactor of fig. 5, and fig. 7 is a schematic view of a flow of a contaminant in the plasma reactor of fig. 5.

Referring to fig. 5, as another example, the plasma reactor of the present embodiment may include a body 500, a plurality of

electrode assemblies

502a, 502b, 502c, and 502d formed on the body 500, an inlet buffer chamber 510, an outlet buffer chamber 512, and a ground 520.

According to one embodiment, the body 500 may have a quadrangular shape on which the electrode assemblies 502 may be respectively formed. Four

electrode assemblies

502a, 502b, 502c, and 502d are formed in fig. 5, but it is sufficient that more than two electrode assemblies are formed at intervals.

The electrode assembly 502 may include a dielectric 530 formed on the body 500 and an electrode 532, such as a high voltage electrode, formed on the dielectric 530. For example, a positive voltage may be applied to the electrode 532.

According to one embodiment, the body 500 functions as a ground, and thus as a positive voltage is applied to the electrode 532, an electric field occurs between the electrode 532 and the body 500, as shown in fig. 6, and thus a plasma reaction occurs. As a result, the contaminant materials introduced through the inlet from the process chamber 102 can be decomposed and removed. For example, the gas ionizes and the ions react with the by-products, thereby enabling decomposition of the by-products.

Here, in the case where the ground 520 is not formed inside the inlet buffer chamber 510, the electric field can affect the inlet or the inside of the duct, and thus the plasma reaction can occur inside the inlet or the inside of the duct. In this case, the density of the plasma is low, and therefore the contaminating substances cannot be thoroughly treated inside the inlet or duct, possibly generating solid substances that can block said inlet or duct. Accordingly, the plasma reactor 100 of the present invention forms the ground 520 inside the inlet buffer chamber 510 to enclose the plasma inside the plasma reactor 100 as shown in fig. 6. As a result, the inlet or the duct can be prevented from being clogged.

That is, as shown in fig. 7, when the pollutant input from the process chamber 102 flows into the plasma reactor 100, the pollutant is decomposed by the plasma reaction inside the plasma reactor 100, and the inlet or the pipe connected to the inlet is prevented from being clogged by the ground 520. Here, the ground 520 may be supported by the support 522.

In addition, although the outlet buffer chamber 512 may be grounded, since the pollutants are decomposed and removed sufficiently in the plasma reactor 100, the outlet may not be blocked even if the ground is not applied. Therefore, it is not essential to form the ground in the outlet buffer chamber 512.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of electrode assemblies 502 separated from each other may be formed on the body 500.

According to one embodiment, more than two electrode assemblies 502, for example, four

electrode assemblies

502a, 502b, 502c, and 502d, may be formed on the body 500 at intervals.

For example, as shown in fig. 6, the body 500 may have a quadrangular shape on which the

electrode assemblies

502a, 502b, 502c, or 502d may be formed, respectively. Specifically, the first electrode assembly 502a, the second electrode assembly 502b, the third electrode assembly 502c, and the fourth electrode assembly 502d may be arranged in a state of being spaced apart by a designated interval.

According to one embodiment, the electrode assemblies 502 may be separately powered. Here, the power source may be a sub power source separated from one power source.

In the case where a part of the electrode assemblies in the electrode assembly 502 is not normally operated, a stronger power is applied to the normally operated electrode assemblies, and thus the plasma density can be increased. Here, the electrodes of the electrode assembly, which are not normally operated, may be cut off from the power supply. As a result, even if some of the electrode assemblies are not normally operated, the removal efficiency of the contaminants can be similar to that of the entire electrode assemblies when they are normally operated.

In summary, a plurality of electrode assemblies 502 are formed on the body 500 and the buffer chamber 510 may be lined with a ground 520.

In addition, the plasma confinement is performed by the ground 520, but the plasma confinement is not limited in terms of the inside of the plasma reactor 100. The components performing such a function may be collectively referred to as a cut-off portion.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view illustrating the flow of an electric field in a plasma reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 9 is a schematic view illustrating the flow of contaminant substances in the plasma reactor of fig. 8.

As another example, referring to fig. 8 and 9, the plasma reactor 100 of the present embodiment may include a body 800, a plurality of

electrode assemblies

802a, 802b, 802c, and 802d, an inlet 810, an outlet 812, a buffer chamber 820, and a second ground 822. Also, the plasma reactor 100 may further include a first ground 804 formed through the body 800.

The body 800 is an outer shell inside which the pollutants flow. According to one embodiment, the body 800 may function as a ground.

The electrode assembly 802 is formed on a portion of the face of the body 800 and may include a dielectric 830 formed on the body 800 and an electrode 832 formed on the dielectric 830. Wherein a positive voltage may be applied to the electrode 832. As a result, as shown in fig. 8, an electric field is formed between the electrode 832 and the main body 800 functioning as a ground, and plasma reaction is caused by the electric field, whereby the contaminants can be decomposed and removed.

According to one embodiment, more than two electrode assemblies 802, for example, four

electrode assemblies

802a, 802b, 802c, and 802d, may be formed on the body 800 at intervals.

According to one embodiment, the first ground 804 is formed through a central portion of the body 800 such that at least a portion of the first ground 804 is arranged inside the body 800. Such a first ground 804 may serve to minimize interference between the electrodes to stabilize the plasma reaction. That is, interference between electric fields by the electrodes is minimized due to the first ground 804, and thus the plasma reaction can be stabilized.

According to one embodiment, the first ground 804 may be formed in a rolled cylindrical shape so as to face the

electrode assemblies

802a, 802b, 802c, and 802d, respectively.

The buffer chamber 820 is formed on the inlet portion 810, and the inside thereof may be formed with the second ground 802. The second ground 820 functions to enclose the plasma inside the plasma reactor 100.

To sum up, a plurality of electrode assemblies 800 are formed on the surface of the body 800 at intervals, a first ground 804 is formed inside the body 800, and a second ground 822 may be formed inside the buffer chamber 820.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a plasma reactor according to still another embodiment of the present invention, fig. 11 is a schematic view of gas injection, and fig. 12 is a schematic view of a gas injection structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 and 14 are enlarged schematic views of "a" in fig. 10.

As shown in fig. 11, a gas 1100 may be injected into the interior of the plasma reactor. Fig. 12 shows such a structure for injecting gas, as shown in fig. 12, gas can be injected from a plurality of places.

Looking at the outer side of the plasma reactor, section "a" with reference to fig. 12, the plasma reactor may include a ground (body 1200), a safety shield 1202, a dielectric 1204, an electrode 1206, an insulator 1208, an insulating and conductive sheet 1210, and a gas injection port 1212.

A portion of dielectric 1204 is formed on ground 1200 and the remaining portion is exposed to the interior space of the plasma reactor.

An electrode 1206 is formed on the dielectric 1204.

An insulator 1208 is formed over the electrode 1206 and an insulating and conductive sheet 1210 is formed over the insulator 1208.

The safety cover 1202 covers the ground 1200, a part of the dielectric 1204, and the insulating and conductive sheet 1210, and serves to prevent the vacuum atmosphere inside the plasma reactor from being broken or prevent contaminants inside from flowing out to the outside when the dielectric 1204 is broken.

The gas inlet port 1212 is formed through the safety cover 1202, and gas flows into the safety cover 1202 through the gas inlet port 1212. The gas may then be injected into the interior space of the plasma reactor through the space between ground 1200 and dielectric 1204. Here, a nozzle 1200 is formed in a space between the ground 1200 and the dielectric 1204, and a gas can be injected into the plasma reactor through the nozzle 1200.

Further, the method of injecting the gas may be variously modified on the premise that the gas is injected into the plasma reactor through the space between the ground 1200 and the dielectric 1204 after passing through the gas injection port 1212.

According to one embodiment, a gas that oxidizes a conductive substance existing inside the plasma reactor so that the gas that becomes an insulating substance to remove the conductive substance may be input to the inside of the plasma reactor. The ground 1200 and the electrode 1206 are electrically separated by the dielectric 1204, but problems can occur in that the ground 1200 and the electrode 1206 are electrically connected through conductive substances inside the plasma reactor. Therefore, it is necessary to change such a conductive substance into an insulating substance. The plasma reactor can flow a gas (e.g., a reaction gas) from the outside to the inside, and change a conductive substance into an insulating substance to solve the problem of the connection of the ground 1200 and the electrode 1206. The conductive material may be a material that flows from the process chamber 102 or a material that is generated by a plasma reaction.

According to another embodiment, in the case where gas is injected into the interior of the plasma reactor, the pressure of a portion of the periphery of the injected gas in the plasma reactor is increased, so that it is possible to prevent deposition of contaminating substances on the inner surface of the plasma reactor.

According to still another embodiment, in order to clean the inner surface of the plasma reactor before the coated conductive substance reaches a thickness of breaking the insulation, a cleaning gas may be flowed into the interior of the plasma reactor.

That is, the kind and effect of the gas may vary depending on the purpose of use.

Further, although it is described that the gas is injected into the internal space of the plasma reactor through the space between the ground 1200 and the dielectric 1204, the injection position and structure of the gas may be variously modified on the premise that the gas is injected into the internal space of the plasma reactor.

Referring to fig. 13 illustrating another embodiment, the plasma reactor of the present embodiment may include a ground 1200, a safety shield 1202, a dielectric 1204, an electrode 1206, an insulator 1208, an insulating and conducting strip 1210, a slot 1300 formed on an inner side of the safety shield 1202 for insertion of the first ring, and a slot 1302 formed on an inner side of the safety shield 1202 for insertion of the second ring.

The components other than the first ring and the second ring are the same as those in fig. 11, and therefore, the description thereof will be omitted.

The first ring can prevent a phenomenon that gas flowing into the inside of the plasma reactor flows into the electrode assembly space.

The second ring is used to maintain a vacuum when the dielectric 1204 is broken. In case the dielectric 1204 is broken, air flows into the inside of the plasma reactor, and thus the vacuum may be broken. Therefore, the second ring may be provided throughout the body so that even when such a dielectric 1204 is broken, external air cannot flow into the inside of the plasma reactor.

According to one embodiment, the second ring may be disposed where dielectric 1204 meets safety shield 1202.

A further purpose of the second ring is to be able to prevent the outflow of the gas flowing into the interior of the plasma reactor to the outside.

In addition, the first ring and the second ring are not limited in position, number, size, and the like as long as the first ring and the second ring prevent a phenomenon in which gas flows into the electrode assembly space and prevent the vacuum state from being broken.

Referring to fig. 14 for a further embodiment, the plasma reactor of the present embodiment may include a ground 1200, a safety enclosure 1202, at least one electrode assembly having a dielectric 1204 and an electrode 1206, an insulating region 1400, a sealed space 1402 for sealing the electrode assembly, and a pressure sensor 1410.

The electrode assembly of the plasma reactor is sealed and a pressure sensor 1410 may monitor the environmental conditions of the electrode assembly of such a sealed plasma reactor.

For example, the pressure sensor 1410 may set an upper pressure limit range to monitor a temperature environment, and may stop power applied to the electrodes of the electrode assembly if the temperature rises above a reference value. The reason why the temperature rises above the reference value is that there is a high possibility of abnormality in power supply.

As another example, the pressure sensor 1410 may set a lower limit pressure range to monitor whether the dielectric 1204 is broken, and may turn off the power applied to the electrode when the dielectric 1204 is broken. This is because the vacuum atmosphere is broken when the dielectric 1204 is broken.

That is, the plasma reactor may monitor the environmental conditions of the electrode assembly (temperature and whether the dielectric is broken) using a pressure sensor 1410. In addition, the position and number of the pressure sensors 1410 are not limited on the premise that the pressure sensors 1410 can monitor the environmental condition of the electrode assembly.

Fig. 15 is a schematic view of a plasma reactor according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 15, the plasma reactor of the present embodiment may include a body 1500,

electrodes

1502a and 1502b, an inlet portion 1510, and a plurality of

outlet portions

1512, 1514 and 1516. Here, the

outlets

1512, 1514, and 1516 may be respectively connected with a vacuum pump.

While fig. 2 shows one outlet 212 and one vacuum pump 104, the capacity of the vacuum pump 104 may be insufficient, the plasma reactor of the present embodiment uses a plurality of vacuum pumps, thereby ensuring sufficient capacity.

However, even if a plurality of

outlets

1512, 1514 and 1516 are included, a plurality of

electrode assemblies

1502a and 1502b may be formed on the body 1500. In contrast to fig. 2,

outlet portions

1514 and 1516 are formed instead of

electrode assemblies

202b and 202 c.

Referring to fig. 16 (a) and (B), the plasma reactor of the present embodiment may include a body 1600 and a plurality of

electrode assemblies

1602a, 1602B, 1602c, and 1602d formed on the body 1600. Also, a buffer chamber 1614 between the inlet 1610 and the body 1600 and a buffer chamber 1616 between the outlet 1612 and the body 1600 may be included.

The body 200 of fig. 2 is a hexahedron, and the body 1600 of the present embodiment is a quadrangle. Regardless of the polygonal shape, a plurality of electrode assemblies may be formed at a plurality of faces. Of course, a plurality of electrode assemblies may be formed on the cylindrical body at intervals. That is, the case where a plurality of electrode assemblies are formed on the outer side of the body at intervals is not particularly limited.

In addition, the constituent elements of the above-described embodiment can be easily understood from the process point of view. That is, each constituent element can be understood by each process. And the processes of the above embodiments can be easily understood from the viewpoint of the constituent elements of the apparatus.

Industrial applicability of the invention

It should be understood that the scope of the present invention is defined by the following claims, and all changes and modifications derived from the meaning, range and equivalent concept of the claims are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plasma reactor, comprising:

a body; and

a plurality of electrode assemblies formed on the body and spaced apart from each other,

wherein the electrode assembly has a dielectric formed on the body and an electrode formed on the dielectric, and a plasma reaction occurs when a power is applied to the electrode of the electrode assembly to decompose a contaminant flowing inside the body.

2. The plasma reactor according to claim 1,

the body functions as a ground, and the plasma reaction is decomposed and removed by an electric field occurring between the electrode and the ground.

3. The plasma reactor according to claim 2,

an additional ground minimizing interference between electric fields formed by the electrode assembly is further formed at the center of the inner side of the body, and the electrode assembly is arranged toward the additional ground in a state of being positioned between the inlet and the additional ground to inhibit plasma from traveling toward the inlet, so that the electric field formed by the electrode assembly and the additional ground is not formed to the inlet into which the contaminant flows.

4. The plasma reactor according to claim 1,

in the case where a part of the electrode assemblies are not normally operated, a higher power is applied to the electrode assemblies that are normally operated.

5. The plasma reactor according to claim 1,

a plurality of outlet parts are formed on the body and are respectively connected with a vacuum pump.

6. The plasma reactor according to claim 1,

the body is a polyhedron, and the electrode assemblies are arranged on the surfaces of the polyhedron at intervals.

7. A plasma reactor, comprising:

a body which plays a role of grounding and in which gas inputted from the engineering chamber flows;

an electrode formed on the body; and

a grounding formed on the inner side of the body,

wherein an electric field is generated between the electrode and the ground when the power is applied to the electrode, and the gas is decomposed by the electric field.

8. A plasma reactor, comprising:

the body plays a role of grounding;

a dielectric having at least a portion thereof arranged on the body; and

an electrode arranged on the dielectric,

wherein an inner space of the plasma reactor formed by at least one of the body and the dielectric is a vacuum atmosphere in which gas is injected into the inner space of the plasma reactor to change a conductive substance into an insulating substance or to prevent a substance from adhering to an inner surface of the plasma reactor or to clean the inner surface.

9. The plasma reactor according to claim 8,

the gas is injected into the interior space of the plasma reactor through the space between the body and the dielectric.

10. The plasma reactor according to claim 8,

further comprising a safety shield covering the body, the dielectric and the electrodes,

the gas is introduced into a space penetrating the safety cover and then injected into the internal space through a space between the body and the dielectric.

11. The plasma reactor according to claim 9,

a nozzle for injecting the gas into the internal space is formed in a space between the body and the dielectric medium.

12. The plasma reactor according to claim 8,

the kind of the gas varies depending on the purpose of injecting the gas.

13. The plasma reactor according to claim 8,

a first groove and a second groove which are separated from each other are formed on the inner side surface of the safety cover, the first ring is inserted into the first groove, the second ring is inserted into the second groove,

the first ring prevents the injected gas from flowing into the inside of an electrode assembly of the plasma reactor, and the second ring prevents the vacuum atmosphere from being broken when the dielectric is broken and prevents the injected gas from flowing out to the outside of the plasma reactor.

14. A plasma reactor, comprising:

a body;

at least one electrode assembly comprising at least a portion of a dielectric disposed on the body and an electrode disposed on the dielectric; and

a pressure sensor monitoring an environment of the electrode assembly.

15. The plasma reactor of claim 14, wherein:

the pressure sensor sets an upper pressure limit range to monitor a temperature environment of the electrode assembly, sets a lower pressure limit range to monitor whether the dielectric is broken,

and interrupting the power supply to the electrode when the temperature of the electrode assembly is judged to exceed a reference value or the dielectric is damaged.