JP2015068827A - Catalytic activity-diagnosing method in formic acid decomposition device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a catalytic activity-diagnosing method which determines activity of a catalyst filled in a formic acid decomposition device.SOLUTION: A catalytic activity-diagnosing method for a formic acid decomposition device makes gas containing formic acid, and oxygen or gas containing oxygen react with a catalyst for decomposing formic acid to decompose the formic acid into water and carbon dioxide. The method includes: introducing the gas containing formic acid, and oxygen or the gas containing oxygen into a formic acid decomposition part; measuring a catalyst temperature change due to heating in a decomposition reaction of the formic acid using a thermocouple provided in a catalyst layer of the formic acid decomposition part; and determining an activity of the catalyst from an increased amount of the catalyst temperature.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing catalyst activity in an apparatus for formic acid decomposition.

  When forming solder bumps on a semiconductor chip, solder is deposited on the pads, then the shape of the solder bumps is changed from a mushroom shape to a hemispherical shape, and then soldered by reflowing. In the conventional soldering method, in order to form a uniform solder bump, the surface oxide film of the solder is removed using a flux to clean the surface of the solder bump.

  However, in soldering using a flux, small voids may be formed in the solder bumps due to the decomposition of the flux. These voids not only degrade the electrical and mechanical properties of the formed solder joint, but also destroy the flatness of the semiconductor with solder bumps and may affect the subsequent semiconductor bonding process. The decomposed flux volatile material may contaminate the reflow processing device (soldering device), thereby increasing the maintenance cost. In addition, flux residues often remain on the semiconductor substrate, causing metal corrosion and reducing assembly performance. Furthermore, in the method of cleaning and removing the flux residue after reflow, the time required for soldering increases due to the addition of a new processing step called post-cleaning.

  For this reason, as a soldering method that does not use flux, there is known a method of reducing a solder, a substrate, an electrode, or the like that is a member to be joined using formic acid (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). In such a reduction method, when the substrate on which the solder member is mounted reaches a predetermined temperature, the solder member is exposed to a reducing gas containing formic acid to perform a reduction process for removing the oxide film on the surface, and then a melting process is performed. .

  However, formic acid corrodes the chamber material, and the corrosive substance becomes a contamination source in the chamber as a metallic foreign substance, and may be scattered and attached to the substrate or electronic components mounted on the substrate. Must be removed from the chamber. In addition, since formic acid is irritating, it is desirable that formic acid recovered from the chamber is safely treated.

In the soldering apparatus described in Patent Document 1, formic acid is heated and vaporized in a heating chamber, decomposes as follows to generate hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas, and supplies the generated gas to the soldering apparatus. The oxide film is reduced.
HCOOH → H ₂ O + CO
HCOOH → H ₂ + CO ₂

  In the soldering apparatus described in Patent Document 2, after the reflow is completed, the formic acid atmosphere gas attached to the shield material and the chamber material is decomposed by a formic acid decomposition heater installed so as to cover the inner wall surface.

  In the soldering apparatus described in Patent Document 3, an exhaust pump and a formic acid recovery mechanism are installed at the exhaust port of the soldering apparatus, and the discharged formic acid is dissolved and recovered in water or alcohol.

JP 2011-060856 A (paragraph [0016]) JP 2007-125578 A (paragraphs [0042] to [0044], FIG. 4) JP 2001-244618 A (paragraphs [0090] to [0092], appendix 30, FIG. 16)

  However, the method described in Patent Document 1 reduces the oxide film with hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and therefore, for lead-free solder having a melting point equal to or lower than the reduction start temperature of hydrogen (about 270 ° C.), before solder melting. However, there is a problem that the reduction process cannot be performed.

  In this respect, the methods described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 have an advantage that they can be widely used for solder having a relatively low melting point because formic acid (reduction starting temperature; about 150 ° C.) is used. However, in the method of Patent Document 2, it is necessary to remove water remaining in the soldering apparatus after formic acid decomposition, and in the method of Patent Document 3, the recovered formic acid must be treated with an alkali. However, the formic acid treatment process is complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a catalytic activity diagnostic method for determining the activity of a catalyst charged in a formic acid decomposition apparatus capable of processing formic acid safely and quickly. It is.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have made extensive studies, and as a result, formic acid is made harmless safely and quickly by reacting a gas containing formic acid with oxygen or air in the presence of a catalyst for decomposition of formic acid. We have found out that we can do it and have reached the present invention.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
(1) a formic acid decomposition part filled with a formic acid decomposition catalyst, a gas introduction pipe for introducing a gas containing formic acid into the formic acid decomposition part, and a gas introduction mechanism for introducing oxygen or a gas containing oxygen into the formic acid decomposition part; A method for diagnosing catalytic activity in a formic acid decomposition apparatus that decomposes formic acid contained in an exhaust gas discharged from a soldering apparatus having a surface oxide film reduced with formic acid into water and carbon dioxide,
A gas containing formic acid and oxygen or a gas containing oxygen are introduced into the formic acid decomposition part, and the change in the catalyst temperature due to heat generation during the decomposition reaction of formic acid is measured by a thermocouple provided at least one upstream part of the formic acid decomposition part. And determining the activity of the catalyst from the magnitude of the increased change in the catalyst temperature.
(2) a formic acid decomposition part filled with a formic acid decomposition catalyst, a gas introduction pipe for introducing a gas containing formic acid into the formic acid decomposition part, and a gas introduction mechanism for introducing oxygen or a gas containing oxygen into the formic acid decomposition part; A method for diagnosing catalytic activity in a formic acid decomposition apparatus that decomposes formic acid contained in an exhaust gas discharged from a soldering apparatus having a surface oxide film reduced with formic acid into water and carbon dioxide,
A gas containing formic acid and oxygen or a gas containing oxygen were introduced into the formic acid decomposition part, and changes in the catalyst temperature due to heat generation during the decomposition reaction of formic acid were provided in at least two places, upstream and downstream of the formic acid decomposition part. A method for diagnosing catalyst activity, characterized by determining the activity of a catalyst from the magnitude of the amount of change in the catalyst temperature that has been measured by a thermocouple.
(3) When the amount of change in the catalyst temperature is greater than or equal to a set value, it is determined that the catalyst activity is maintained, and when the amount of change in the catalyst temperature is less than the set value, it is determined that the catalyst activity has decreased. The method for diagnosing catalyst activity according to the above (1) or (2).

  Since the catalyst activity diagnostic method of the present invention can determine the activity of the catalyst in real time, it can prevent undecomposed formic acid from being released into the atmosphere. By installing thermocouples at two or more locations, it is possible to determine the difference in activity between the upstream and downstream catalysts and predict the life of the catalyst. Furthermore, since the catalyst replacement time can be predicted, the production efficiency of the product accompanying the soldering process can be increased.

It is a figure which shows the block diagram of the apparatus for formic acid decomposition | disassembly, and the example applied to a soldering apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the catalyst activity at the time of formic acid decomposition reaction. It is a schematic block diagram of a formic acid decomposition part. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the determination method of the temperature change (at the time of catalyst activation) at the time of continuous operation of the apparatus for formic acid decomposition, and catalyst activity. It is a figure which shows the result of Example 1 which measured the temperature change at the time of continuous operation of the apparatus for formic acid decomposition | disassembly. 3 is a graph summarizing temperature changes measured in Example 1. FIG.

Hereinafter, the formic acid decomposition apparatus and the formic acid decomposition method according to the present invention will be described in detail.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a formic acid decomposition apparatus according to the present invention, and shows an example in which the formic acid decomposition apparatus is applied to a soldering apparatus. In FIG. 1, 1 is a formic acid decomposition apparatus, 2 is a formic acid decomposition section filled with a formic acid decomposition catalyst, 3 is a gas introduction pipe for introducing a gas containing formic acid into the formic acid decomposition section, and 4 is a formic acid decomposition section in the formic acid decomposition section. A gas introduction mechanism for introducing oxygen or a gas containing oxygen, 5 is an inlet for a gas containing formic acid, and 6 is an outlet for a formic acid decomposition product. The gas introduction pipe 3 preferably has a flow meter 8 and a flow rate adjustment valve.

In the formic acid decomposition apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, a catalyst layer 7 filled with a formic acid decomposition catalyst is formed in the formic acid decomposition unit 2, and a thermocouple T for temperature measurement is provided in the catalyst layer 7. It has been. The gas containing formic acid introduced from the gas introduction pipe 3 is introduced into the formic acid decomposition unit 2 together with oxygen or oxygen-containing gas introduced from the gas introduction mechanism 4, reacts by contacting with the catalyst, and water and carbon dioxide. Disassembled into The reaction formula is shown below, and the reaction is exothermic.

HCOOH + 1 / 2O ₂ → H ₂ O + CO ₂

  Because of the exothermic reaction, as shown in FIG. 2, when the reaction conditions other than the catalyst are made equal, the reaction rate increases when the catalyst activity is high, and the reaction heat generated per unit time increases. When the catalyst temperature rises and the activity of the catalyst is low, since the reaction heat generated per unit time is small, the extent of the catalyst temperature rise is small.

  As the catalyst charged in the formic acid decomposition unit 2, a known catalyst can be used without limitation as long as it can decompose formic acid, and the type thereof is not particularly limited. For example, platinum group catalysts such as palladium, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium and iridium; metal catalysts such as copper and nickel; oxide catalysts such as molybdenum, vanadium, iron and chromium;

  As a platinum group catalyst, a metal such as palladium, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, etc., with respect to a carbon material such as activated carbon, carbon fiber, activated carbon fiber, or a carrier such as silica, alumina, silica alumina, zeolite, etc. A catalyst supported by 0.8 g / L to 3 g / L is preferred.

The catalyst layer is filled with a catalyst of an arbitrary shape such as powder, granule, granule, or a platinum group catalyst supported on a molded body obtained by molding the above carrier into an arbitrary shape such as a honeycomb shape or a corrugated shape. It can be formed by filling. The molded body has advantages such as high decomposition efficiency, high reaction rate, excellent durability, and easy catalyst replacement. The molded body is preferably a porous body having a large specific surface area. In order to decompose formic acid quickly and reliably, the molded body preferably has a specific surface area of 200 cm ² / g or more.

  The temperature of the catalyst before formic acid starts the decomposition reaction is not particularly limited, but the higher the temperature, the faster the decomposition rate. However, when the temperature is high, the apparatus becomes large, and when the temperature exceeds 500 ° C., the catalyst may deteriorate. Therefore, the temperature is preferably in the range of 20 to 200 ° C., more preferably in the range of 50 to 100 ° C. It is good to keep.

  The reaction between formic acid and oxygen or a gas containing oxygen is sufficient under normal pressure, but may be performed under pressure or under reduced pressure. The molar ratio of formic acid and oxygen (oxygen / formic acid) is preferably 1.5 or more, is appropriately selected in consideration of the type of catalyst used, reaction conditions, cost, etc., and there is no upper limit. The reaction between formic acid and oxygen or oxygen-containing gas may be any of batch, semi-batch, or continuous methods.

The formic acid decomposition apparatus of the present invention can be preferably used as a formic acid treatment apparatus in a soldering apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a chamber) 10 using formic acid as a reducing agent. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, exhaust gas (mixed gas containing HCOOH, CO ₂ , H ₂ O) exhausted after reducing the surface oxide film of solder or the member to be joined with formic acid in the chamber 10, as shown in FIG. Is introduced into the gas introduction pipe 3 from the gas introduction port 5 of the formic acid decomposition apparatus, introduced into the formic acid decomposition part 2 together with oxygen or a gas containing oxygen, and reacted while passing through the formic acid decomposition part 2, It is only necessary to discharge from the exhaust port 6. The exhaust gas discharged from the chamber 10 is preferably an inert gas containing formic acid, carbon dioxide, and water. Examples of the inert gas include nitrogen gas, argon gas, and helium gas. Nitrogen gas is preferable in terms of availability.

  The temperature of the exhaust gas varies depending on the reduction process conditions such as the type of solder used for the reduction process, but is generally 150 ° C. or higher and the solder melting point or lower. In the present invention, the exhaust gas is preferably introduced into the formic acid decomposition unit 2 without particularly heating. The solder may be either lead solder or lead-free solder.

  The gas introduction mechanism 4 is preferably provided with an introduction port of oxygen or a gas containing oxygen (preferably air in terms of cost and supply), a flow rate adjusting valve, a flow meter, and the like. The molar ratio of oxygen may be adjusted by a flow rate adjusting valve and a flow meter according to the amount of exhaust gas introduced from the chamber 10 into the formic acid decomposition apparatus 1 via the vacuum pump 11.

  In the formic acid decomposition method of the present invention, formic acid can be decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by reacting a gas containing formic acid with oxygen or a gas containing oxygen in the presence of a formic acid decomposition catalyst. Gas containing formic acid and oxygen for formic acid decomposition or oxygen-containing gas (air, etc.) can be introduced separately into the formic acid decomposition part, but after mixing both, it is introduced into the formic acid decomposition part as a mixed gas This is preferable because the uniformity of the reaction can be improved and the gas flow rate can be easily adjusted.

  The reaction proceeds even if the catalyst is not heated, but it is preferable to use a heated catalyst. By heating the catalyst, formic acid can be reliably decomposed into carbon dioxide and water, and water produced as a by-product can be evaporated and gasified, so that it is reliably discharged out of the apparatus through the exhaust port 6. be able to.

  The amount of formic acid-containing gas and oxygen or oxygen-containing gas introduced may be appropriately selected in consideration of the concentration of formic acid used for the decomposition reaction, the type of catalyst used, the reaction temperature, and the like, and is not particularly limited. In order to maintain the decomposition rate in a good state, it is desirable to change the catalyst amount in accordance with the amount of these gases introduced. Further, the amount of formic acid in the gas containing formic acid is not particularly limited.

  The formic acid decomposition apparatus of the present invention can be used by connecting to a soldering apparatus that uses formic acid as a reducing agent. In this case, the formic acid decomposition treatment may be any of batch, semi-batch, and continuous. good. However, the catalyst activity may decrease over time.

  Therefore, in the method for diagnosing catalytic activity of the present invention, the formic acid decomposition part filled with the formic acid decomposition catalyst, the gas introduction pipe for introducing a gas containing formic acid into the formic acid decomposition part, and the formic acid decomposition part contains oxygen or oxygen A method for diagnosing catalytic activity of an apparatus for formic acid decomposition comprising a gas introduction mechanism for introducing gas, wherein a formic acid-containing gas and oxygen or a gas containing oxygen are introduced into a formic acid decomposition section, and the formic acid decomposition reaction is performed. The change in the catalyst temperature due to the heat generation of the catalyst is measured with a thermocouple, and the activity of the catalyst is determined from the magnitude of the increased temperature change. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the temperature from the start of introduction of the gas containing formic acid to the end of introduction is measured, and the change in the catalyst temperature (ΔT) is determined to determine the activity of the catalyst.

  Therefore, the activity of the catalyst can be determined by providing a thermocouple at least at one location upstream of the catalyst layer and determining the amount of change (ΔT) in the catalyst temperature. In addition, it is possible to determine the activity of the catalyst in the entire catalyst layer by comparing the amount of change (ΔT) in the catalyst temperature measured by each thermocouple, provided at at least two locations upstream and downstream of the catalyst layer. it can.

Since the amount of change in catalyst temperature (ΔT) correlates with the amount of formic acid to be introduced and the catalyst activity, it tends to increase as the formic acid content of the introduced gas increases and as the catalyst activity increases.
Even if the formic acid content in the gas is the same, the amount of change (ΔT) in the catalyst temperature is affected by the gas flow rate. Therefore, in order to increase the accuracy of determining the activity of the catalyst, it passes through the catalyst layer. It is preferable to adjust the fluctuation range of the gas flow rate (the total amount of the gas containing formic acid and oxygen or the gas containing oxygen) to be within 0.2 L / min.

  When the change amount (ΔT) of the catalyst temperature is larger than the set value, it is determined that the catalyst activity is maintained, and when the change amount (ΔT) of the catalyst temperature is smaller than the set value, it is determined that the catalyst activity is decreased. To do. If it is determined that the catalyst alarm is activated when it is determined that the catalyst activity has decreased, it is possible to know the catalyst replacement time without constantly monitoring the amount of change (ΔT) in the catalyst temperature.

The catalytic activity diagnostic method of the present invention is preferably applied to the formic acid decomposition apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram around the formic acid decomposition unit 2 of a formic acid decomposition apparatus suitable for applying the catalytic activity diagnosis method of the present invention. In FIG. 3, T1, T2, and T3 are thermocouples inserted into the catalyst layer 7 in the formic acid decomposition unit 2, T1 is the upstream portion of the catalyst layer 7, T2 is the middle of the catalyst layer 7, and T3 is the catalyst. They are respectively installed downstream of the layer 7.

  When thermocouples T are installed in at least two locations upstream and downstream of the catalyst layer, when formic acid-containing gas and oxygen or oxygen-containing gas flow into the formic acid decomposition portion 2, first contact the upstream catalyst. After that, since it contacts the downstream catalyst, the temperature of the upstream catalyst rises due to the reaction heat of formic acid and oxygen. Next, as the gas flows from the middle catalyst to the downstream catalyst, the amount of formic acid decreases, and as a result, the reaction heat decreases, so the increase in the catalyst temperature decreases. Thus, since the catalytic activity of the upstream catalyst and the catalytic activity of the downstream catalyst can be compared, for example, even if the catalytic activity is reduced in the upstream part, the catalytic activity is reduced in the downstream part. It can be easily determined that there is no such thing. Note that the thermocouple T2 is not indispensable, but the installation of the thermocouple T2 increases the number of measurement points for the catalyst activity, and the catalyst activity can be determined more precisely. Three or more thermocouples may be installed as necessary.

  The temperature measurement value by the thermocouple is sent as an input value to the data processing device, and the data processing device calculates the change amount (ΔT) of the catalyst temperature at each measurement point. When the change amount (ΔT) of the catalyst temperature is equal to or larger than the set value, it is determined that the catalyst activity is maintained. When the change amount (ΔT) of the catalyst temperature is smaller than the set value, the catalyst activity is lowered (device alarm). ). The set value can be appropriately set in consideration of the formic acid concentration in the gas to be treated, the gas flow rate, the cost, the oxygen flow rate, the heating temperature of the catalyst layer, the structure of the catalyst layer, the type of catalyst, and the like.

  The above is an example of a diagnostic method for determining the amount of change in catalyst temperature by a thermocouple, but it is also possible to determine the catalyst activity by measuring the amount of reaction heat using a thermocouple. Further, the gas containing formic acid may contain gases such as aldehyde in addition to inert gas such as nitrogen gas and formic acid.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

(Test method)
The test was performed using the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in which the chamber 10 had a capacity of 20 L and the formic acid decomposition unit 2 was filled with 1 L of catalyst. In the formic acid decomposition part 2, as shown in FIG. 3, thermocouples T1, T2, and T3 were installed at three locations upstream, intermediate, and downstream of the catalyst layer. As the catalyst, a Pt / alumina catalyst in which 1.8 g / L of Pt was supported on granular alumina was used. In order to determine the catalyst activity, a test was performed with a part of the catalyst having a decreased activity.

  The test method is as follows. While the valve 20 and the valve 21 are closed, the vacuum pump 11 is operated and the decomposition air is allowed to flow through the introduction mechanism 4, and the catalyst of the formic acid decomposition unit 2 is heated to 100 ° C. with a heater (not shown). To complete the exam preparation. Then, the valve 20 is opened, and a gas containing formic acid is introduced into the chamber 10 through the flow meter 22 at a flow rate of 20 L / min. As soon as the gas containing formic acid is introduced into the chamber 10, the valve 20 is closed, the valve 21 is opened, the gas containing formic acid in the chamber 10 is exhausted by the vacuum pump 11, and the formic acid decomposition unit 2 contains the gas containing formic acid. The formic acid is decomposed by circulating decomposition air, and the temperatures upstream, intermediate and downstream of the catalyst layer are measured by thermocouples T1, T2 and T3, respectively. When all the gas in the chamber 10 is exhausted, the valve 21 is closed to complete one cycle test, and the temperature is measured by the thermocouples T1, T2, and T3 while repeating the cycle.

  As the gas containing formic acid, a mixed gas prepared by mixing formic acid gas with nitrogen gas and adjusting the formic acid concentration in the mixed gas to 3% was used. Air was used as the air for decomposition.

  The test was conducted by setting the exhaust amount of the vacuum pump 11 to 120 L / min and the flow rate of the decomposition air to 30 L / min. Therefore, the amount of formic acid flowing through the formic acid decomposition unit 2 is 3.6 L / min, the amount of oxygen in the decomposition air is 6.3 L / min (assuming an oxygen concentration of 21% in the air), and the amount of oxygen and formic acid The molar ratio was oxygen / formic acid = 1.75.

(Catalyst activity judgment method)
As shown in FIG. 4, the catalyst activity is determined based on the catalyst temperature measured by thermocouples T1, T2, and T3. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing changes in catalyst temperature. Formic acid introduced into the formic acid decomposition unit 2 is mostly decomposed in the upstream part of the catalyst layer, and the catalyst temperature measured by the thermocouple T1 in the upstream part is It rises greatly with the introduction of formic acid gas, and when it passes through the formic acid gas, it is cooled with the decomposition air. Since most of the formic acid is decomposed in the upstream part of the catalyst layer, the amount of formic acid reaching the intermediate part of the catalyst layer is smaller than that in the upstream part, so the degree of increase in the catalyst temperature measured by the thermocouple T2 is small. And since formic acid hardly reaches the downstream part of a catalyst layer, it turns out that the temperature of the catalyst measured with the thermocouple 3 hardly changes. When the temperature change amount of the catalyst (ΔT in FIG. 4) falls below a preset value, it is determined that the catalyst activity has decreased.

Example 1
As the catalyst, a Pt / alumina catalyst having 1.8 g / L of Pt supported on granular alumina was used. 1 L of newly prepared catalyst was filled in the formic acid decomposition part 2 to prepare a catalyst layer, and a test was performed according to the test method (referred to as test (a)).

  Next, 330 ml of a catalyst with a partly reduced catalytic activity is prepared and filled in the upper third part of the formic acid decomposition part 2 (the lower part 2/3 is filled with the newly prepared catalyst used in the test (a)). The test was conducted according to the test method (referred to as test (b)).

  Furthermore, 330 ml of the catalyst whose catalytic activity was completely lost was prepared and filled in the upper third part of the formic acid decomposition part 2 (the lower part 2/3 was filled with the newly prepared catalyst used in the test (a)). The test was conducted according to the test method (referred to as test (c)).

  FIG. 5 shows changes in the temperatures of the upstream, intermediate, and downstream portions of the catalyst layer measured by the thermocouples T1, T2, and T3 in the tests (a), (b), and (c). In FIG. 5, the results up to the fourth cycle are shown.

  Moreover, the value of the change amount (ΔT) of the catalyst temperature obtained from the temperature measurement result shown in FIG. 5 is summarized in FIG. In FIG. 6, the graph described as T1 represents the change amount of the catalyst temperature in each of the tests (a), (b), and (c) in the upstream portion of the catalyst layer. Similarly, the graph described as T2 represents the amount of change in the catalyst temperature of each test (a), (b), and (c) in the middle portion of the catalyst layer, and the graph described as T3 represents the downstream portion of the catalyst layer. .

  From FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, in the case of the test (a) using a new catalyst having sufficient catalytic activity, the formic acid introduced into the formic acid decomposition part 2 is almost decomposed at the upstream part of the catalyst layer, and the catalyst layer It turns out that it does not reach after the middle part. In the case of test (b) using a catalyst whose activity is partially reduced in the upstream part of the catalyst layer, formic acid cannot be completely decomposed in the upstream part of the catalyst layer, and part of it reaches the intermediate part. I understand. In the case of the test (c) using the catalyst whose activity is completely lost in the upstream part of the catalyst layer, the decomposition of formic acid hardly occurs in the upstream part of the catalyst layer, and the formic acid is in the middle part of the catalyst layer. It can be seen that

  The formic acid decomposition apparatus and the formic acid decomposition method according to the present invention can be suitably used as a processing apparatus and a processing method for reducing gas used in a soldering process of a semiconductor device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Formic acid decomposition apparatus 2 Formic acid decomposition part 3 Gas introduction pipe 4 Gas introduction mechanism 5 Gas introduction port 6 Exhaust port 7 Catalyst layer 8 Flow meter 10 Chamber 11 Vacuum pump 20, 21 Valve 22, Flow meter

Claims (7)

A formic acid decomposition part filled with a formic acid decomposition catalyst, a gas introduction pipe for introducing a gas containing formic acid into the formic acid decomposition part, and a gas introduction mechanism for introducing oxygen or a gas containing oxygen into the formic acid decomposition part, A method for diagnosing catalytic activity in a formic acid decomposition apparatus for decomposing formic acid contained in exhaust gas discharged from a soldering apparatus obtained by reducing an oxide film with formic acid into water and carbon dioxide,
A gas containing formic acid and oxygen or a gas containing oxygen are introduced into the formic acid decomposition part, and the change in the catalyst temperature due to heat generation during the decomposition reaction of formic acid is measured by a thermocouple provided at least one upstream part of the formic acid decomposition part. And determining the activity of the catalyst from the magnitude of the increased change in the catalyst temperature. A formic acid decomposition part filled with a formic acid decomposition catalyst, a gas introduction pipe for introducing a gas containing formic acid into the formic acid decomposition part, and a gas introduction mechanism for introducing oxygen or a gas containing oxygen into the formic acid decomposition part, A method for diagnosing catalytic activity in a formic acid decomposition apparatus for decomposing formic acid contained in exhaust gas discharged from a soldering apparatus obtained by reducing an oxide film with formic acid into water and carbon dioxide,
A gas containing formic acid and oxygen or a gas containing oxygen were introduced into the formic acid decomposition part, and changes in the catalyst temperature due to heat generation during the decomposition reaction of formic acid were provided in at least two places, upstream and downstream of the formic acid decomposition part. A method for diagnosing catalyst activity, characterized by determining the activity of a catalyst from the magnitude of the amount of change in the catalyst temperature that has been measured by a thermocouple.   The catalyst activity is determined to be maintained when the change amount of the catalyst temperature is equal to or greater than a set value, and it is determined that the catalyst activity is decreased when the change amount of the catalyst temperature is smaller than the set value. Or the catalytic activity diagnostic method of 2.   The method for diagnosing catalyst activity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the formic acid decomposition unit includes a heater for heating the catalyst.   The method for diagnosing catalyst activity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas containing formic acid is an inert gas containing formic acid, carbon dioxide, and water.   The method for diagnosing catalyst activity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas containing oxygen is air.   The method for diagnosing catalyst activity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the formic acid decomposition apparatus is used by being connected to the soldering apparatus.

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