Industrial gases can be produced in several ways, most commonly through vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) with a generator/plant, and cryogenic distillation for high purity with an air separatioin unit (ASU). Industrial gases are used widely in traditional industries as well as high-tech industries such as semiconductor industry. Let's have a better look at how the gases are used in this industry.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is abundantly and primarily used for purging, to flush out the channels and pipe network to remove any moisture, particles, oxygen and other gases that might contaminate the process.
Oxygen
High purity oxygen is used to in deposition reactions to grow silicon oxide layers, to remove any extra material scraps during the etching process, and also to neutralize reactive gases which could alter the quality of the products.
Argon
Argon is mainly used during the deposition and etching process within the UV lithography lasers which are used to make patterns on the semiconductor chips. Argon is also used to protect the silicon crystals that are formed on the silicon wafers. Argon is used to provide a non-reactive environment where nitrogen can be too active such as sputter deposition of metals.
Hydrogen
In the photolithography stage, hydrogen is used to react with tin to create tin hydride so that tin hydrate doesn't accumulate on expensive optical elements. In the depostion stage, hydrogen is used for epitaxial deposition of silicon and silicon germanium, and also to preaure the surface through an annealing process. Hydrogen is also used to create a new oxidized layer to modify an already existing thin film, and in the doping process to help control decomposition and stabilize diborane.