Method and apparatus for recycling inert gas

摘要

A method for recycling an inert gas evacuated from a material deposition process chamber 10 comprises cooling the evacuated inert gas and recirculating a proportion of the cooled gas to the chamber 10 at a first temperature for use as a cooling gas in the material deposition process 12, and recirculating a proportion of the cooled gas to the chamber 10 at a second temperature for use as a shielding gas in the material deposition process 12, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature. Apparatus 22 for recycling an inert gas is also disclosed.