3^rd Webinar

Halogenated compounds are widely used in semiconductor fabrication, especially for etching small high aspect ratio structures. However, halogenated compounds such as SF6 come with an enormous carbon footprint and a high eco-toxicity. In the HaloFreeEtch project we will find out if there are alternative approaches for semiconductor etching without using halogenated etchants while keeping the process quality.   

But what if we could remove the processed halogenes traceless? Detailed LCA modeling of the famous BOSCH etching process, which is quite popular in the semiconductor industry, shows indeed that the carbon footprint of the process depends heavily abatement systems within the facilities. Abatement systems are used clean toxic, corrosive, and global-warming exhaust gases from etching chambers before the air reaches factory ducts or the outside environment. Depending on the abatement efficiency, the primary contribution to the carbon footprint of the etch process can be shifted from the emitted gases to the energy used by the abatement system. Therefore, highly efficient abatement systems are one key approach towards more sustainable semiconductor etching. 

 In this webinar we will therefore review the state of the art for abatements systems. We will discuss different approaches based on burning natural gas or using high temperature plasma and find out what are the benefits of these abatement systems and what are the technical limitations in their operations. We also like to raise the question, if the remaining waste is really harmless or if we shift the problems with halogens from the air to the water, as mostly the abatement products are disposed with the wastewater.