AVS 47th International Symposium
    Incorporating Principles of Industrial Ecology Tuesday Sessions
       Session IE-TuA

Invited Paper IE-TuA3
Eliminating Perfluorocompound Gas Emissions from CVD Chamber Cleans

Tuesday, October 3, 2000, 2:40 pm, Room 304

Session: Green Manufacturing
Presenter: P.J. Maroulis, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Authors: P.J. Maroulis, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
A.D. Johnson, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
W.R. Entley, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Correspondent: Click to Email
Perfluorocompond (PFC) gases such as CF4, C2F6, and NF3 are used extensively in semiconductor manufacturing processes. The largest volume use for these gases is for chamber cleaning following chemical vapor deposition (CVD). PFCs have long atmospheric lifetimes and absorb strongly in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum where the earth's atmosphere would otherwise be transparent. Because of their infrared absorbances and persistence, PFCs are suspected of contributing to global warming. Through the World Semiconductor Council (WSC) the global semiconductor industry has voluntarily committed to reduce its cumulative emissions of perfluorocompounds. For the U.S., Europe, and Japan, PFC emissions will be reduced to 90% of 1995 levels by 2010 with some companies announcing even more aggressive reduction targets. Based on industry growth projections, substantial reductions for individual processes will be necessary to achieve these targeted levels. Both process optimization of traditional C2F6 based in situ cleans and substitution of NF3 for C2F6 in situ cleans are effective strategies for reducing the environmental impact of installed CVD tools. For new CVD tools, the manufacturers of semiconductor process equipment have developed and introduced a new remote NF3 cleaning technology that essentially eliminates PFC emissions. The combination of these three strategies, optimization of traditional C2F6 based in situ cleans, the substitution of NF3 for C2F6 in in situ cleans, and the implementation of the remote clean technology, has effectively solved the semiconductor industry's PFC issue. This presentation will contain data demonstrating the effectiveness of these strategies. In essentially all cases, perfluorocompounds emissions have been reduced by 50% to >99%.