Environmentally friendly plasma processing

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Title
Environmentally friendly plasma processing
CoPED ID
9ea72b3d-619f-47fc-965a-34047754d3b0
Status
Active
Funder
EPSRC
Value
No funds listed.
Start Date
Sept. 30, 2021
End Date
Sept. 29, 2025
Description

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Compound Semiconductors are the basis of multiple key enabling technologies in the move to net zero emissions. A number of gases of high Global Warming Potential (GWP) are instrumental in the fabrication steps of such technologies. This project focusses on Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs), particularly SF6 and NF3 with GWPs of 23500 and 17200 respectively.

PFCs are used as sources of fluorine radicals in Plasma Etching, and for the cleaning of Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) chambers. SF6 and NF3 are synthetic molecules with long atmospheric lifetimes, in virtue of the molecule's stability. Losses to atmosphere within the precursor supply chains, and the emission of uncracked molecules in the exhaust of plasma processing tools contributes significantly to the net greenhouse gas emissions of the semiconductor industry.

Current attempts to minimise such emissions focus on process optimisation and point of use abatement systems. We aim to eliminate these emissions through the systematic investigation of low GWP alternatives. Additionally, we'll investigate abatement and process optimisation techniques to minimise impacts from exhaust gasses. This project is extremely relevant to industry, and thus will focus heavily on scalability while maintaining the quality of CS structures.

Cardiff University LEAD_ORG
Oxford Instruments plc STUDENT_PP_ORG

Peter Smowton SUPER_PER
Katherine Wong STUDENT_PER

Subjects by relevance
  1. Emissions
  2. Greenhouse gases
  3. Climate changes
  4. Decrease (active)
  5. Air pollution
  6. Optimisation
  7. Chemical vapour deposition
  8. Environmental effects
  9. Semiconductors
  10. Climate policy
  11. Climate protection
  12. Exhaust gases
  13. Supply chains

Extracted key phrases
  1. Friendly plasma processing
  2. Net greenhouse gas emission
  3. Plasma processing tool
  4. Compound semiconductor
  5. Semiconductor industry
  6. Exhaust gas
  7. Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition
  8. High Global Warming Potential
  9. Multiple key
  10. Uncracked molecule
  11. Use abatement system
  12. Synthetic molecule
  13. Process optimisation technique
  14. Basis
  15. Low GWP alternative

Related Pages

UKRI project entry

UK Project Locations