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LAURIE BEU & PAUL THOMAS BROWN, Motorola, Austin, TX, USA

ABSTRACT
Fluorinated compounds (FCs) are essential to the semiconductor manufacturing process for plasma chamber cleaning and plasma etching. Because FCs have extremely long atmospheric lifetimes and are strong infrared absorbers, efforts have been undertaken to identify methods to reduce atmospheric emissions. The U.S., Japanese, Korean and European semiconductor industries have established separate voluntary programs calling for the reduction of FC emissions; furthermore, at the World Semiconductor Council (WSC), efforts have begun to address FC emissions on an international basis with FC emissions reduction goals recently established. The Kyoto Protocol includes perfluorocarbons (PFC), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) in the basket of gases subject to voluntary emissions reduction goals in the 2008-2012 timeframe. Efforts to develop FC emissions reduction goals are complicated because emissions reduction technology is in the research and development stage with limited commercial availability and unknown applicability at wafer sizes greater than 200mm. Establishing goals is further complicated because the industry must predict growth over the next 10-15 years, and must determine the impact manufacturing and process changes will have on FC emissions over this time frame. This paper will provide an overview of FC emissions reduction technologies including effectiveness and cost to implement. The factors affecting establishment of long term FC emissions reduction goals will be discussed and several goal strategies and their impact on long-term emissions will be analysed.