Innovative plasma technology for the elimination of hydrofluorocarbon emissions in industrial dry-etching processes
Plasma-based dry-etching processes are important finishing steps in the production of printed circuit boards and semi-conductors. However, hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) are often used as process gases and are emitted with the exhaust air. HFU are regarded as particularly dangerous for the climate due to their potential to produce greenhouse gases.
The goal of the project is to make the process of plasma-etching both environment- and climate-friendly. Taking reference applications from the production of printed circuit boards as an example, we aim to prove that an efficient, HFC-emission-free, plasma-etching process is possible, and that an appropriate, functioning, integrated plant solution can be achieved.
The sub-project work at Furtwangen University focuses on research on specific etching procedures of fluorine-based gases, the validation of plasma-specific characteristics of the optical plasma spectra, the fundamentals of regulation of the etching plasma, the investigation of substrate-specific process requirements, and the evaluation of plasma-etching surfaces.
