Motorola's strategy for reducing PFC emissions

PFCs are used in the semiconductor industry for plasma etching and chamber cleaning. The Kyoto Protocol, the DuPont policy, and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that many semiconductor manufacturers signed with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are driving forces behind the reduction of PFC emissions. The Kyoto Protocol includes perfluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF/sub 6/) in the basket of greenhouse gases which are subject to emissions reduction requirements during 2008-2012. DuPont, the sole US manufacturer of C/sub 2/F/sub 6/, issued a policy which requires industry to implement emissions reduction solutions in 1999. The EPA/MOU requires a two year technology development period (ending Spring, 1998), after which time the industry will meet with EPA to discuss establishment of specific reduction targets. Japan, Europe and Korea have developed voluntary PFC emissions reduction initiatives for semiconductor operations in their countries similar to the EPA MOU. Motorola has worked preactively over the past five years to understand its contribution to PFC emissions and to identify means for controlling emissions. This paper summarizes Motorola's research and development of PFC emissions reduction techniques. It also discusses the factors that affect the application of reduction technologies. The paper concludes with a discussion of Motorola's strategy for reducing PFC emissions.