The goal of the project is to revolutionize the semiconductor manufacturing by introducing halogen-free, sustainable etching processes for silicon and silicon oxide. Current industrial plasma etching heavily relies on halogens, posing serious environmental and health risks. By substituting these with greener alternatives, HaloFreeEtch is committed to reducing the carbon footprint and enhancing overall sustainability in semiconductor manufacturing.
We are proud to bring our sustainability research expertise to the HaloFreeEtch initiative. Utilizing our proficiency in industrial sustainability assessment and sustainable process design, we are developing integrated decision-support systems for the preliminary stages of process and product design. With thorough life cycle assessments of these innovative etching techniques, we aim to measure their environmental impacts, enabling the project to integrate innovation with circularity and sustainability principles.
HaloFreeEtch is a four-year collaborative initiative involving leading European research and industry partners like the Technical University of Chemnitz, Fraunhofer ENAS, Vrije University Brussels, PlasmaSolve, Lionix International, and Warrant Hub. The anticipated outcomes promise to be a game-changer in semiconductor manufacturing, enabling advancements in areas such as microsensors and photonics. For detailed information about the project and updates on its progress, do visit our project website: halofreeetch.eu