2008-07-16 12:57:00
MUNICH, Germany–(EMWNews)–The technology company The Linde Group offers a unique solution to
replace the powerful greenhouse gas nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) used in
the production of LCDs (Liquid Crystal Display) and solar panels. Based
on a proven technology, the innovative process utilizes on-site
generation of fluorine gas, making production more efficient and more
environmentally friendly.
There is currently a high level of attention on the usage of NF3 by the
electronics industry because of the gas’ very
high global warming impact. Linde has developed a state-of-the-art
process to replace NF3 with pure fluorine, which has a zero global
warming potential.
The process is applicable to the manufacturing of flat screen TVs and to
the mass production of low cost, thin film photovoltaic cells, which
convert sunlight into electricity. Besides fluorine’s
environmental advantage, it also improves performance and reduces costs
in the chamber cleaning process, a critical step in the manufacturing of
semiconductors, flat panels, and solar cells.
Tests carried out at Linde’s Application
Development Lab in San Marcos, California, demonstrated that fluorine
can significantly improve throughput in plasma activated cleaning, while
qualification trials show that fluorine can reduce the cleaning time
needed for NF3 on the same tool set. Faster cleaning of the
manufacturing equipment eliminates a bottleneck process and gives
customers a significant productivity improvement.
“Eliminating NF3 from LCD and solar
manufacturing makes environmental and economic sense. Fluorine reduces
non-productive cleaning time on the most expensive piece of equipment in
the fab and improves customer throughput. It is a very good example of
environmentally friendly solutions that also improve cost efficiency,”
said Dean O’Connor, head of Solar Business,
Linde Gases Division.
Linde is the leading supplier of fluorine, producing it on-site,
on-demand and at very low pressures. Developed in the late 1990s, this
proven technology has been used by Linde customers for fab-wide
semiconductor applications since 2003 and can easily be applied to solar
cell manufacturing.
“Linde is committed to delivering new
processes that do not harm people or the environment,”
said Paul Stockman, technology manager for Linde’s
fluorine Business. “Our customers in LCD and
solar manufacturing expect Linde, as their supplier, to help them drive
down costs. By replacing NF3 with on-site fluorine we achieve both these
objectives. This shows how Linde’s investment
in engineering and technology solutions can enable mutual benefits for
our customers and the environment.”
Linde’s on-site fluorine generators have been
installed at more than 20 semiconductor, LCD and solar cell production
sites, including Toshiba Matsushita Display, Samsung, and LG. This
technology is particularly important for the solar panel industry,
because it eliminates the environmental impact and makes the panels and
the electricity they generate more cost-competitive.
About NF3
The greenhouse gas NF3 is 17,200 times more potent than carbon dioxide
in contributing to global warming, yet it is not covered by the Kyoto
protocol because it was only produced in tiny amounts when the protocol
was agreed in 1997. Even today, its accumulation in the atmosphere is
not being specifically monitored. Estimates from a study carried out by
Michael Prather, lead author on the Nobel Peace Prize winning
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, predicts 4,000 tons of NF3
will be produced this year, with the amount doubling next year.
The gas is used in the electronics industry to flush out the by-products
of chemical vapour deposition. Today’s flat
screen TVs and computer monitors mostly use LCD panels made by
depositing silicon and other materials in thin layers on large glass
sheets. During the deposition process significant quantities of silicon
are also deposited on the chamber walls, which can affect the quality of
subsequent batches. The deposits are removed by splitting NF3 to release
fluorine, which converts the solid silicon to a gaseous compound which
is pumped away. Recently the electronic industry has adapted the LCD
process for large scale, low cost production of thin film solar cells.
With its expected growth, the solar cell industry looks set to be an
even larger NF3 consumer. Such growth might lead to a six-fold increase
in NF3 use by2020.
About The Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with
more than 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In
the 2007 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 12.3 billion. The
strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based
growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with
forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards
its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the
environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations
across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that
unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, see The Linde Group web site at www.linde.com.
|
The Linde Group Metz, +49-89-35757-1322 |
|
Major Newsire & Press Release Distribution with Basic Starting at only $19 and Complete OTCBB / Financial Distribution only $89
Get Unlimited Organic Website Traffic to your Website
TheNFG.com now offers Organic Lead Generation & Traffic Solutions
