Solvay Fluor, a member of Brussels-based Solvay group, says its fluorine mixtures have been qualified by Leybold Optics for the cleaning of Phoebus plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactors in the production of amorphous silicon thin-film solar panels.
Fluorine mixtures can uniformly etch deposits on the chamber walls of reactors, which then must to be cleaned regularly in order to avoid unstable process conditions and loss of throughput, the company explains. Fluorine mixtures are delivered in pressure cylinders.
The latest cleaning methods are considered competitive with processes that use nitrogen trifluoride, a greenhouse gas, Solvay Fluor adds. Fluorine is characterized by an environmentally friendly profile, with a short atmospheric lifetime.
SOURCE: Solvay Fluor
