Currently, semiconductor manufacturing industry heavily relies on a wide range of high global warming potential (GWP) gases, particularly during etching and cleaning processes, and their use and relevant carbon emissions are subject to global rules and regulations for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. To replace high GWP gases in near future, dry etching using alternative low GWP gases is thus being under intense investigations. In this review, we report a current status and recent progress of the relevant research activities on dry etching processes using a low GWP gas. First, we review the concept of GWP itself and then introduce the difference between high and low GWP gases. Although most of the studies have concentrated on potentially replaceable additive gases such as C4F8, an ultimate solution with a lower GWP for main etching gases including CF4 should be developed; therefore, we provide our own perspective in this regard. Finally, we summarize the advanced dry etch process research with low GWP gases and list up several issues to be considered in future research.
