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.

Bulky iron-core potential transformers (PT) are installed in a tank of gas insulated switchgears (GIS) for a system voltage measurement in power substations. In this paper, we studied an electronic voltage transformer (EVT) embedded in a spacer for miniaturization, eco-friendliness, and performance improvement of GIS. The prototype EVT consists of a capacitive probe (CP) that can be embedded in a spacer and a voltage Follower with a high input and a low output impedance. The CP was fabricated in the form of a Flexible-PCB to acquire the insulation performance and to withstand vibration and shock during operation. Voltage ratio of the prototype EVT is about 42,270, and the frequency bandwidth of -3 dB ranges from 0.33 Hz to 3.9 MHz. The voltage ratio error evaluated at about 6%, 12% and 18% of the rated voltage of 170 kV was 0.32%, and the phase error was 12.9 minutes. These results were within the accuracy for the class 0.5 specified in IEC 60044-7 and satisfy even in ranges from 80% to 120% of the rated voltage. If the prototype EVT replaces the conventional iron-core potential transformer, it is expected that the height of the GIS could be reduced by 11% and the amount of SF6 will be reduced by at least 10%.

PID (potential induced degradation) of PV module is the degradation of module due to the high potential difference between the front surface of solar cells and ground when PV modules operate under high humidity and temperature conditions. PID is generally derived from the positive sodium ions in front glass that are accumulated on P-type solar cells. Therefore, some papers for the electrical characteristic of only front components as glass, EVA sheet, solar cell under PID generation condition were revealed. In this paper, we analyzed the different outputs of module with PID by considering the all parts of module including the back side elements such as glass, back sheet. Mini modules with one solar cell were fabricated with the various parts on front and back sided of module. To generate PID of module in a short time, the all modules were applied?1,000 V in 85℃, 85% RH. The outputs, dark IV curves and EL images of all modules before and after experiments were also measured to confirm the main components of module for PID generation. From the measured results, the outputs of all modules with front glass were remarkably reduced and the performances of modules with back and front glass were greatly deteriorated. We suggest that the obtained data could be used to reduce the PID phenomenon of diverse modules such as conventional module and BIPV (building integrated photovoltaic) module.

To assess the condition of stator insulation, nondestructive and overpotential tests were performed on four high voltage motors. The stator windings under these tests have nominal ratings of 6.6 kV. After completing nondestructive tests, the AC overvoltage applied to the stator windings was gradually increasing until insulation failure in order to obtain the breakdown voltage. No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 of 6.6 kV motors failed near rated voltage of 18.4 kV, 19.8 kV, 19.7 kV and 21.7 kV, respectively. The breakdown voltage of four motors was higher that expected for good quality coils(14.2 kV) in 6.6 kV motors. Almost all of failures were located in a line-end coil at the exit from the core slot. The breakdown voltages and the types of defects showed strong relation to the stator insulation tests such as in the case of AC current, dissipation factor(tanδ) and partial discharge magnitude.