Semiconductor manufacturing is an extremely high-precision processing industry.

Characteristics:

・Nanometer precision

・Processes with hundreds of steps

・A cleanroom environment

Maintaining this high precision requires many resources.

Semiconductor factories are huge power-consuming facilities.

Main sources of power consumption:

・Manufacturing equipment

・Cleanroom air conditioning

・Exhaust treatment equipment

A leading-edge fab can consume as much electricity as hundreds of thousands of households.

Large amounts of ultrapure water (UPW) are used in semiconductor manufacturing.

Applications:

・Wafer cleaning

・Chemical cleaning

・Equipment cleaning

Leading-edge factories may use tens of thousands of tons of water per day.

Many chemicals are used in semiconductor manufacturing.

Examples:

・Acids (sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, etc.)

・Organic solvents

・Photoresists

・Specialty gases

These require proper management.

Semiconductor manufacturing also generates greenhouse gases.

Examples:

・PFC gases

・NF3

・SF6

Some of these have a greater greenhouse effect than CO₂.

Environmental regulations are being tightened in many countries.

Main regulatory targets:

・Greenhouse gases

・Chemicals

・Waste

Semiconductor companies are being required to make their environmental management more sophisticated.

Semiconductor companies are required not only to develop technology but also to fulfill their social responsibilities.

Examples:

・Environmental protection

・Safety management

・Consideration for local communities

These also affect how companies are evaluated.

On the other hand, semiconductors also contribute to solving environmental problems.

Examples:

・EVs (electric vehicles)

・Renewable energy

・Energy-efficient data centers

Semiconductors are both a cause of and a solution to environmental problems.

In recent years, the concept of the green fab has been spreading.

Content:

・Renewable energy

・Water recycling

・Energy-saving equipment

It is a factory design that minimizes environmental impact.

Many semiconductor companies have set environmental targets.

Examples:

・Carbon neutrality

・Reducing water use

・Reducing waste

These have become part of corporate strategy.

In the semiconductor industry, technological progress and environmental protection must advance at the same time.

In other words, achieving both

・High-performance semiconductors

・Low-environmental-impact manufacturing

is an important challenge for the future.

・Semiconductor manufacturing consumes a large amount of resources

・It uses large amounts of electricity, water, and chemicals

・Greenhouse gas emissions are also a problem

・Environmental regulations are being tightened

・Semiconductors also contribute to solving environmental problems

1.Why do semiconductor factories consume large amounts of electricity?

2.In which processes is ultrapure water used?

3.Why is the semiconductor industry related to environmental issues?

 

Column Supervisor: Koji Kakumoto (President, OTIS Co., Ltd.)

After studying abroad and working in planning and development at a trading company, he joined OTIS Co., Ltd. in 2011. While primarily working in the Corporate Planning Department, he has also served concurrently in manufacturing and technical divisions, and since 2018 has served as President, working to drive business growth and strengthen the organization.

 

This article is a general technical explanation intended for educational purposes and does not refer to any specific company, product, or technology.