A Review of Sustainability Concerns and Possible Solutions in Semiconductor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.371Abstract
The semiconductor industry is currently amid a massive wave of investment that is drawing eyes to fabs and their environmental impact. This paper addresses fabs three main sustainability issues, water consumption, direct greenhouse gas emissions, and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from electricity. From a larger perspective, water consumption is not a major issue but can be solved via recycling technology. Direct greenhouse gas emissions can be addressed primarily through the use of efficient NF3 cleaning technology and the use of new F2 cleaning technology. Finally, electricity consumption can be improved through more efficient process tools, improving fabs' HVAC layouts, and sourcing energy from renewable sources. Policy changes such as tax incentives for F2 technology, taxes on greenhouse gas emissions, and limits for daily water consumption are also crucial to ensuring that the semiconductor industry follows through with the necessary changes to achieve sustainability.
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