Back in March 2020, at the onset of the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., SEMI quickly formed an Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) COVID-19 working group made up of EHS professionals who suddenly saw a critical need to share their experiences, validate untested policies, and collaborate on establishing best practices in response to an extraordinary public health crisis. The group, which today numbers 20 member companies, meets regularly to discuss an array of topics that have grown beyond their pressing need to react to a crisis earlier to a longer, more measured view of risk management as coronavirus cases continue to climb worldwide. While themes vary from one meeting to another, the recurring agenda remains the same to address the following topics: Phase approach – How to bring staff back on site Social distancing – How to manage people traffic flow on site Contact tracing – Track exposure to ensure workplace safety Space allocation – Changes to offices, cubicles and conference rooms HVAC systems – Optimizing workplace air flow and improving filtration systems Clean rooms – PPE and distancing protocols Training – Communications approaches to expanding awareness in order to reduce risk of spreading the virus Travel policies – Domestic and international travel guidelines Vaccines – Policies for vaccinating and monitoring personnel Site inspections – Preparing for an eventual increase in inspections from OSHA representatives In April, the SEMI EHS team issued a survey to assess the pandemic preparedness of member companies. Designed by the COVID-19 working group, the survey found that, despite having a pandemic plan in place, many member companies faced a shortage of PPE and sanitization equipment, their most significant challenge at the time. Members also pointed to operational challenges posed by the pandemic and raised questions about how to establish sound policies appropriate for their operations and geographic locations. Today, the SEMI EHS COVID-19 working group is well-established collaborative forum on public guidelines that members see as unclear as they continue to chart their own pandemic policies. With the first tranche of vaccines recently starting to ship in the U.S., the group has turned its attention to vaccine distribution and how companies will encourage employees to be vaccinated. For more information about the SEMI EHS COVID-19 working group or to join the group, please contact the SEMI EHS team at [email protected]. Olivier Corvez is senior manager of Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability at SEMI.

SEMI spoke with Tom Doyle, founder and CEO of Aspinity, about the challenges of packing more localized intelligence into portable Internet of Things (IoT) devices without draining their batteries. Doyle shared his views on Aspinity’s system-level approach – solve the power problems by performing machine learning in analog – ahead of his presentation at the SEMI MEMS Imaging Sensors Technology Showcase, 18 February, as part of the SEMI Technology Unites Global Summit, 15-19 February 2021, online event. Join us to meet experts from Aspinity and other key industry influencers. Registration is open. SEMI: Why is power efficiency so important for IoT devices? Doyle: Hundreds of millions of IoT devices are improving our lives at home and at work. Always on and always sensing the environment for data, these smart devices have traditionally been wall-powered and have relied on the cloud for their data processing needs, but clogged networks, as well as privacy and performance issues, have necessitated the migration to edge processing.Spanning consumer, medical and industrial, these IoT devices are becoming smaller and more portable. And a portion of them is operating remotely in hard-to-access locations. So now we are packing more functionality into the device and we are moving to battery power and the batteries need to last a long time. That is a big challenge before us, and to answer it, we need to find the most power-efficient ways to integrate always-on sensing capability into IoT devices because we cannot afford to have short battery life limit market adoption.SEMI: Why is it so challenging to deliver low-power, always-on solutions and how can sensors suppliers achieve improvements in system power? Doyle: In today’s always-on IoT devices, all sensor data – which are naturally analog – is immediately digitized at high resolution, and then it’s analyzed to determine whether a wake word has been spoken, a specific motion has been made, or some other anomaly has occurred. But since most of the data collected will not contain the information for which the device is waiting, this digitize-first approach wastes significant battery life by continuously running irrelevant data through the ADC and the digital processor.Sensors suppliers have some options to consider for reducing power. If they are satisfied achieving incremental improvements in battery life, both sensors and digital processor suppliers can continue to drive down the power of each individual component in the system. But to achieve revolutionary power savings, we must look at a more holistic system solution.The fundamental problem is that moving data through a system costs power. That is why the most efficient way to save power is to reduce the amount of data down to what’s actually important as early as possible, right at the start of the signal chain, where the physical world becomes data. If we can minimize the amount of data that require downstream processing, then we can maximize battery life.SEMI: Aspinity aims to solve the battery-life problem in IoT devices by introducing a new system architecture. Could you explain how your approach differs from digitize-first?Doyle: Aspinity’s solution, called the Reconfigurable Analog Modular Processor (RAMP), is an analog processing technology that combines analog machine learning (analogML™) and analog compression to enable accurate, ultra-low-power analog event detection and system wake-up. RAMP technology enables a new system architecture, which we call analyze-first, that allows an always-on system to spend just a little bit of analog power up front at the sensor to determine whether sensed data are relevant to the task at hand before waking the digital system for further processing. The analyze-first architecture can extend battery life by months or years over digitize-first architectures because it keeps the higher-power digital components asleep unless important data require digitization and analysis, which in some applications – such as voice-first or acoustic event detection – may occur very rarely. Aspinity RAMP voice activity detection with preroll from Aspinity on Vimeo. SEMI: Can you give us an example?Doyle: Here is a practical example of how this works: For most voice-enabled systems, such as smart speakers, voice-activated TV remotes and hearables, voice is only present 10%-20% of the time – but the digitize-first architecture on which these devices are traditionally based is digitizing 100% of the sound data captured by the microphone, even when most of that data are irrelevant and could not possibly contain a wake word.In contrast, the RAMP-based analyze-first architecture is highly efficient since it uses feature extraction and a neural network to analyze the sound at the microphone, right where it enters the device, to determine if the sound contains voice before waking the digital wake word engine. Additionally, the accuracy of most wake word engines relies not just on waking up and analyzing the wake word, but also on analyzing the 500ms of sound prior to the wake word (preroll). To support wake word engine performance, the RAMP also continuously compresses 500ms of preroll that can be stored in just 2k of memory and delivered to the wake word engine along with the voice data. So, this new analyze-first approach using RAMP technology can extend battery life by 10 times over older digitize-first designs, without sacrificing performance and accuracy.SEMI: What solutions can Aspinity bring to address the current market needs? Doyle: Aspinity offers the only analogML chip for always-on IoT devices that run on battery: the RAMP chip.The RAMP is trainable and programmable to detect many different types of sensor events directly from the raw analog sensor data. One application that benefits from a RAMP chip are devices that are always-listening for voice, for glass break or alarms, or for some other type of sound. Other examples include vibration sensors that monitor industrial equipment for predictive and preventative maintenance, and heartrate sensors that are used to detect anomalies in wearables and other biomedical applications.Aspinity just recently introduced our voice-first evaluation kit – which we will be demonstrating during the Technology Showcase at Technology Unites – to enable our customers to get first-hand experience with our RAMP-based analog voice wake-up solution. With this complete hardware and software kit, customers can experience all of the benefits of analogML and analog data compression – 10x power savings without a reduction in wake word detection accuracy –for their next generation of voice-enabled devices.SEMI: How can technology unite us? What do you expect from your participation at SEMI Technology Unites Global Summit?Doyle: I think this past year has shown us that when time gets tough – and for many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most difficult challenges we have faced – that innovation is critical to solving major problems. The microelectronics industry has played an important role in providing critical components for COVID-19 testing, ventilators, air-purification systems, and other equipment used in healthcare settings. COVID-19 has also accelerated the move to voice as a preferred interface to many devices in an effort to stem the spread of germs on surfaces.The biotech industry is gearing up to provide the vaccines that we hope will restore more normalcy to our daily lives. We can thank the successful collaborations between R D innovators and established companies in many different markets for the new devices and drugs now going into production.With traditional in-person conferences still on hold until the pandemic eases up, attending industry conferences with exceptional speakers presenting interesting content is more important than ever. SEMI Technology Unites Global Summit provides that opportunity, and I’m genuinely looking forward to participating.Tom Doyle, Founder and CEO of Aspinity, brings over 30 years of experience in operational excellence and executive leadership in analog and mixed-signal semiconductor technology to Aspinity. Prior to Aspinity, Tom was group director of Cadence Design Systems’ analog and mixed-signal IC business unit, where he managed the deployment of the company’s technology to the world’s foremost semiconductor companies. Previously, Tom was founder and president of the analog/mixed-signal software firm, Paragon IC solutions, where he was responsible for all operational facets of the company including sales and marketing, global partners/distributors, and engineering teams in the US and Asia. Tom holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from West Virginia University and an MBA from California State University, Long Beach.Serena Brischetto is senior manager of Marketing and Communications at SEMI Europe.

Nexperia became a standalone company about four years ago after our divestiture from NXP Semiconductors. Last year we started our journey towards smart manufacturing at our back-end factories in Asia by developing a roadmap to help steer us in the right direction.Our first step to creating a convincing and workable smart manufacturing roadmap was to define the very meaning of smart manufacturing to Nexperia. Since the definition of smart manufacturing varies widely, we started by looking at two different and distinct technology adaptations: Physical automation Data-driven manufacturing, or using analytics at the core to develop and adopt machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) models It is important to find the right balance of investments between physical automation and data-driven manufacturing to steer clear of deployment inefficiencies since only connected solutions deliver full value. Our approach involved the following high-level steps. Meeting with internal management teams for their inputs and examining factory needs and maturity Meeting with other semiconductor factory operators, subcontractors and partners to review their smart manufacturing approaches and challenges Evaluating our needs and status against the Singapore Smart Industry Readiness Index model Physical AutomationEvaluating the maturity of available solutions and adaptions by the industry and our own shop floor helped simplify the thought process quite well. Logistic automation is not new. Very mature solutions, even for custom layouts and preferences, are readily available. Shop floor automation is far more difficult than logistic automation since variability is simply too high. Traditional shop floor investments were always driven from quality or OEE perspectives and not necessarily very well connected. Our approach is outside-in – deploy logistic automation first and then move to the shop floor.Data-Driven ManufacturingHow smart manufacturing becomes depends on the extent to which a factory is data-driven. Enabling data-driven manufacturing requires foundational investments to improve traceability, connectivity and real-time operations. We believe real-time awareness can drive machine-level and closed-loop process control critical for predictive, cognitive control of the shop floor.Real-Time Awareness and Traceability is at the CoreDeveloping real-time awareness requires wide-ranging manufacturing protocols. The following focus areas have helped us simplify the challenge: Connectivity Core systems for areas including MES, quality and SAP Analytics and AI Digital shop floor featuring one operator interface with real-time control systems Readiness of engineers, technicians and managers Each of these pillars has different level of complexity due to legacy equipment and systems, legacy processes and inexperience of engineers with automation. This makes deployment of data-driven operations a complex challenge. We looked at different project approaches for each of the focus areas: Core Systems – Build additional technology enablers and roll them out with prioritization planning. Analytics – Focus mainly on OEE and yield with automated root cause analysis and predictive approaches. Real-Time Control – Merge the initiative with factory-level programs to improve productivity and quality. With a strong smart manufacturing roadmap, the next challenge is to secure long-term buy-in on the plan and required investments from executive management. Visiting and otherwise connecting with peer sites that have already deployed smart manufacturing infrastructure is vital in this effort. Thanks to SEMI members, we were allowed to visit their factories with our management team for go-and-see tours since seeing is believing in the smart manufacturing journey. Our executives also met with subcontractors and vendors to better understand the value of this transformational undertaking.A long-term outlook is necessary to successfully develop a smart manufacturing roadmap, and executive commitment goes a long way to ensuring its success. We are excited about our smart manufacturing journey and believe it is a game changer for our factories.Adarsha MARPALLI is director of Factory Automation at Nexperia B.V.

Semiconductors play an essential role in modern society by enabling ground-breaking technological advances. The manufacture of high-volume and advanced semiconductors requires the use of fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS. Representing the voice of SEMI members, I explained the important role of these substances and their “essential use” in the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain at a Chemical Watch conference for industry and European Union decision-makers on 3rd of December 2020.In order to achieve the European Green Deal’s zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment, the European Commission announced in its recently published Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability its intention to restrict the use of the most harmful chemicals, except in cases where they are deemed essential for society. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS – are the first group of chemicals facing regulatory scrutiny on this basis. This begs the question: What chemicals should be characterized as essential for society and what uses will they encompass? The key and enabling role of semiconductors in modern lifeSemiconductors are essential and ubiquitous in our lives. They are integral to enabling modern society to function – driving advancements in mobile communication technologies for the smartphones and computers that help us work more efficiently and connect us with our loved ones. These benefits have never been more evident than in 2020 with billions of people finding themselves working and studying remotely and safely from home.At the same time, technologies relying on semiconductors have been vital in the effort to combat COVID-19 – in ventilators, medical imaging devices and digital healthcare solutions. In addition, semiconductors will also enable the next leap in society to Industry 4.0 and as essential building blocks in connected and electric vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.The Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, has highlighted the strategic importance of semiconductors in achieving European digital sovereignty (for instance, in his speech at Hannover Messe Digital Days), and the EU’s New Industrial Strategy[1] also points to the importance of semiconductors and microelectronic systems. What must also be appreciated are the cost and complexity of producing these valuable technologies. Setting up a cutting-edge fabrication plant with the hundreds of pieces of semiconductor manufacturing equipment typically required can cost around €15 billion.[2] A single semiconductor manufacturing tool typically consists of millions of articles, and a typical fab may house several hundred pieces of equipment. Furthermore, according to SEMI estimates, the fabrication of semiconductor wafers requires approximately 500 highly specialized process chemicals. In many cases, these processes, equipment and facilities rely on the unique properties offered by PFAS.“SEMI has worked diligently to highlight the strategic importance of semiconductors in achieving European digital sovereignty, and we are pleased that the critical role of microelectronics has been fully recognized by the EU and Member States. Fluorinated chemicals are essential for semiconductor manufacturing. "These specific chemicals are necessary due to their unique properties, and no alternatives are currently available that can adequately provide the functional properties required in semiconductor manufacturing. The essential use concept, therefore, must enable technological innovation, must apply across the entire supply chain, and must enable EU’s critical infrastructure and strategic objectives.” What are PFAS, and why and where are they used in semiconductor manufacturing?PFAS are a broad and highly diverse group of substances with unique properties and characteristics. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has compiled a list of approximately 4,700 substances,[3] a handful of which are used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. These very specific chemicals are necessary due to their unique and unparalleled properties that enable them to be used in the demanding conditions of semiconductor manufacturing.Semiconductor chemicalsAt the very core of semiconductor manufacturing is the photolithography process, where microscopic geometric patterns are transferred onto a film or substrate. Photolithography specialty formulations containing fluorinated compounds are used in various steps of this process to ensure quality and reduce the probability of defects. PFAS must be used due to their low surface tension and compatibility with other chemicals. PFAS are typically no longer present in the finished product. However, there are applications where PFAS are present in the final semiconductor device, particularly in imaging semiconductors used in cameras, displays and some medical devices, amongst others. Semiconductor manufacturing equipmentPFAS are also essential to semiconductor manufacturing equipment and factory infrastructure. The exceptional combination of their heat and chemical resistance and their chemical inertness allows fluoropolymers to be used both in equipment components (tubing, gaskets, containers, filters, etc.) and lubrication (such as various oils and greases). These same properties are also needed to ensure the functioning of the surrounding infrastructure. Finally, some fluorinated gases, which are already regulated by specific legislation,[4] are used as refrigerants and to clean the facilities.These are a handful of examples of how PFAS are used in semiconductor manufacturing. Today, there is no other way to undertake these processes or to build semiconductor manufacturing equipment without PFAS. No alternatives are currently available that can adequately provide the functional properties required. Even if alternative chemicals and technologies were discovered today, due to the extremely complex qualification process throughout the value chain, it would take another 15 years to deploy them in high-volume manufacturing. Therefore, continued access to PFAS is a prerequisite for high-volume and advanced semiconductors. Lack of continued access to PFAS could lead to an inability to produce and supply the EU with semiconductor manufacturing technology.How should we think about essential uses?Regulators have started to think about what uses of PFAS are essential and in which cases their use should be allowed. In developing this concept, there are a few aspects to keep in mind.Essential use must enable, not hinder, technological innovationFirst and foremost, the essential uses concept should enable continued technological innovation instead of acting as a hindrance. Semiconductors and manufacturing technology are constantly evolving and becoming more diverse to help meet increasing societal demands. What we see as innovative today may be commonplace in the future, while future innovations may be unimaginable today. We must therefore be careful not to accidentally limit our future potential for innovation.Essential use must apply across the entire supply chainSecondly, classifying a use as essential should apply throughout the entire supply chain. We must, for example, avoid defining semiconductors as essential while classifying the semiconductor manufacturing equipment and chemicals used to produce semiconductors as not essential. In the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain, where one manufacturer can have up to 16,000 suppliers, this risk is evident.[5]Essential use must enable critical infrastructures and the EU’s strategic objectivesFinally, we should keep Europe’s societal priorities in mind. The EU needs to be able to maintain and protect its critical infrastructures. Similarly, we should not lose sight of the EU’s strategic objectives of a green and digital Europe.Semiconductors, in conjunction with their corresponding manufacturing equipment and chemicals, are essential technologies in everyday life and the backbone of the EU’s strategic value chains. Manufacturing semiconductors is a very expensive and complex process that would not be possible without the unique properties of PFAS, making them essential to achieving the EU’s strategic objectives today – whether the European Green Deal or digital autonomy – and in the future. Therefore, we must ensure that essential uses will enable the continued use of PFAS in semiconductor manufacturing.The SEMI presentation delivered at the Chemical Watch event can be accessed here.Emir Demircan is director of Public Policy and Advocacy at SEMI Europe.[1] “The EU will also support the development of key enabling technologies that are strategically important for Europe’s industrial future. These include robotics, microelectronics, high-performance computing and data cloud infrastructure, blockchain, quantum technologies, photonics [etc.]”[2] Emerging technologies in electronic components and systems (ECS) Opportunities Ahead – A study by DECISION, 2018 for the European Commission[3] Available here[4] Regulation (EU) No 517/2014, “F-Gas Regulation”[5] SIA Nathan Associates, 2016, https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SIA-Beyond-Borders-Report-FINAL-June-7.pdf

Sales of critical subsystems for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment will exceed $12.2 billion in 2020, a 6% increase over the previous record of $11.5 billion reached in 2018. What makes this such a remarkable feat is they achieved this despite unprecedented disruptions to the supply chain.The key to critical subsystems suppliers’ success was a swift and efficient response to the initial local shutdowns due to COVID-19 in February and March. Within four to six weeks, most vendors had secured their supply of raw materials and put the required measures in place to ensure the safety of their workforce and reduce the risk of being shut down themselves. Most were reporting a return to high volume manufacturing by May. There were no significant holdups reported, which means everyone stepped up their response to enable the semiconductor equipment industry to deliver double-digit growth. It also helped that before the pandemic, most suppliers expected 2020 to 2023 to be healthy growth years and already had plans to add capacity this year. Those plans are being accelerated, and delivery is no longer an issue for most vendors in the near term. This is just as well as OEMs are advising their suppliers to cope with a 20% surge in orders in any given quarter in 2021.While the overall growth rate for critical subsystems in 2020 is on track to beat 19%, some suppliers had to deal with extraordinary growth. Suppliers of vacuum valves, chillers, and optical fiber thermometry are likely to grow above 35%, while suppliers of process power subsystems are looking at increasing around 30%. The extra demand can be explained partly by the very low inventories of these products held by customers at the beginning of the year, which needed replenishing. However, the main reason for the above-average growth is that these segments have been outgrowing the overall critical subsystems industry for several years due to semiconductor manufacturing becoming more vacuum intense.Critical Subsystems for Semiconductor Applications in Billions of DollarsNext year is shaping up to be another record for critical subsystems with growth rates in the high single digits predicted. The next cyclical downturn is forecast to be 2024, but these are unprecedented times, and the risk of a downturn in 2022 cannot be excluded. Whatever the future holds, the critical subsystems supply chain has proved they can raise their game when the chips are down… or up.For more information about critical subsystems and VLSI Research, please visit our website.John West is managing director at VLSI Research Europe.

If you think the world is flooded with a mind-boggling volume of digital content, then you might be just a amazed to learn about the sheer wealth of information and business opportunities that will be uncovered at this year’s SEMICON Japan as the event goes full digital.To start, more than 160 companies will exhibit their semiconductor manufacturing gear and services on the virtual show floor of Japan’s premier event for the semiconductor manufacturing and design supply chain. Add to that over 80 presentations and panels that feature global industry executives, visionaries and experts offering insights into the latest microelectronics developments, trends and technologies, and it’s easy to see how SEMICON Japan 2020 Virtual is designed to help attendees grow their businesses and the industry drive the next wave of innovations that promise to address some of the world’s greatest challenges across healthcare, the environment, transportation and other industries.Best of all, it will all be available at your convenience from your office or home 24 hours a day, making it safe and easy for you and others from all over the world to attend. Following is what’s in store at SEMICON Japan 2020 Virtual to help lead you into the future.Leading Japanese Securities Analysts to Weigh in What’s Ahead for the Chip Equipment Sector in 2021 For the first time, SEMICON Japan will feature Bulls Bears as Japan’s’ five top securities analysts focus on the 2021 outlook for the global semiconductor equipment sector. The December 17th event will include discussions on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the semiconductor industry, the continuing geopolitical tensions that are forcing the industry to reconfigure its supply chains, the fast-growing China market and cutting-edge applications that are powering industry growth. The perspectives from Japan’s investment community are sure to be compelling as the region supplies one-third of the global semiconductor industry’s chip manufacturing equipment.Moderated by Akira Minamikawa of OMDIA, the panel will include these experts:Three Visionaries to Explore the Digital TransformationPowered by semiconductors, the fourth industrial revolution is driving digitalization globally, remaking societies to bring more efficiencies and conveniences to our work and home lives and help more people prosper. But the flip side of those tremendous benefits is the risk that wealth will be concentrated in the hands of people in positions of power, companies and nations. Democratizing economic development remains a serious challenge worldwide.Addressing this pressing issue, the Opening Panel on December 11 will feature prominent visionaries from political, academic and industrial communities including the following:Sony’s Leading-Edge Electric Car and Nissan’s Driver Assistance System to Highlight Automotive InnovationsCars are becoming more like smartphones on wheels, rapidly filling with more and more semiconductor chips every year with electrification and electronic driver-assisted systems to key drivers of this growth. At the SMART Mobility 1 session on December 14, two pioneering companies – Sony and Nissan Motor – will focus on both areas of semiconductor innovation.Sony’s Vision-S concept car, exhibited at CES 2020, astonished many in the electronics ecosystem and the automotive industry. What is Sony’s vision behind the vehicle? Izumi Kawanishi, Senior Vice President, AI Robotics Business at Sony will share the latest on the initiative.Nissan, maker of the pioneering LEAF electric vehicle, is the first Japanese carmaker to equip a car – its new Skyline – with the ProPILOT 2.0 driver assistance system for hands-off highway driving. Nissan Executive Vice President Asako Hoshino will provide an update on the company’s driver assistance system strategy and plans.Quantum Computing Meets Chip Manufacturing for the First Time at SEMICON Japan In contrast with current computer systems that use bits (binary 0 or 1 state) for computing, quantum computers leverage quantum superposition (0 and 1 states exist at once) to quickly solve highly complex problems that might take traditional supercomputers hundreds or even thousands of years to tease out. American physicist Richard Feynman promoted quantum computer as early as 1982, but it wasn’t until nearly two decades later and long after his death that quantum bit circuits emerged for use in superconductive materials.With quantum circuits and devices requiring state-of-art semiconductor processing technology, The Era of Quantum session on December 15 at SEMICON Japan 2020 Virtual will discuss necessary advances in chip manufacturing technology to enable the next generation quantum computing. The session will be the first time SEMICON Japan connects the semiconductor manufacturing and quantum computing communities.The program will feature the following experts:Strategies for Sustainable Semiconductor Industry GrowthSemiconductors are giving rise to a hyper-connected world that is fueling demand for staggering volumes of chips, pressuring the electronics industry to uncover new ways to increase manufacturing efficiency while reducing power consumption in a bid to help combat climate change. The Grand Finale Panel composed of executives from Japan’s semiconductor supply chain and a supervising ministry will gather for the Grand Finale Panel on December 18 to discuss ways the industry can achieve sustainable growth through innovation with a focus on energy savings and an new process technologies such as extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV), which promises to enable electronics devices that are more power powerful, cheaper and more energy-efficient.Panelists include the following:Register TodayThe SEMICON Japan 2020 Virtual All-In Pass provides online access to all 80 presentations and panels, which will be available on-demand for replay until January 15, 2021. What’s more, all eight keynote programs will feature English subtitles. For complete information of the exposition, programs and registration, visit the SEMICON Japan website.I look forward to seeing you virtually at the event!Jim Hamajima is president of SEMI Japan.

The semiconductor industry must do far more to educate the electronics supply chain on the subtle differences among various fluoropolymers, 30 SEMI member companies learned in an October 13 webinar organized by SEMI to help maintain a unified voice on the critical importance of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in semiconductor manufacturing. At the same time, producers and customers of the substances used in chipmaking should work more closely together to steer clear of adopting policies that could limit the availability of safe fluoropolymers and the semiconductor industry’s ability to use them in the future.The insights were offered by representatives from the Performance Fluoropolymer Partnership – a group within the Washington, D.C.-based American Chemistry Council – on per- and poly-fluorinated substances including fluoropolymers. The Council is an industry trade association representing American chemical companies. Following are other key takeaways from the webinar. Fluorinated polymers and non-polymers are commonly found in components used in semiconductor manufacturing such as fittings, valves, tubes, O-rings, wafer carriers, filtration media, high purity air filters, greases and lubricants. The substances are ideal for use in corrosive chemicals, high temperatures and other harsh environments and are found in a variety of electro-technical components such as potentiometers, wiring, printed circuit boards and Lithium-ion batteries. Fluoropolymers are a diverse family of plastics also widespread in modern life, with applications ranging from food packaging and non-stick coatings on kitchen pans to rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles. The term PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) covers more than 4,700 chemicals with diverse physical, chemical, environmental and biological properties and impacts. There are also significant differences among their chemical compositions. A careful appraisal of their risks and impacts should take into account any potentially hazardous properties, toxicity levels, their prevalence in the industry, and whether substitutes are readily available. Growing pressure from regulators worldwide threatens future access to fluorinated chemicals, increasing the importance of raising awareness on how to distinguish groups of chemicals and encouraging a measured approach towards eliminating only chemicals carrying the greatest risk. Fluoropolymer producers and opponents of the chemicals must look past their divergent interests to work together to voice common concerns to regulators. Various SEMI working groups respond to public consultations when opportunities to present the semiconductor industry’s position arise. Individual group members communicate both among each other regarding new regulatory developments and also with external constituents through SEMI about the importance of chemicals to chip manufacturing. As with other sectors, the semiconductor industry continuously seeks to “green” its manufacturing processes. SEMI believes the commitment of the supply chain to these efforts is crucial to protecting the industry’s interests and driving innovation.Olivier Corvez is senior manager of Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability at SEMI.