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Role of SEMI F98 Standard in Enabling Environmental Sustainability and Water Conservation in the Industry

By Slava Libman, FTD solutions INC and Paul Kerr, Intel Corporation

Semiconductor facilities are the backbone of the global economy, but they face increasing pressure to operate sustainably. This pressure stems from the increasing water and energy demand of semiconductor facilities as manufacturing processes become more complex, concerns over climate change, the demands of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, and the ever-evolving expectations within the value chain. In some cases, large facilities are built in water-stressed areas, making water conservation even more critical. The current expansion of the industry, driven by AI, necessitates even greater water usage, placing additional strain on local infrastructure.

Water conservation becomes even more complex when considering the need for water reuse. This involves recirculating water within the facility, but with each cycle, the water’s chemical properties change. Accurately predicting these changes is challenging; if done incorrectly, the facility risks non-compliance or manufacturers could end up overspending on infrastructure.

For companies committed to aggressive water conservation goals, executing these commitments presents several challenges:

  1. “Water is local.” Unlike energy and other resources, water management decisions are highly site-specific. This means that for the same company, two facilities built for the same technology at the same time will likely need different approaches to achieve optimal water management outcomes. While standardized solutions are insufficient, standardized processes and key performance indicators (KPIs) are essential.
  2. Water treatment cannot be managed in isolation. It must be considered in conjunction with energy, emissions, and other factors within the broader context of sustainability commitments. This complexity makes solutions and standardization even more challenging.
  3. Circularity is key to achieving aggressive water conservation goals. Circularity is relatively new to the industry, particularly when it is a necessity rather than a luxury. Sites without prior experience in managing the interdependencies between water systems will face challenges in tightly controlling and reliably managing the entire site’s water usage. The industry lacks adequate standards to support such operations.

Despite the immense potential for water conservation, facilities are often hampered by outdated practices and tools. Tight monitoring and control at the site level, including actionable KPIs, will be essential. The SEMI F98, Guide for Treatment of Reuse Water in Semiconductor Processing, is designed to address these needs by providing standardized definitions and KPIs, developed in collaboration with key industry experts and major semiconductor companies.

Recently, a new revision of SEMI F98 was ratified. This revision focuses on addressing the above challenges by introducing additional KPIs that consider overarching sustainability concerns. The SEMI Water Management Task Force works closely with the IRDS Sustainability Forum to ensure that industry roadmap considerations are incorporated into future revisions of the SEMI F98 guide. In addition to supporting water conservation initiatives, the task force recognizes the importance of providing the industry with consistent guidance for water conservation accounting, which is currently inconsistent across companies.

Call-to-Action: While the Water Management Task Force comprises the necessary expertise and industry representation, we welcome additional experts who are willing to contribute to the standardization of methodologies supporting industry water management and conservation.

For further information, please contact Slava Libman at [email protected] or Paul Kerr at [email protected]

Get Involved

SEMI Standards development activities take place throughout the year in all major manufacturing regions. To get involved, join the SEMI International Standards Program at: www.semi.org/standardsmembership.

For more information, please visit our main Web site and current events page. If you have any questions regarding SEMI Standards activities, please contact your local SEMI Standards staff.

 

Standards Watch
SEMI
www.semi.org
September 12, 2024