As the volume of regulations grows across all levels of government, both in the U.S. and abroad, the semiconductor industry is increasingly struggling to keep up with its reporting obligations. Potential consequences include shipments delayed by customs, existing stocks of materials, parts, and components unexpectedly being made obsolete, and disruptions to multiple tiers of the supply chain that persist over time.To minimize the burden of numerous, varied reporting expectations, the SEMI PFAS Transparency Working Group, led by Intel and Tokyo Electron, is working to:Enable standardized communication on the presence of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in chemical formulations, materials, tools, parts, and fab infrastructure to minimize the burden of varied reporting expectations;Enable traceability; andProtect confidential business information. While the initial focus of the effort is on PFAS, the intent of the group is for the methodology to be applicable to other substance reporting requirements.The group will be holding a working session at SEMICON West in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday, October 8 from 10:30 a.m.-12:00 noon at the North Building, 200 Level, Room 229A of the Phoenix Convention Center. All segments of the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain are invited to join the meeting and contribute to this critical effort. This session is intended for individuals involved in: Data management and reportingSupply chain managementMajor business continuity planning and crisis managementRisk assessment and mitigationEHS/regulatory complianceSub-supply chain visibility challengesThe PFAS transparency effort will also be introduced during the SEMI EHS Summit and SEMI Global Standards Summit, both scheduled on Tuesday, October 7.For additional resources, download the PFAS Explainer or SEMI PFAS Position Paper. Contact [email protected] for questions or more information about the working group session.James Amano is Senior Director of EHS at SEMI.
