Sia update
01/01/1998
Environmental, safety, and health (ESH) technology improvements are necessary to ensure that the semiconductor industry protects its most valuable resource, people, as well as the environment itself. The semiconductor industry has an enviable ESH track record and needs to continue to maintain this reputation. Working in concert with government at all levels is an everyday reality. The major challenge is improvement in environmental impact concurrent with manufacturing cost reduction.
During the strategic period of this Roadmap, the regulatory environment in all aspects of ESH will continue to refine command and control requirements. Additionally, there is a growing trend of voluntary ESH management in specific areas.
International guidance and regulations are being developed for environmental management (ISO 14000), specific chemical use (e.g., perfluorocompounds [PFCs]), and waste management (product take-back). These regulations have growing implications for worldwide manufacturing flexibility and marketing.
This Roadmap is an excellent example of the integration of ESH issues into technology thrusts. In addition to the ESH chapter, a one-page section in each of the lithography, interconnect, front-end processes, factory integration, and assembly and packaging Roadmap chapters gives the specific ESH challenges and potential solutions for each area:
Lithography processing uses chemical solvents that emit hazardous air products and volatile organic compounds, potentially exposing workers to these toxic materials. Issues to be addressed include energy consumption, hazardous waste disposal, worker radiation exposure prevention, and personnel protective equipment needs.
Interconnect processing proliferates new chemicals and materials with little toxicity information. Plasma etch and CVD tool cleans emit PFCs, while plasma systems have high energy requirements. Chemical mechanical planarization systems use large volumes of chemicals and water, which generates a large amount of waste.
Front-end processing uses high volumes of energy and water. In addition to the danger of exposing workers to physical and chemical hazards, the large amount of waste generated requires proper abatement.
Factory integration should focus on building factories that minimize resource consumption and re-use, recycle, or reclaim by-products, and incorporate advanced environmental monitoring systems to create near-zero effluent factories that isolate workers from chemicals, equipment, and products.
The assembly and packaging process uses high volumes of energy, large volumes of chemicals and materials, and materials that may prohibit hazard-free handling and eventual disposal or recycling of the products.
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The three most difficult technical challenges facing the semiconductor industry are:
1. development and early distribution of chemical and material toxicity and safety information to users;
2. water and energy use reduction; and
3. PFC emissions reduction.
The table shows the timing of the technology needs for each of these three challenges. In addition, equipment safety calls for full implementation of the Semi equipment safety and ergonomic guidelines by equipment suppliers during the 1999-2003 period.
The ESH technology challenges, needs, and potential solutions in this Roadmap are divided into four essential categories:
1. Chemical Management must provide the means to select ever "better" chemicals for function and ESH improvement. Early information on the environmental and health characteristics of potential new process materials will minimize the "showstopper" effect a wrong choice can have later.
2. Reduced usage of Natural Resources (water and energy) will grow in importance as calls for cost reduction and manufacturing location flexibility increase.
3. Worker Protection is always a top priority. As worldwide knowledge of the potential impact of the work environment on health and safety increases, technology improvements are necessary in facilities, tools, personal protective equipment, and training.
4. Improved ESH Design Tools are essential to address the above issues quickly and economically.
Continuous improvement in ESH characteristics of semiconductor manufacturing to meet local, national, and international needs must be accomplished, over the long term, with positive impact on cost, performance, and schedule. The leading role for these changes must be assumed by process and facilities engineers in partnership with ESH professionals, equipment and chemical suppliers, and university researchers.
Ray Kerby received his BS degree in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University in 1957, and his MS degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1960. He worked for 36 years at IBM, where he held various engineering and ESH positions until his retirement as director of worldwide safety in 1993. He retired as director of the ESH technology division at Sematech in 1996. Kerby is presently a consultant to Sematech. ph 512/288-5640, fax 512/288-3705.
Larry Novak received his BS degree in math and physics and his MS degree in engineering management from the University of Tulsa. He served on the Sematech start-up team, holding concurrent positions as director of technology transfer, director of equipment improvement programs, chairperson of the Management Division Council, and cochair of the Executive Technical Advisory Board. He was ESH director of the Worldwide Semiconductor Group and manager of the Sematech program at Texas Instruments until 1997. He is presently a VP at Radian International. 8501 North Mopac Blvd., Austin, TX 78759; ph 512/419-5981, fax 512/419-5977.