Reducing the Environmental Impact of Wet Chemical Processes for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing

Semiconductor manufacturing is a resource and energy-intensive industry with a substantial environmental footprint. To address the footprint, we present a methodology for quantifying the environmental impact of semiconductor unit processes using the Environmental Footprint 3.1 Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) framework, focusing on identifying improvement opportunities in process steps with less sensitivity to defects. We apply this methodology to backside wet cleaning by proposing an alternative single-wafer process that adopts ozonated chemistries. The assessment used primary data from imec’s 300 mm pilot line. Results show that the proposed process reduces the total environmental footprint by 55% compared to the baseline Spin Cleaning with Repetitive use of Ozonated water and Diluted HF process. Key reductions include 67% less electricity for cleaning, 59% less HF use, and a 31% reduction in ultrapure water consumption. When scaled to a facility producing N28 Logic wafers at 50,000 wafer starts per month, with 46 backside clean steps per processed wafer, the process achieves annual savings of approximately 4 million kWh of electricity and 28 million liters (28,000 m3) of tap water per year. A sensitivity analysis revealed that replacing fossil-based electricity with hydroelectric power further reduces total environmental impacts by up to 63%, emphasizing the benefit of combining process innovation with renewable energy sourcing.