Environmental sustainability in semiconductor industry

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in awareness and appreciation for the semiconductor industry. People have come to realize the importance of having secure access to chips, especially in light of recent events such as the Covid outbreak, the China semiconductor ban, and the CHIPS act. These factors have highlighted the critical role that semiconductors play in modern economies, and the need for reliable access to these essential components is relatively widely recognized. 

The environmental impact of our industry is still overshadowed by larger culprits such as oil and gas, cement, or transportation industries. However, IT sector will grow significantly faster than others. Because of that growth, the environmental footprint of the semiconductor industry will increase in the relative importance. The forecast predict that by 2030, the semiconductors will be responsible for anywhere between 3% to 30%(!) of global greenhouse emissions, when all the downstream effects are taken into consideration. 

It is important to note that a significant portion of a finished IT product's carbon footprint is generated before it even reaches the customer. This is especially true for mobile devices like smartphones. In fact, Apple reports that 84% of the iPhone 13's lifecycle emissions occur during its production. These findings highlight the crucial role that semiconductor manufacturing plays in the environmental sustainability of the IT industry. Undoubtedly, this sector will face increased scrutiny in the years ahead as stakeholders look for ways to reduce its impact on the environment.

Besides standard set of objectives that the industry must undertake to meet its Net Zero objectives (100% renewable energy, higher efficiency buildings and supply chains, water conservation, etc.), there are some challenges unique to this sector due to its technologically-advanced manufacturing process. For example, several integration steps (whether lithography, etch, deposition, or clean) use exotic high-purity chemicals that almost invariably carry high lifecycle carbon emissions. The second challenge is the fast technological progress. The market wants us to maintain the customary efficiency gains of 30-50% per two years (as measured by bit density) while making the whole industry significantly more environmentally-friendly.

Looking ahead, the semiconductor industry's environmental impact will be determined by the critical next few years. While all major players have committed to Net Zero objectives, the challenge of execution and roadmapping has just begun. Innovation is key to the industry's success, as we've seen with transitions from MOSFET to FinFET to Gate All Around, planar architecture to 3D, and the adoption of EUV lithography. Decarbonization of the industry is another vital objective that will require a great deal of innovation as well as consistent demand from customers and regulatory bodies to justify the required investments and cost-related trade-offs. 

In my work, I manage the environmental roadmap for all Lam etch, deposition, and clean products. Product marketing is the liaison between technical owners and engineers on one side, and account teams and the customers on the other. We set ambitious targets that are necessary to meet our industry's 2030 and 2050 Net Zero commitments. The fun is in understanding what's technically and financially viable while finding creative solutions to push our strategy forward. I can't wait to see what the future holds, and I feel excited to be able to help our industry grow and evolve.