Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Comprehensive Tools to Assess Environmental Impacts of and Improve the Design of Semiconductor Equipment and Processes
EPA Grant Number: R831456Title: Comprehensive Tools to Assess Environmental Impacts of and Improve the Design of Semiconductor Equipment and Processes
Investigators: Dornfeld, David
Institution: University of California - Berkeley
EPA Project Officer: Richards, April
Project Period: December 5, 2003 through December 4, 2006
Project Amount: $324,969
RFA: Technology for a Sustainable Environment (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Sustainable and Healthy Communities , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development
Objective:
The objective of the research was to develop a comprehensive design for environment (DFE) tool to assess the environmental and health impacts of semiconductor manufacturing and to feed this information back into semiconductor equipment and process development cycles. Another objective was to promote the broader use of this tool to support industrial ecology. To achieve that second objective, the EnV-S software originally developed for the semiconductor industry was adapted and evaluated for selected projects in the automotive sector (representative of the broader mechanical parts manufacturing) also. This will allow us to assess the extent to which the software can address broader manufacturing issues across different industries. Finally, a test of the analysis strategy was used to evaluate solar collector manufacturing technology.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
This work was intended to continue the development of environmental assessment tools for determining the environmental impacts of processes and providing the ability to do tradeoff analyses in process and system design. The work focused primarily on evaluation of semiconductor manufacturing processes (specifically chemical mechanical planarization [CMP] and chemical vapor deposition [CVD]) and emphasized an experimental approach. This work built upon previous research on “bottom-up” semiconductor DFE tools at Berkeley, specifically the environmental value system analysis tool, EnV-S. The research work created a “tool” with increased capability and reliability. In addition, the EnV-S tool concept was validated by looking at an application in the automotive industry with specific interest in alternative energy sources for use in that industry. It assessed manufacturing process alternatives for reducing energy and environmental impacts of manufacturing processes. It was extended to “semiconductor-like” processes as part of a collaborative project on nanoscale manufacturing.
Conclusions:
The EnV-S analysis tool approach was shown to be effective in application to a broad range of manufacturing processes, from semiconductor to automotive. The input to the tool varies dramatically depending on the industry and process, but the concept of data-driven, cost-sensitive analytical tools for assisting engineers in determining the level of impact and feasible alternatives from both an environmental and cost basis was shown. This approach will be applied to alternate energy supply technologies in the future.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 12 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
RFA, Scientific Discipline, TREATMENT/CONTROL, Sustainable Industry/Business, Environmental Chemistry, Sustainable Environment, Technology, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Environmental Engineering, industrial design for environment, clean technologies, cleaner production, environmental hazard assessment, environmentally conscious manufacturing, waste minimization, semiconductor industry, alternative materials, industrial ecology, semi-conductor processing, electronics industry, environmentally benign alternative, Design for EnvironmentRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.