World Semiconductor Council ESH Task Force

Issue:

The World Semiconductor Council (WSC) represents the majority of worldwide semiconductor manufacturing and provides a unique opportunity for collaborative approaches to global ESH issues. Established in 1997, it currently consists of the five major semiconductor manufacture trade associations ESIA (Europe), JEITA (Japan), KSIA (Korea), SIA (United States) and TSIA (Taiwan). Environment, safety and health issues are the responsibility of the ESH Task Force.

Importance:

Collaborative international approaches can overcome cultural differences, regulatory differences and political differences. The process is designed to work in a pre-competitive environment so that confidentiality is generally not a concern. In principle, the five associations meet twice a year to discuss global issues that are best addressed as common to all. Through the ESH Task Force directly and through ad hoc working groups, issues are identified and addressed by the five associations using a consensus building process. The Task Force also engages in information sharing and cooperation. Typical of this sharing approach to global ESH issues is the annual International Semiconductor Environment, Safety and Health Conference. The 2004 Conference was held in Tokyo (Japan) and was the eleventh in the series. Prior meetings have been held in Brussels (Belgium), Okayama (Japan), Monterey (USA), Milan (Italy), Kyung-ju (Korea), Williamsburg (USA), Dresden (Germany), Kenting (Taiwan), San Diego (USA), Noordwijk (The Netherlands), Tokyo (Japan), and Portland (USA). The 13th ISESH was recently, successfully, concluded in Malta. The next ISESH Conference will be hosted by KSIA in Jeju, June 17-21, 2007.

WSC Guiding Principles for Environment, Safety and Health:

• Introduction:
  The semiconductor industry is the world's most innovative industry. Over the last forty years its average annual growth has exceeded all other industry sectors. Semiconductors are the key components of electronics, which permeate all industries.

  Growth and technological progress drive the semiconductor industry to be proactive: to anticipate, and avoid problems rather than correcting problems. The semiconductor industry has established an excellent Environmental, Safety and Health (ESH) performance record. The industry wants to continue to be proactive in these areas. Therefore the WSC commits to these "Guiding Principles" in anticipation of future needs and to reinforce our leadership position. In accordance with scientific findings, we will make appropriate investments in support of our commitments.

  At WSC we firmly believe that it is necessary for our industry to be at the forefront of sustainable development, fostering world economic growth based on sound environmental practices. In addition, WSC member associations recognize that ESH issues should be addressed in a "pre-competitive" manner. To achieve these objectives, the WSC recognizes the following Guiding Principles, which were developed with the cooperation of all its member associations. The WSC encourages its member associations to support the application of these Guiding Principles by their member companies.

• Guiding Principles
  1. Meet or exceed ESH REGULATIONS of the countries and communities in which WSC associations operate, conscious of all international protocols relevant to ESH that have been ratified by all governments of the WSC member associations.
  2. Promote natural RESOURCE CONSERVATION, including reduction of energy, water, and other raw materials through efficient use, recycling, and process and facility optimization; seek high-efficiency energy sources such as cogeneration, and cost-effective renewable and alternative energy sources where appropriate.
  3. Endeavor to achieve environmental POLLUTION PREVENTION, including:
     1. Reducing air emissions, including greenhouse gases, through energy conservation measures, utilization of high-efficiency, renewable and alternative energy sources, and decreasing PFC emissions.
     2. Phasing out substances having high ozone-depletion potential.
     3. Managing wastes in accordance with the following hierarchy: Preventing waste as a primary objective, followed in succession by reuse, recycling, waste destruction with energy recovery, incineration without recovery, and landfill disposal.
  4. Integrate ESH CONSCIOUS DESIGN considerations and optimization into the design of products, manufacturing processes, the selection of chemicals, facilities, and new buildings. Apply, where appropriate, life-cycle considerations to reduce environmental impact of the final products.
  5. Provide a SAFE AND HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT for our employees and promote healthy behaviors. Promote international cooperation regarding chemical management, utilizing scientific evidence, health assessment and risk assessment as the basis for effective workplace protection.
  6. Support the implementation of ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (such as ISO 14001, EMAS, or equivalent systems) by the WSC member associations for their member companies and their supply chain.
  7. Encourage member companies to participate in industry-wide ESH INITIATIVES and make information about their ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE AVAILABLE to the public.
  8. Support the INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION of WSC associations to harmonize global ESH performance measurement. Strive to share "BEST PRACTICES" and innovative solutions to common challenges.
• Quantiative Targets:
  The WSC confirms the objective of setting quantitative targets and charged the ESH TF to strive to establish feasible targets in specific ESH focus areas by September 2005. A Quantitative Targets Working Group has been established to evaluate and make recommendations for such potential targets. Towards this end, each member association has committed to prepared draft quantitative targets for energy use and water use. The current PFC emission reduction goal remains intact.

SIA Position/Action:

Among the major activities of the ESH Task Force are the following:

• Global PFC Emission Reduction Goal
  The five participant associations have voluntarily agreed to reduce PFC emissions 10% below their baseline year emissions by the year 2010. These reductions are expected to be provided through process optimization, alternative gases, abatement, and recovery/recycle. To monitor progress, each association reports its annual results, through a PFC Working Group, to the Task Force, a Joint Steering Committee consisting of corporate directors and vice presidents, and the World Semiconductor Council which consists of high level executives from the member companies. Members of the PFC Working Group are also working with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to prepare the 2006 edition of the greenhouse gas inventory guidelines. Additionally, the working group recently completed through International SEMATECH a 2005 technology assessment of the industry's capability to meet the 2010 goal. Lastly, at the 2005 WSC Meeting in Kyoto, an agreement was reached to post annual indexed aggregated PFC emission data on the WSC website as well as on the websites of each individual association.
• Chemical Management:
  The Chemical Management Working Group has successfully completed its assignments and is now functioning as an informal "peer" group available to work on issues related to chemical management as they arise. As a result of the effort of this working group, with support from SEMATECH, a Chemical Properties Information Form (CPIF) was developed for posting on the WSC website as well as on each association's website. In addition to developing the CPIF, the group also looked at best known pollution prevention methods for two chemicals in wide industry usage- isopropyl alcohol and hydrofluoric acid.

  At the ESH TF meeting in Los Angeles, held in February, 2005, each association agreed to discuss adoption of a voluntary commitment to eliminate non-critical applications of PFOS and try to phase out the use of PFOS in critical applications. Efforts to prepare and adopt this agreement have been pursued since 2005. At the 2006 meeting of the WSC in San Francisco, a Voluntary Semiconductor Industry Commitment was approved and adopted. This agreement between the five WSC members and SEMI has been posted on the SIA website.

• Energy Savings:
  The ESH Task Force has also created an Energy Savings Working Group. This group has identified a number of projects intended to better understand how to achieve energy savings. These projects include the following:

  • Defining energy metrics
  • Defining front end/back end indicators
  • Benchmarking
  • Identifying common programs for suppliers
  • Information sharing on renewable energies
  • Sharing information and best practices

To date, the working group has been looking as energy data from the five associations as well as trying to reach consensus on a normalization factor. Presently, only wafer area has been agreed upon. Each association also selected its Best in Association program and shared these programs at the 11th ISESH Conference held in Tokyo. A similar session was conducted at the 12th ISESH Conference held in Portland, Oregon. Another "Best in Association" Energy program was conducted at the 13th ISESH to be held in Malta.