The ecological footprint of microchip manufacturing is growing in step with increasing demand. In the GENESIS EU project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is joining forces with partners to develop technologies that make manufacturing of these essential chips more sustainable.
“From a technical perspective, recent decades have seen enormous advances in microelectronics. Today, attention is also turning to more environmentally responsible ways of manufacturing chips,” says Julia Osten, research manager at Fraunhofer IPMS and project lead for GENESIS. “For the first time, this project brings together nearly all of Europe’s key players.”
GENESIS, short for “GENerate in Europe a Sustainable Industry for Semiconductors,” unites over 50 partners from industry, research and academia along the European semiconductor value chain. Coordinated by CEA-Leti, this three-year project aims to develop new technologies by 2028 that are in line with the European Green Deal and the EU Chips Act and improve sustainability across the entire microchip life cycle. Its main priorities include cutting emissions, substituting critical materials and advancing new recycling approaches. The project is funded by the European Union through the Chips Joint Undertaking program (grant agreement no. 101194246) and the associated member states (e.g., the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space [BMFTR]). The Swiss GENESIS partners are provided with additional funding by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Partners based in Saxony also receive funding from the Free State of Saxony.
In addition to project management, statutory compliance and consolidation, four of the six existing work packages in the project are scientific in nature: real-time monitoring and sensors, environmentally friendly materials, reducing dependence on critical raw materials and minimizing waste and emissions. Osten is coordinating the latter effort for the 25 project partners in Work Package 4.
Fraunhofer IPMS is the lead in the Minimization of Waste and Emissions work package while also contributing its expertise in many other work packages. Two additional institutes in the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics are also participating in the GENESIS project. These are the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS and the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFT.
In addition to coordinating Work Package 4, the research at Fraunhofer IPMS is focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and greenhouse gases. “We are investigating alternative materials and methods as well as possibilities for reducing the use of PFAS,” explains the physicist. The researchers are also addressing process gases such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) which have a significantly higher global warming potential than that of carbon dioxide. The institute is evaluating alternative gas mixtures and is working to optimize existing waste gas cleaning systems to effectively reduce emissions.
Another area the researchers are focusing on is the reusability of materials. Working together with partners from industry, Fraunhofer IPMS is investigating how chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurries can be treated and reused. “The semiconductor manufacturing process always needs these slurries for wafer polishing,” explains Osten. “They are liquid suspensions made up of water, chemicals and extremely fine abrasive particles.” The goal is to reduce material consumption, water usage and waste generation as well as to recover valuable raw materials and return them to the production cycle.
“Our cutting-edge 200 and 300-millimeter clean rooms at Fraunhofer IPMS enable us to test sustainable semiconductor processes under realistic conditions together with our partners from industry and to evaluate their impact on industrial manufacturing processes,” says Osten. “This helps us reduce risks while speeding up the adoption of environmentally friendly solutions. We can also build on our experience from the GreenICT project funded by the BMFTR.” The objective is to transfer the research findings to industrial applications as quickly as possible.
Osten says: “If we can help manufacture the countless chips in our devices with fewer resources and less environmental impact, we will be creating real value for future generations.”
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft