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Table of Contents | Introduction |  What are PFAS?  |  PFAS Regulations  |  PFAS in Semiconductor Mfg  |  Components with PFAS  |  Actions

SEMI PFAS Mission Statement

SEMI recognizes the legitimate concerns about PFAS. PFAS are an integral part of our modern lives. SEMI member companies are dedicated to the responsible use of PFAS in the semiconductor industry where it is essential to the interests of a well-functioning society, and to removing PFAS from the industry on a practicable timeline for non-essential uses.

It appears that many jurisdictions are aiming to restrict the use of PFAS and to require the reporting of PFAS imports without a complete understanding of how dependent common technologies are on PFAS substances, how PFAS fill a very unique ( and currently essential) technical niche, and how pervasively PFAS are used in semiconductor production, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the full semiconductor industry supply chain, and in technology in general. At this time semiconductor chips and related devices cannot be produced without PFAS being available at multiple points in the supply chain and for multiple use-cases in the supply chain. We see similar dependencies on PFAS in medical, automotive, consumer electronics, aviation, and other sectors.

The Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry Responds

PFAS have enabled technological development in the semiconductor industry for many years. It is important to understand the basic ways in which PFAS are present in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

  1. PFAS can be present in the chemicals directly used to manufacture semiconductor and related devices such as in photoresist liquids, etch chamber gases, as well as the containers that hold them.
  2. PFAS can be present in the equipment directly used to manufacture semiconductors, such as in the high purity water distribution systems in a semiconductor manufacturing factory or in a lithium battery used for data back up in a metrology tool. There are thousands of other use cases.
  3. PFAS can be present in the semiconductor and related devices that are the output of the manufacturing process such as in the plastic case of a microprocessor chip.
  4. PFAS can be present in the equipment used to make components and chemicals that in turn are used directly in semiconductor manufacturing such as in a CNC machine used to produce silicon components for wafer plating systems, in a chemical purification system used to produce high purity hydrogen for EUV exposure systems.  

Among these basic ways there are hundreds (if not thousands) of use-cases that are each repeated thousands of times throughout the individual components and products used in the industry - resulting in hundreds of thousands to millions of individual design-instances.

A few PFAS (such as PFOA and PFOS) have already been restricted in many jurisdictions, but not equally so. The semiconductor industry has stopped all direct use of these PFAS in jurisdictions where they are restricted and continues to investigate the deeper supply chain to ensure compliance.  

In light of the developing interest in restricting all PFASes and requirements to report PFAS content in products, investigations for viable, safe, long-term PFAS alternatives have accelerated and resulted in some successes.

The semiconductor industry’s activities include the following:

  • A SEMI working group, formed originally to understand concerns with and uses of the PFOA group of PFAS substances, has expanding into a PFAS working group focused on European regulations and the many US States and Federal laws that have recently passed or are in development. Among other outputs, this working group has provided a sector response to the EU public consultation for the proposed, broad-spectrum PFAS restriction under the EU REACH Regulation. ([SEMI Staff add Link to documents])  
  • A Semiconductor PFAS Consortium has formed under the umbrella of the Semiconductor Industry Association both to educate the world about the uses of PFAS in semiconductor manufacturing, and to investigate alternatives. Reference semiconductors.org/pfas.  The Semiconductor PFAS Consortium has developed many whitepapers towards these goals (see more information at the bottom of this webpage).

The World Semiconductor Council (WSC) has had long standing commitments to move away from PFOA and other PFAS. Reference www.semiconductorcouncil.org.

SEMI PFAS Working Groups - Consider Joining Us

SEMI working groups are comprised of staff from many SEMI member companies and are guided and assisted by SEMI staff. If you would like to join SEMI or the SEMI PFAS working group, please contact EHS@semi.org.

The Semiconductor PFAS Consortium Whitepapers

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has formed a Semiconductor PFAS Consortium to investigate and document the uses of PFAS in the semiconductor industry, and to develop information about which use-cases are essential and which use-cases could be fulfilled by an alternative, non-PFAS, substance. The main 2023 output of the Semiconductor PFAS Consortium are a series of whitepapers.

One of the whitepapers, known as the “Rina whitepaper” but titled as “The Impact of a Potential PFAS Restriction on the Semiconductor Sector” summarizes this information as it is understood up to approximately 2023. It can be downloaded from here.

Other PFAS focused whitepapers available at the same link are:

  • “Background on Semiconductor Manufacturing and PFAS”
  • “PFAS-Containing Lubricants Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing”
  • “PFAS-Containing Materials Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing Assembly Test Packaging and Substrate Processes”
  • “PFAS-Containing Wet Chemistries Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing”
  • “PFAS-Containing Surfactants Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing”
  • “PFOS and PFOA Conversion to Short-Chain PFAS-Containing Materials Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing”

Additional whitepapers will be listed here, as they become available.

 

Please note:  SEMI makes no warranties or representation to the accuracy or usefulness of the information contained on this webpage. Accuracy is solely the responsibility of the user.  Users are cautioned to refer to other relevant literature of the subject matter herein.  This information is subject to change without notice. This "explainer" was developed by members of the SEMI PFAS Working Group. Please send suggestions for improvement to ehs@semi.org