Nicolai Tallo, Sr Product Manager – Dry Pump, Future Platforms, Edwards Vacuum
Although semiconductor manufacturing is not a large-scale direct emitter of greenhouse gases, it is a prodigious consumer of electrical power, most of which still comes from burning fossil fuels. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol classifies indirect emissions from purchased power as Scope 2 emissions. (Direct emissions are Scope 1 and upstream and downstream supply chain emissions are scope 3.) In the long-term manufacturers can reduce or eliminate Scope 2 emissions by converting to electrical power derived from wind, solar, or other renewable sources. Renewable energy and low-carbon fuels are available now in some places, though usually at higher cost. In the short term, the greatest opportunity to reduce Scope 2 emissions lies in improving energy efficiency and reducing power consumption in the manufacturing process. Fortunately, reducing power consumption is one of those few coincidences where saving the environment and saving money happily align. For companies that have chosen to pay the price premium for energy from renewable sources or low-carbon fuel, the value of that savings is greater still.
Edwards, as part of Atlas Copco, has committed to using the methodology defined by the Science Based-Targets initiative (SBTi) in achieving its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. These include reducing Edwards own emissions, the emissions of our suppliers, and the emissions resulting from our customers’ use of our products. This discussion focuses on power consumed by our products, which, from our customers’ perspective, are Scope 2 emissions.
Ever since we patented the first dry pump in 1980, Edwards has pioneered the development and deployment of new technologies in semiconductor manufacturing. Minimising carbon emissions is now a requirement for all new product developments at Edwards and we expect technological advances to play a key role in achieving our emissions goals. We are currently investing in new pumping technologies that will reduce the energy consumption of our next generation pumps by as much as 50%, as well as reduce consumption of other utilities, such as process cooling water (PCW) and nitrogen.
Introducing new technologies to reduce emissions not only provides an environmental benefit but can lead to significant financial benefits as well. Materials, utilities, and energy all have a real cost, and reducing their consumption significantly reduces total cost of ownership (TCoO). Today, the cost to run a vacuum pump for 5 years in semiconductor applications typically exceeds the initial capital expenditure to purchase the pump. A 50% reduction in operating costs significantly reduces TCoO over the life of the pump. Technological innovations in the new pump platform will also reduce its weight 60kg. In addition to lowering shipping costs (usually borne by the customer), we anticipate a decline in total weight shipped annually of over 1k tonnes for this new product family alone. This translates to a reduction of around 16k tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions per year.
Process optimization is another active focus of our development efforts across both vacuum pumps and abatement systems. The overall semiconductor manufacturing process comprises many sub-processes – deposition, etch, etc. – each requiring a precise timeline of gas flows and concentrations in the process chamber. Conventionally, vacuum and abatement systems are set up to accommodate the most demanding condition, which may be wasteful in less demanding phases of the operation. Actively managing the operation of vacuum and abatement systems to adapt to changing conditions through the process cycle opens significant opportunities for reducing energy consumption and improving process sustainability.
For example, vacuum pumps often use nitrogen as a purge gas. Typically, the purge gas flows at a constant rate, which is set to the highest need within the process cycle. In actuality, the required flow varies throughout the cycle. When tool is idle it requires only a minimum flow. All nitrogen supplied to the pump must ultimately be abated, putting additional load on the abatement unit. Optimizing the nitrogen flow to meet the actual need during each phase of the process can save significant quantities of nitrogen and reduce abatement costs as well. The same may be true of pump power or cooling water requirements.
For optimization to work, the vacuum and abatement systems need real-time information from the process tool about flow rates and composition of the exhaust stream. This requires close collaboration among the vacuum/abatement supplier, the tool supplier, and the end users who are operating the equipment. Edwards is a founding member of SEMI’s Semiconductor Climate Consortium, which seeks to encourage a collaborative approach.
The next big step for the semiconductor industry will be accelerating the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence models to process and equipment optimization. All new Edwards products incorporate more sensors to produce more relevant data at higher data rates with greater connectivity, all of which are critical requirements for further progress in process optimization, predictive maintenance, and much more.
Edwards is committed to using science-based targets to address climate change. Achieving these targets will not be possible without innovation and technological advancements. Our product development process includes explicit requirements to the reduce carbon footprint in our own manufacturing operations and in the use of our products by our customers. But we also need to improve our understanding of business benefits beyond the environmental benefits, such as effects on total cost of ownership and operational efficiency. Surely there are other happy coincidences waiting to be found.
About the author
Nicolai Tallo is a Senior Product Manager at Edwards, where he drives their future dry pump platforms. Passionate about sustainability he has authored articles exploring the application of Circular Economy principles to Edwards vacuum and abatement technologies. His goal is to reduce the environmental impact of semiconductor manufacturing through innovative and energy efficient solutions.
