Overview

As part of SRC's Commitment to Sustainability, research in the Environment, Safety, and Health (ESH) program supports an overall mission of enabling sustainability and environmentally benign processing in integrated-circuit manufacturing. SRC-supported ESH research also serves an important role in educating and preparing students for careers in environmental engineering for the semiconductor industry.

Research Focus

The two major research focus areas in the ESH Subprogram are: (1) development of new ESH characterization, screening, handling, and abatement methods for new materials and processes, and (2) exploration of ESH preferable manufacturing options using green chemistries and sustainable materials. Research activities within these two focus areas address the critical ESH research needs for the semiconductor industry and include the following topics:

(a)   ESH impact analysis of materials including toxicity, environmental fate, and behavior characteristics

(b)   Aqueous effluent management for effective wastewater treatment to reduce hazardous waste generation

(c)   Air emissions management including measurement and removal techniques

(d)   Alternative materials analysis for more benign or easily treatable processes