Using design software to minimize the environmental impact of tools and processes

摘要

As the semiconductor industry continues to grow and to adopt new process technologies, both chipmakers and their equipment suppliers have exhibited an increasing concern for the consumption of natural resources and the environmental impact of manufacturing effluents. Thus, the development of analytical software tools that would aid the industry in understanding, measuring, and improving the environmental performance of manufacturing equipment and processes is being pursued as a collaborative effort between the environmental solutions and products division at Applied Materials (Santa Clara, CA) and the Consortium on Green Design and Manufacturing (CGDM) at the University of California, Berkeley.