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Soitec Implements Water Reuse in Wafer Fabs
Soitec intends to increase the rate of wastewater reuse at its Bernin site from 19% in 2023 to over 35% in 2024.
www.eetimes.eu/, Jan. 17, 2024 –
Water is a limited natural resource, and manufacturing semiconductors requires a large volume of water to cool equipment or to generate ultra-pure water. French silicon-on-insulator wafer supplier Soitec announced it has implemented an industrial installation that enables wafer rinse water to be partially reused in the production of ultra-pure water for cleanrooms at its manufacturing units in Bernin, France.
The semiconductor-manufacturing process generates large volumes of wastewater, which can contain heavy metals and toxic solvents. In recent years, Soitec said it has redesigned and optimized its industrial processes to reduce water consumption per unit of production and increase the volume of water reused or recycled. In fact, Soitec said it had reduced its overall water consumption per unit produced by 30% between 2021 and 2023 and is aiming for a further 30% reduction by 2030. The group also intends to increase the rate of wastewater reuse at its Bernin site, from 19% in 2023 to over 35% in 2024.
"We are determined to continue our industrial development with limited [water] resources," Soitec COO Cyril Menon said at a press conference ahead of the inauguration ceremony of Soitec's Bernin 4 wafer fab in September 2023. "Access to water is an important issue today and will be even more so in the years to come. We want to pursue growth while reducing our consumption of natural resources.
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