The Semiconductor Dilemma: Driving Innovation at an Environmental Cost

Semiconductors are key electrical components in our everyday devices. They enable us to communicate across the globe, move with ease using vehicles and enjoy social media. From a scientific perspective, a semiconductor is a material that has both insulating and conducting properties. Scientists introduce different impurities within a material to allow or prevent current from passing through. 

Source: AZoNano https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6506 

Semiconductor usage is present in all industries, from healthcare to education technology - a world without semiconductors would be wildly different to the lives we live today. Due to this, the industry is incredibly lucrative and tech hubs like Taiwan and South Korea enjoy many economic benefits from thriving semiconductor production. However, the environmental cost of semiconductors is also heavy. Production utilizes a lot of energy and thus burns a lot of fossil fuels. When paired with high water usage, the industry is in need of sustainable reformations. 

What exactly are the environmental impacts of the semiconductor industry? An average chip making facility uses 10 million gallons of ultrapure water per day, the equivalent usage of 33,000 US households every day. Firms use water to clean the chips of contaminants on a nanoscale, cool equipment down to prevent overheating, and more. The production of ultrapure water also leads to wastage of 1400 to 1600 gallons in order to produce 1000 gallons of ultrapure water. In areas of drought, this can be controversial as it may lead to conflict between agricultural and technological industries.

Source: Critical Process Filtration https://www.criticalprocess.com/knowledge/filters-in-electronics-and-semiconductor-ultrapure-water-systems 

In addition, extraction of raw materials to be used in semiconductors requires rare elements, mining ores have been under fire in recent years for pollution and negative effects on human health such as acid wastewater discharge from mines seeping into waterways. Energy usage in the semiconductor industry has also been immense. Specific data projections suggest that the manufacturing of semiconductors is predicted to consume 237 terawatt hours of electricity globally by 2030 - an equivalent to roughly the 2021 electricity consumption of Australia. Alongside this comes heavy carbon emissions, as only 1/7 of global energy production is by renewable means. Even Greenpeace suggests that Samsung Electronics emissions from semiconductor manufacturing alone will exceed Denmark’s total emissions in 2021 from 32 million tonnes of CO2e per year. 

Lastly, end-of-life technology disposable systems are undeveloped, the metals used are sent to landfills rather than recycled, leading to issues with soil and groundwater contamination.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, TSMC, a supplier to famous technology companies such as Apple and Nvidia, is the largest semiconductor producer. In 2021, TSMC used almost 5% of all of Taiwan’s electricity, they also used amounts of water that have become highly debated as Taiwan faces water scarcity issues during the intensely hot summer months. To quantify this electricity usage, according to the New Lines Institute 25,000 gigawatt-hours were consumed by TSMC in 2023. Taiwan has limited energy generation capabilities, 97.73% of its energy needs are imported, and this mainly comes from crude oil sources in the Middle East. With some solar panel investments as well as offshore wind turbine farms, sustainable energy generation is still limited. 

Taiwan in drought conditions Source: CommonWealth Magazine https://www.cw.com.tw/graphics/drought-2023-en/ 

When it comes to technology and the environment, there is a paradox that corners scientists and policymakers. Climate action such as wind turbines, SMS communication for natural disasters, trackers, electric vehicles and more have integral components composed of semiconductors. Yet, the intense resource usage and growing water scarcity or shortage issues leave the industry very vulnerable. It all boils down to the argument between technology and the environment. 

In terms of answers to this debatable question, there have been systems to reclaim water, reuse water and reduce water usage in the industry implemented by TSMC and other companies. Some tech companies also are trying to reduce reliance on freshwater, which can be used for other purposes. A positive example is the Nagasaki Technology Centre owned by Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, which reuses 80% of manufacturing waste water. Some firms also implement energy-saving measures and are looking for renewable alternatives to provide energy for the intensive production process. An overall more efficient production process like using clean rooms, and regulating air and water temperature reduces the need for energy. 

As a consumer of these products which use semiconductors, is there anything we should be doing? As the industry expands, so will the carbon footprint. From a consumer’s point of view, device recycling is incredibly important. There are many organizations which offer recycling, even as a small reward for consumers who donate old devices. The US EPA runs various programs like Greener Gadgets and Call2Recycle to help reduce unnecessary wastage. According to a study by the US Geological Survey in 2006 shows that for every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered. 

Climate change has proven to be transforming into a force to be reckoned with and as COP29 negotiations look hazy, our usage of natural resources in products all around must be considered deeply. 

References

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