9528813 Shadman The National Science Foundation and the Semiconductor Research Corporation have entered into a partnership to jointly select, support, and provide oversight for this new Engineering Research Center in Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing. The University of Arizona is the lead institution along with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. The award is for five years with the possibility of renewal for an additional five years." The vision of the proposed ERC is to create a unique multi-disciplinary culture to educate a new generation of engineering leaders and to produce critical pre-competitive science and technology for environmentally benign semiconductor manufacturing. The goals of the center are: (1) to advance the fundamental science and technology needed to reduce the water usage, the waste and hazardous chemicals discharge, and the use of energy and chemicals, through source reduction, process alternatives/modifications, and emission abatement, (2) to develop a fundamental integrated approach to the design of environmentally benign processes, (3) to develop new educational programs for teaching environmental concepts to students who plan to work in the semiconductor industry, and (4) to establish a pre-competitive and pro-active partnership between industry, government, and academic communities. One of the major results from this center will be engineers and scientists educated in several disciplines who will be capable of incorporating environmental concerns into semiconductor manufacture from the inception of process design. The research is organized within the following six thrust areas: (a) plasma processes, (b) non-plasma etch, clean and rinse processes, (c) integrated chemical mechanical polishing and clean processes, (d) water and aqueous chemicals, (e) metrology and sensors for environmental applications, and (f) exploratory areas for future thrusts. For the semiconductor manufacturing industry to remain competitive and socially responsible, environmentally friendly processes must be engineered from inception since it is too costly and impractical to retrofit existing billion dollar fabrication facilities. This center can create the urgently needed focus, momentum and visibility to make a major impact on the semiconductor industry. Unlike other areas in this industry, the proposed work is unlikely to be realized except through a coordinated investment of public and private funds. The environmental acceptability and efficient use of chemicals in manufacturing will increasingly influence the cost of the technology, and thusly the rate of technological development.
