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Blue and clear sky above the trees

Reducing Greenhouse
Emissions through
Sustainability Efforts

We’re minimizing
greenhouse gases
until we hit zero

We’re minimizing
greenhouse gases
until we hit zero

We’re minimizing greenhouse gases until
we hit zero

Journey for sustainability

The importance of semiconductor technology is so immense that it is almost impossible to imagine a world without them.

However, with the geometrical increase in the demand for semiconductors, came a bigger impact on nature and the environment.

At Samsung Semiconductors, we produce our cutting-edge technologies sustainably by carefully developing, discovering, and adopting eco-friendly technologies that reduce carbon emissions and head toward zero impact on nature.

Samsung Semiconductor willingly
researches and develops
ways to reduce emissions.

Samsung Semiconductor has long been making efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas inevitably produced when manufacturing semiconductors. We have been voluntarily reducing fluorine gas (F-gas) since 1999, when semiconductor manufacturers around the world signed an agreement at the World Semiconductor Council (WSC) to carry on the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2009, we installed and began the operation of an integrated greenhouse gas treatment facility to continue our efforts to reduce emissions. Since then, we’ve improved the treatment efficiency by expanding its use and developing catalysts.

Samsung Semiconductor’s RCS is the first and only large-capacity, integrated greenhouse gas treatment facility in the semiconductor industry.

Samsung Semiconductor’s RCS is the first and only large-capacity, integrated greenhouse gas treatment facility in the semiconductor industry.

What are the
advantages of
treating process gas via RCS?

The RCS (Regenerative Catalytic System) is a facility handling all the process gas with catalysts on the rooftop. By treating process gas at a low temperature,
Samsung Semiconductor’s RCS tends to use less fuel and emit fewer air pollutants compared to Point of Use (POU) facilities widely used by other manufacturers. We then went a step further and developed a more durable catalyst for our RCS with up to 95% processing efficiency. Jointly developed with Samsung Engineering as a large-capacity integrated greenhouse gas treatment facility in 2007, RCS was the first of its kind in the semiconductor industry to be applied in 2009, and has been in operation exclusively at
Samsung Semiconductor as of 2023.

In addition, we installed 16 process gas treatment facilities (RCS) in 4 production line buildings in 2023, and will continue to reduce our direct emissions by installing additional new RCS facilities on every line that is physically capable of installation.

10,059 thousand tons of carbon emissions reduced in 2023

Samsung Semiconductor focuses on treating process gas and expanding
the use of renewable energy to
reduce carbon emissions at worksites. Each worksite estimates its annual greenhouse gas emissions, defines greenhouse gas mitigation tasks optimized to the manufacturing
process and develops and
implements reduction plans.

In 2023, we reduced a total of 10,059 thousand tons of greenhouse gases through greenhouse gas reduction projects, including the operation of process gas treatment facilities, use of renewable energy, improved process efficiency, and use of alternative gases.

Estimated greenhouse gas reductions at Samsung Semiconductor Worksites

Infographic showing a graph with three bars going up and to the right

Greenhouse gas reduction rate in 2023

Pie chart infographic

Reducing process gas
from
semiconductor manufacturing
also means reducing carbon emissions.

Reducing semiconductor
process gas

  • Using less process gas reduces
    greenhouse gas
  • Higher process gas treatment efficiency Achieving 95% or more through RCS
  • Alternative gas with low global warming potential replaced PFCs in several product processes

To continuously reduce greenhouse gas,
Samsung Semiconductor has been carrying out tasks such as reducing process gas usage, improving treatment rate, using more renewable energy, saving energy consumption through efficient processing, and others. First, in order to reduce the usage of process gas, we are applying a recipe consisting of the optimal process time, process steps, etc. In addition, we developed catalysts for RCS that improves gas treatment efficiency from 90% to more than 95%, ultimately increasing efficiency of the gas treatment facility. Furthermore, Samsung Semiconductor is also developing process gas with lower global warming potential. This alternative gas has been developed to replace perfluorocarbons (PFCs), one of the most potent greenhouse gases, used in the four major semiconductor processing steps — etching, diffusion, chemical vapor deposition and metallization. PFCs have been replaced in processing several products since 2018. Our efforts to research and develop alternative gas continue at the Samsung Semiconductor R&D Center.

We also endeavor
to save energy
consumed in the
manufacturing
process.

Infographic with CO2 written on a cloud, two batteries and a factory

Major efforts to reduce energy
consumption

  • Optimizing capacity utilization such as HVAC, freezers, air compressors and pumps
  • Blocking moisture at cleanroom airlocks and adjusting outdoor air supply for pressurization
  • Installing auto cleaning equipment for condensers for higher freezer efficiency
  • Calibrating steam pressure for processing styrofoam molding machine

Projects are tailored to each manufacturing site to reduce energy consumption.

We endeavor
to reduce
electricity and
natural gas consumption
as well.

To save electricity consumption,
we have been streamlining the manufacturing process, optimizing operations to reduce the number of main equipment testing, improving temperature conditions for auxiliary facilities and implementing high-efficiency facilities. For natural gas, we have been trying to use a lower amount of liquified natural gas (LNG) by recapturing waste heat with a cooling water system and heat exchangers, and adjusting air temperature and flow rate in outdoor air handling units.

Samsung Semiconductor
has been working tirelessly
to reduce carbon
emissions
since 1999,
and now,
we are heading
towards zero.

  • RCS technology
    treats
    process gas
    on the roof,
    with up to 95% treatment efficiency.

    Infographic showing the RCS treatment process: Pretreatment scrubber, RCS plant, post treatment scrubber, PFC scrubber and acid scrubber

    ① Pre-treatment
    scrubber

    ② RCS facility

    ③ Post-treatment
    scrubber

    ④ Primary acid
    scrubber

    ⑤ Secondary acid scrubber

    The RCS is a high-capacity treatment facility developed and used for the first time exclusively by Samsung Semiconductor. RCS is processed as follows: ① After being pre-treated with the scrubber, high-concentration acidic gas is processed. ② The processed gas is transferred to the RCS to undergo catalytic cracking, where the gas treated in Step ① is decomposed at a high temperature (750℃). Here, carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), a harmful gas, and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a gas with 23,900x higher Global Warming Potential than CO₂, are treated. ③ Then, the scrubber used to remove residues from the semiconductor process is utilized to post-treat hydrogen fluoride (HF) from catalytic decomposition. ④ The acidic gas is first treated through the acid scrubber process in the cleaning facility, and ⑤ the acidic gas is secondarily treated to minimize air pollutant emissions and released into the atmosphere.

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