Financial Associated Press (Shanghai, editor Xiaoxiang) - Intel is planning to fundamentally change the manufacturing process of computer chips to achieve its goal of net zero emissions. The California-based semiconductor giant said Wednesday that it aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its operations by 2040.
To achieve this initiative, Intel has established the following interim milestones for 2030:
It uses 100% renewable electricity in its global business operations.
Approximately $300 million will be invested in energy savings in the facility to achieve cumulative 4 billion kWh of energy savings.
Construct new plants and facilities that meet the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program, including recently announced investment projects in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Launched a cross-industry R&D initiative to identify chemicals with lower global warming effects and greener environments, and to develop new emission reduction equipment.
Keyvan Esfarjani, Intel's executive vice president and chief global operating officer, said, "Intel has been a leader in sustainability outcomes for decades, which means we have a responsibility. We are now raising our standards and are about to usher in an exciting new era of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from our global operations by 2040. To do this, we need to do a lot of innovative work and invest, but we are committed to doing everything we can and working with the industry to accomplish this critical task. ”
Finding greener chemicals is called key
Since powerful climate-changing heating bodies are commonly used in global chip production, emission reductions have always been a huge challenge for the chip industry.
In recent years, Intel's carbon footprint has continued to climb as demand for computing power has surged. Still, Intel stands firm in its commitment to sustainable business practices. According to Intel, Intel has reduced its cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 75 percent over the past decade by improving energy efficiency and using more renewable energy sources than without investment and action.
Todd Brady, Intel's chief sustainability officer, said the company will continue to invest in these areas, but further emissions reductions will mean an urgent need to address the chemicals used in the plant. "We need to fundamentally study chemicals if we can find new chemicals that don't have the potential for global warming at all." It's going to be a very, very big change. ”
Brady said the company will launch a cross-industry research and development effort to stop the release of harmful chemicals and ultimately make alternatives widely available.
Semiconductors are made by etching silicon wafers in industrial furnaces: they must remain contamination-free during this period, and any slight flaw can be catastrophic. In this process, chemicals stronger than the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide are relied upon to etch chips and keep equipment clean.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, up to 80 percent of the chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing are released into the air. One of the commonly used chemicals, perfluorocarbons, is a gas 6500-9200 times stronger than the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide.
Chemical companies such as Solvay SA in Belgium and BASF SE in Germany have developed alternatives to some of the polluting chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing processes. But now, chemicals like perfluorocarbons are still indispensable.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on its website that "the continued supply and use of these gases is considered critical to the future success of the (semiconductor) industry." ”
According to data disclosed by Intel, perfluorocarbons are the main source of the company's direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) in 2020, accounting for nearly half of its Scope 1 emissions, equivalent to 1.97 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Chip manufacturing facing fundamental change?
Peter Hanbury, head of manufacturing for the Americas at consultancy Bain & Co., says it's more complicated to replace materials and tools in chip manufacturing after production has begun.
"Semiconductor companies must continue to drive sustainability considerations early in every technology design," he said. When designing new processes, it is much easier to insert these new methods and techniques early than to retrofit them (halfway). ”
Last year, TSMC, one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers, said it would achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Asked about contaminating chemicals, a TSMC spokesperson said the company would explore environmentally friendly alternatives and invest in research and development.
"For companies that move faster, this is a business opportunity to come up with these solutions," he said.
In addition to industry-specific chemical issues, Intel faces a broader challenge — energy use. Bain & Co.'s Hanbury notes that as transistors on microchips become smaller and more sophisticated, manufacturing them requires more manufacturing steps and more complex tools, which increases energy requirements.
Intel said it plans to invest about $300 million in facility energy efficiency by 2030 and plans to use renewable energy entirely to power it. Brady said he believes Intel can continue to improve processing efficiency, though some worry that decades of increased computing efficiency are approaching their limits.
"My view is: Innovation continues," he said. "We have talented engineers and scientists who can find new ways to stay efficient."