Overview

The SRC/SEMATECH Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing is a multi-university research center leading the way to environmentally friendly semiconductor manufacturing. The center's vision is to produce a new generation of engineers with education in both semiconductor processing and environment, safety & health (ESH) fundamentals.

Environmental factors are often not included in the design and development of new tools and processes in the semiconductor industry. Integrating Design For the Environment into new processes and tools for the industry is the technical driver and the common theme of the Center's research. The Center's interdisciplinary research efforts involve 14 universities and 11 different academic disciplines.

Research Focus

The semiconductor industry is a very fast-moving industry, one which creates many opportunities for innovation and implementation of changes. The fast pace also presents a major challenge in planning and conducting long-term research. One challenge is to strike the right balance between long-term development, short-term relevance, and application to the present problems. The Center's research strategy is to maintain this balance and promote a mix of projects and activities ranging from high-risk, high-payoff research to smaller projects with more immediate applications.

The goals and objective of the center are:

• Develop novel strategic solutions to existing environmental, safety and health (ESH) problems in semiconductor manufacturing.
• Create new and effective environmentally benign manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrate the positive impact of design for environment on all aspects of semiconductor manufacturing
• Develop innovative education programs in which environmental factors are integral parts of the curriculum

Center Management

Overall leadership and management of the SRC/SEMATECH Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing is the repsonsibility of Dr. Farhang Shadman.