Driven by trends such as GenAI, Automation and E-mobility, the global semiconductor demand is surging, consequently increasing the industry’s emissions. Given the increasing pressure for decarbonization — for example, from customers such as Apple, Google and Microsoft — semiconductor players need to increase their decarbonization efforts.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Dieseldorff, C. G. & Liu, C. W. SEMI World Fab Forecast Report (2022 to 2024) https://go.nature.com/3JSL03w (12 March 2024).
Cointe, B. & H. Guillemot, H. A history of the 1.5°C target. WIREs Clim. Change 14, e824 (2023).
Durkee, J. Management of Industrial Cleaning Technology and Processes 43–98 (Elsevier, 2006).
Boudaden, J., Altmannshofer, S., Wieland, R., Pittroff, M. & Eisele, I. An approach to reduce greenhouse gases in the semiconductor industry using F2 dissociated in plasma for CVD chamber cleaning. Appl. Sci. 8, 846 (2018).
Riva, M., Pittroff, M., Schwarze, T., Wieland, R. & Oshinowo, J. Superior etch performance of Ar/N2/F2 for PECVD chamber clean. In 2009 IEEE/SEMI Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference https://doi.org/10.1109/ASMC.2009.5155971 (IEEE, 2009).
Burkardt, M. et al. Beyond the fab: decarbonizing Scope 3 upstream emissions. McKinsey & Company https://go.nature.com/3UNTtLn (9 October 2023).
Feng, J., Chiu, Y. S. & Tsai, H.-T. TSMC successfully collaborates with suppliers to create eco-friendly hydrofluoric acid, deepening environmental sustainability. TSMC https://go.nature.com/3JOtRro (17 February 2023).
Burkacky, O., Göke, S., Nikolka, M., Patel, M. & Spiller, P. Sustainability in semiconductor operations: toward net-zero production. McKinsey & Company https://go.nature.com/4b8qtUp (17 May 2022).
Göke, S., Issler, M., Liu, D., Patel, M. & Spiller, P. Keeping the semiconductor industry on the path to net zero. McKinsey & Company https://go.nature.com/44x2hso (4 November 2022).
Acknowledgements
The authors thank J. Münch for his contributions to this article.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nikolka, M., Göke, S., Burkacky, O. et al. Unlocking net-zero in semiconductor manufacturing. Nat Rev Electr Eng 1, 487–488 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44287-024-00062-5
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44287-024-00062-5
This article is cited by
-
Quantifying the global eco-footprint of wearable healthcare electronics
Nature (2026)
-
Recycling power semiconductor devices
Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering (2026)
-
Decarbonization Strategies in Semiconductor Manufacturing: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission and Energy Consumption in the CVD Process
International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing-Green Technology (2025)
-
Regionalized Life Cycle Assessment of Silicon Wafers Supply Chains in the Semiconductor Industry
Circular Economy and Sustainability (2025)