TSMC is committed to becoming a driving force in the circular economy. In response to the continuous growth of raw material demand as manufacturing processes evolve, TSMC partnered with suppliers to launch the "Electronic-grade Chemicals Recycling Project". This project performs research and development into technology for reusing process waste resources, transforming them into electronic grade products to be used again by TSMC, and raising the value of TSMC’s closed-loop recycling model. In 2023, the chemical waste cyclopentanone was successfully reprocessed into electronic grade cyclopentanone that meets TSMC's quality standards for the first time. It was officially introduced in November at TSMC’s AP3 advanced packaging and testing plant, with an expected annual reduction of 750 tons in new liquid procurement and 380 tons in carbon emissions, demonstrating green manufacturing and promoting environmental sustainability.
TSMC actively practices circular economy by collaborating with suppliers to innovate waste resource recycling and reuse technology, creating a green and low-carbon supply chain, and building sustainable development together.
Upgraded Distillation and Purification Technology Turns Waste Liquid into Electronic-grade Products
Cyclopentanone is an important chemical in the semiconductor lithography process, mainly used to dissolve and remove photoresist in unexposed areas. In order to be environmentally friendly and increase the value of cyclopentanone waste, TSMC has been working with suppliers since the fourth quarter of 2021 to not only collect and divert factory waste, but also to develop distillation and purification technologies that effectively remove impurities from waste. Through repeated testing, adjusting distillation temperature and waste retention time, and detecting trace metal and particle content in the liquid, the quality of the recycled cyclopentanone meets electronic grade recycling standards and has obtained a quality Certificate of Assurance (CoA). This ensures that subsequent production is of high quality and meets recycling material inspection standards.
In addition to recycling electronic-grade cyclopentanone, TSMC has also introduced green thinking into the management of supplier chemical recycling production lines, including using biomass as fuel in the distillation process and using waste heat to preheat boilers with hot water, achieving an overall production line water recovery rate of 96%. In addition, the non-cyclopentanone recyclable materials separated by the distillation tower are provided to waste treatment vendors as auxiliary fuel, creating resource reuse benefits.
Adhering to the principles of "minimizing waste production, maximizing resource recycling, and optimizing supplier management", the Company will continue to promote its program of recycling electronic-grade chemicals, collaborating with suppliers to research new technologies that purify different process chemical waste into electronic-grade materials. TSMC will continue to build a green recycling system and take action to put resource sustainability into practice.
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