New Fab is Easy on Environment
-- Semiconductor International, 7/1/2000
STMicroelectronics inaugurated a new 200 mm wafer fab at Rousset, near Aix-en-Provence in the South of France, that uses state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques including "mini-environment/isolation technology." This technology was developed to meet the increasingly stringent air-quality requirements of each future new technology generation without escalating financial and environmental costs for air purification.Each stage of the production process will take place in a localized environment, with wafers transported between mini-environments in hermetically sealed boxes. Robots carry out the wafer transport and handling operations. This enables the air in each mini-environment to be maintained economically at a level about 1000x purer than the air in a conventional cleanroom. It also permits a dramatic reduction in the frequency with which air is recirculated in the cleanroom.
The plant's design is in accord with the company's commitment to achieve environmental neutrality. For example, some 45% less energy will be needed to produce a 200 mm wafer than a 150 mm wafer at the Rousset site. This site also includes an advanced wastewater treatment plant that is co-financed with the town of Rousset and other local partners. Manufacturing waste already is recovered and either re-used or processed at approved waste disposal centers. By 2002 the Rousset site aims to have eliminated all dumping of innocuous waste. A strenuous pollution abatement effort has resulted in a noise pollution level below 50 dB(A) at the site boundary, and contamination levels are well below legal requirements.
When completed, the Rousset8 fab will represent a total planned investment of about $1,400M. It will be the largest 200 mm frontend facility in the company's worldwide manufacturing network, as well as its largest manufacturing plant in France. It will focus on advanced digital circuit and non-volatile memory production. In conjunction with the company's adjacent 150 mm plant, it will be the main source for micro-controller-based smart card chips, including the SmartJ family produced in 0.18 µm technology.
Laurent Bosson, STMicroelectronics corporate vice-president of central frontend manufacturing, said: "Mini-environment technology will be mandatory for the next generation of 12-inch (300 mm) fabs, but it has today reached the stage where it offers financial and environmental benefits for 8-inch (200 mm) fabs. The same isolation technology will be deployed in ST's other new 8-inch fabs that are currently under construction in Singapore and Italy." In addition to providing better air quality for a lower energy cost with fast manufacturing ramp-up, the elimination of wafer handling by humans improves yields by removing a possible source of wafer contamination and misrouting, he said.
Pasquale Pistorio, president and chief executive officer of STMicroelectronics, said: "Following our established policy of flexible investment, we maintained our commitment to this project during the most severe downturn in the history of the semiconductor industry and accelerated the program just before the recent upturn. As a result, the investments in the new facility will contribute rapidly and significantly to ST's continued efforts to better serve its customers worldwide."
- Brian Dance
