SSMC earns acclaim for green innovation

IN AN era defined by urgent calls for climate action, Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company (SSMC) is leveraging innovation to pivot towards sustainability.

The semiconductor manufacturer recently earned the Best Practices award at Singapore’s Energy Efficiency National Partnership Awards 2023. The honour acknowledges the company’s innovative project aimed at mitigating climate change.

At the heart of SSMC’s award-winning initiative is the installation of “Perfluorocarbons (PFC) Gas Abatement” technology, which drastically cuts down high Global Warming Potential (GWP) air contaminants by up to 95 per cent.

One major challenge that the solution sought to address was “high powder deposition” waste gas that choked the waste gas pipeline and reactor chamber. Working with its supplier team, SSMC improved the system design, thereby optimising the process for high equipment uptime and efficient gas destruction.

SSMC views innovation as a core value that will be key towards progressing on its journey towards sustainable manufacturing and carbon neutrality. Lim Soon, CEO of SSMC, noted that the company has defined a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

“Through our actions, we believe we can make a positive difference towards global warming and climate change. One example is the plasma scrubber abatement system that we have installed. It helps to remove a staggering 87K tonnes of CO2 equivalent emission from our wafer fabrication operations annually,” he said.

To unlock greater innovation, SSMC will continue to look for opportunities to collaborate with suppliers and partners across the entire semiconductor value chain, as well as government agencies like the National Environment Agency and the Economic Development Board.

“Through collaboration, we believe there is greater synergy for innovation and to magnify the positive impact,” said Lim.

As SSMC looks to the future, there are plans to refine its PFC Gas Abatement system and deploy it across additional tools in their factory. The company is also considering incorporating new technology to further enhance its efficiency.

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Paving the way towards net zero

SSMC’s award-winning initiative stands as an example of how companies can leverage technological innovation to achieve their sustainability objectives.

As it moves closer to its net-zero carbon emissions goal, the company is not only reducing its own carbon footprint, but also setting an example for the semiconductor industry at large.

Said Lim: “Let us all take action and seize the opportunities today.”