Scale up Smart to reduce carbon.   - Electronics & Semiconductors

By Melville Bryant, Marie Princess Nuevo Caraan and Claire Chin

Topic 2 in our Blog Series, “Sustainability in Semiconductors. Every Detail Matters.”

Hannover Messe 2024, the world’s leading industrial trade fair happened April 22-26 in Hannover, Germany. Siemens would like to give you a digital preview of the comprehensive range of solutions for semiconductor design and production on display at the event. Siemens’ theme this year: “Sustainable Digital Enterprise – Semiconductors” emphasizes our commitment to fostering a collaborative approach across the value chain, illustrating how technology and industry partnerships converge to enable sustainable chip production.

As the semiconductor industry rapidly expands to meet the demand for advanced products and processes with significantly greater computing power in less space, semiconductors are playing an ever-increasing role in the electronic devices and systems we use daily, including AI-powered applications, smartphones, smart grids, and cutting-edge manufacturing. As a result, the process of designing and producing semiconductors is becoming even more complex, demanding meticulous attention to every detail.

At the same time, the industry is facing environmental issues that must be addressed through intelligent chip design and the sustainable production practices of smart manufacturing, working in collaboration with semiconductor equipment engineering and machine builders to evolve one cohesive system that minimizes the environmental footprint. The ability to scale up smart to meet demand while reducing carbon and other environmental risks is essential to the industry’s future.

What are the environmental challenges?

A comprehensive joint report by SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International), the leading microelectronics industry association with programs that help members grow their business and address top challenges worldwide, the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC), and the Boston Consulting Group, mentioned that the semiconductor industry (spanning from chip design, EDA and IP, wafer fabrication, manufacturing, and package, assembly and test) is responsible for 0.3% of global carbon emissions today. Another 1% is induced by upstream and downstream suppliers and users. 65% of emissions from semiconductor manufacturing comes from using electricity to power equipment and buildings. About 30% of emissions result from using process chemicals that enter the atmosphere during manufacturing.*  

Clearly, the time is now to move toward a more sustainable future

To meet these environmental demands, how can you scale up semiconductor design and production to ensure smart and secure processes, while minimizing the environmental impact and resource consumption?   

The key to success is having the right partner for a sustainable digital transformation. At Siemens, we provide the leading end-to-end sustainability solutions in semiconductor manufacturing. With unique experience and proven capabilities, Siemens can support your entire semiconductor value chain from chip design to production.

Together toward a smarter, more sustainable semiconductor industry    

Siemens is committed to promoting sustainable practices and programs within the semiconductor industry. Our smart manufacturing solutions enable semiconductor companies and machine builders to collaborate to minimize their environmental footprint while maximizing productivity.

We offer Digital Twins that can help produce energy efficient technologies and intelligent automation systems that enable manufacturers to operate in a more sustainable manner. Digital Twins are key to the planning and optimization of fabs, resources and energy efficiency on all levels. Digital Twins provide the capability to simulate multiple what-if scenarios that can be evaluated virtually to optimize products and processes – without interrupting real-time production.

Siemens – your partner and guiding compass in digitalization and automation    

At Siemens, we are a trusted global technology leader in digitalization and industrial innovation and automation, helping organizations of all sizes digitally transform using software, hardware, and services from the Siemens Xcelerator open digital business platform. Our solutions provide the expertise to seamlessly integrate design tools such as EDA and PLM software to intelligent technologies such as AI, IoT, and edge devices into manufacturing operations. Which equips us to deliver business value by crafting complete digitalization roadmaps across the entire product lifecycle. Our extensive portfolio of capabilities supports the semiconductor industry throughout the entire chip production process.

From initial consultation and implementation to maintenance and training, we are with you every step of the way, ensuring smooth operations and maximum productivity. This commitment extends to providing tailored solutions aligned with the specific challenges of semiconductor companies. Serving as your digitalization partner, we bring unparalleled expertise across industries, technologies, and manufacturing operations. 

Siemens is the only manufacturing partner with end-to-end solutions experience in semiconductor manufacturing and sustainable solutions, making us your ideal choice to support your sustainability goals.

We want to earn your trust as a partner in your digital transformation journey, offering your semiconductor company not just leading solutions, but a mutual collaboration for sustainability and uninterrupted growth and success.   

We not only serve as trusted digitalization partners to numerous manufacturers globally, but we also share what we have learned in our own factories worldwide. 

Siemens Electronics Works Amberg. Where we slip into our customers’ shoes

At Electronics Works Amberg (EWA), a sustainable future comes to life every working day. This digital factory in Amberg, Germany, is where we have taken our own digital transformation journey for next-level manufacturing agility. It is a live example of how we don’t just provide solutions, but we also operate our own factories worldwide where we strive to better understand our customers’ challenges.

Electronics Works Amberg is a Digital Enterprise that shows how Siemens is consistently pursuing the digital transformation of industry. At Electronics Works Amberg, whether it’s optimized throughput, ambitious cycle times, or reliable cybersecurity measures, energy management in production, the future of manufacturing is already a reality, thanks to numerous solutions from the Digital Enterprise portfolio.

At EWA, digitalization and automation enable us to continually improve productivity and sustainability:

– 6% efficiency gain achieved every year since 2016

– 17 million products produced annually for 65,000 customers

– One product produced every second

– Continuous improvements are pushing results toward 100% process quality

– The Electronic Works Amberg Plant is scheduled to be CO2-neutral in 2026

– SiGREEN is a product out of EWA which shows the entire carbon footprint of a product

As a result, EWA is a prime example of a Siemens Digital Enterprise that will continue to consistently lead the way into the future, which helps us gain the insights needed to provide unparalleled expertise to assist you in your digital transformation journey.

Partnerships in Sustainability

We also actively engage with institutions such as the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC), academia, and business partners to continually strive for innovation and apply these learnings both inside and outside our organization. Collaboration among semiconductor companies and research institutes is essential to tackle critical challenges such as energy efficiency, resource utilization, and cybersecurity while achieving sustainability goals.

The Semiconductor Climate Consortium focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the value chain. As the industry becomes increasingly complex and non-semiconductor companies are increasingly capable of designing their own chips, defining standards and frameworks for collaboration becomes crucial.

By fostering an environment of open collaboration and standardization, semiconductor companies can navigate the complexities of the industry more effectively and collectively propel the field forward, ensuring a sustainable future for all stakeholders involved.

How do we help fabs scale up semiconductor production while reducing the carbon footprint? 

Siemens smart manufacturing solutions empower semiconductor companies to quickly enhance production capabilities while adhering to sustainability practices. Our end-to-end sustainability solutions aim to reduce carbon footprints and optimize the use of water, energy, and chemicals, ensuring safer handling of hazardous materials. Additionally, they support responsible sourcing and utilization of materials, contributing to a more sustainable manufacturing process. 

Sustainable chip design and production practices reduce carbon through smart manufacturing capabilities that incorporate energy-efficient equipment, renewable energy sources, automation and AI for energy savings, enhanced efficiency, yield, and quality control.   

Smart manufacturing harnesses the synergy between Digital Twins and IoT, alongside EDA and PLM tools. Combined with sophisticated plant and machine automation hardware and software, this integration ensures seamless operations. The result is a robust foundation for efficient and sustainable semiconductor manufacturing. As a result, smart manufacturing puts scalable, sustainable, high yield semiconductor production within your reach.  

Very smart. But just as important, sustainable.

To explore more, see our informative Sustainability Infographic:

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