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TAKING CARE OF ENVIRONMENT
Overview:
STMicroelectronics (ST) is a global independent semiconductor company
that designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of
semiconductor integrated circuits and discrete devices used in a wide variety
of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems,
computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial
automation and control system.
ST has 18 manufacturing sites located worldwide, including Italy, France,
USA, Singapore, Morocco, Malta, Malaysia, Canada and China.
Environmental Strategy & Management:
ST has a Total Quality Environmental Management (TQEM) initiative.
At ST we firmly believe that it is mandatory for a TQM driven corporation
to be at the forefront of ecological commitment, not only for ethical and
social reasons, but also for financial return, and the ability to attract the most
responsible and high performing people.
Our ecological vision is to become a corporation that closely approaches
environmental neutrality. To that end we will not only meet all
environmental requirements of those communities in which we operate but,
in addition, we will strive to comply to our Environmental Decalogue: ten
commandments, publicly announced by decade's end, that establish
aggressive goals for corporate-wide achievement.
Reducing our environmental impact is a corporate priority for us. Financial
and ecological responsibilities are compatible goals, while sustainability
does not require sacrifice and deprivation. Instead it means exploiting the
latest technologies, reducing waste, reusing resources, adopting lean
production and better logistics practices, and making sound investments in
efficient productive capacity.
ST has made a clear commitment to achieving “environmental neutrality”
through investments and measurable reduction in waste, emissions,
resources and energy usage.
All our worldwide operating facilities are ISO 14001 certified and EMAS
validated (EMAS is an European Regulation allowing voluntary
participation by companies in the industrial sector in a Community EcoManagement and Audit Scheme).
ST is demonstrating the notion that sustainable development is a sound
business practice and in fact increases a company’s competitive advantage.
We wish to take this message to a larger audience, encouraging business
everywhere to strive for sustainability.
Practices
1 - AIR EMISSIONS
ST considers global warming, ozone depletion and acid rain to be serious
environmental problems caused by air pollution.
The ST manufacturing site of Agrate Brianza (Italy), even if the value of the
absolute emission pollutants is well within the max concentration limits
imposed by national regulations, in conformity with the Environmental
Decalogue, has decided to launch a program to reduce the inorganic,
powders and organic pollutants emitted with exhausted air.
The project road map foresees the following steps:
1999:
2000:
2001:
2002:
2003:
- Production Building “A”: Scrubbers on inorganic and powder
emissions (installed)
- Production Building “B”: Scrubbers on inorganic and powder
emissions (installed)
- Production Building “A”: Installation of biological treatment
system on organic emissions
- Production Building “B”: Installation of biological treatment
system on organic emissions
- Production Buildings “C” & “D”: Installation of scrubbers on
inorganic and powder emissions
- Production Buildings “C” & “D”: Installation of biological
treatment system on organic emissions
Once the project will be completed, the amount of air pollutants emitted by
the site will be reduced by 85%, through the steps shown by the following
chart.
The choice of biological treatment system for organic emissions (Volatile
Organic Compounds) is in line with the policy of the company to have zero
impact on environment: this technology in fact achieves the oxidation of
organic compounds by means of biological process, without use of fuels and
without emission of CO2 associated with the traditional combustion
techniques.
The first two steps have already been accomplished with the following
results:
Production Building “A”: scrubber’s main features:
 270000 Nmc/h of treated air
 2 scrubbers, double stage to treat both acids and ammonia
 6 fans, 70000 Nmc/h each (4 working, 2 on stand-by to guarantee 1500
Pa of negative pressure at point of use)
 280 mt of stainless steel ducts, internally coated with Halar (diameter
1400 and 1900 mm)
 175 mt of supporting rack for the ducts
 Costs: 3700 K$
 Reduction from 9.7 tons/year to 1.8 tons/year for inorganics and powders
emitted.
Production Building “B”: scrubber’s: main features:




280000 Nmc/h of treated air
7 scrubbers, single stage for acid treatment
3 scrubbers, single stage for ammonia treatment
10 fans with flow rates ranging from 20000 to 53000 Nmc/h to guarantee
2000 Pa of negative pressure at point of use
 450 mt of stainless steel ducts, internally coated with ECTFE (diameters
ranging from 500 to 1200 mm)
 Costs: 4500 K$
 Reduction from 6.8 tons/year to 1.2 tons/year for inorganics and powders
emitted.
We are now proceeding with the implementation of the next steps and
complete the program.
For information please contact:
Eugenio Confalonieri
General Service
[email protected]
Tel. +39 039 6035371
2 - IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
Engineering activities without capital investments.
Chemicals reduction, together with Energy and PFC, is one of the most
important issues recalled by ST’s Environmental Decalogue.
The ST manufacturing site of Muar (Malaysia) implemented a project to
remove the sulphuric acid from the deflashing operation.
Acid soak in deflash flow is designed to help soften or decompose the mold
flash sticking on to the lead frame.
Many efforts have been taking place in improving mold equipment design
and current control was able to reduce the thickness to a thinner flashes (20
– 30 ) these allowing sulphuric acid to be removed as a deflashing agent.
The deflashing process is one of process step defined in SOIC (Small
Outline Integrated Circuits) assembly flow for various packages SOIC
8/14/16/20Leads standard. Immediately after the production lot, molded and
cured several hours in the oven, it is ready for batch loading to deflash
machine.
The primary function of typical deflash is to remove mold flashes (it consists
in 29 operational steps sequence, alternating acid soak, rinsing, drying,
chemical soak and so on).
As mold flashes being under control to the minimum level thickness and
deflashing machine enhancement achieved with new design of high speed
water jet system for rinsing step have enable us to evaluate further deflash
quality level with elimination of acid soak step. Thus, simplify deflash
process & reduce material cost usage.
Extensive effort by process engineering group started in Q3’99 to monitor
sample production lot deflashed with skip acid step on any deflash quality
issue raised by either internal or external customer.
Later in mid Q2’00, a decision was made to officially stop new ordering of
25% sulphuric acid for production used. Now the deflash machine has
reduced its process steps from 29 to 17 steps with improvement of 45 % of
deflashing cycle time plus environmental gains and safer work area.
This technique is applicable to the other ST assembly manufacturing area
using chemical deflashing.
Tangible Benefits
Cost Saving
Sulphuric
acid
consume
DI Water consume
Oven power consume
Deflash Cycle Time
Savings/Yr
Before
After
81200 liters/year
No acid used
15 K
16 Mliters/year
121385 KWh/year
2.75 hrs
8 Mliters/year
60693 KWh/year
1.5 hrs
3.4 K
3.3 K
Total Saving = 21.7 K
(US $)
Other positive benefits for the environment: Air emissions reduction
(acidity) and elimination of sulfate released in wastewater.
Intangible Benefits

Reduction of hazard chemical used

Reduction of the environment contamination risk

Conservation on use of electricity, thus reducing indirect environmental
impact due to emission of pollutants such as carbon dioxide (global
warming), nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide (acid rains) from the
power stations using fossil fuels

Conservation on use of water, thus reducing indirect environmental
impact due to use of chemicals and energy for water treatment

Improve the health & safety of the production operators

Improve the working environment in the production area
For information please contact:
Francis Lean
General Service
[email protected]
Tel. +60 6 9526604
or
Shaari Ripin
[email protected]
Tel. +60 6 9526532
STMicroelectronics
December 2000
Prepared by: Carlo Cazzaniga
Corporate Environment Strategies
[email protected]
Tel. +39 039 6035368