Overview

General comment

Production covered

Chip-on-wafer-on-substrate assembly: compute and memory dies are mounted on a silicon interposer carrying through-silicon vias, and that interposer is then attached to an organic substrate. Functional unit is one package STARTED: the reference flow is a single package entering assembly, and the activities listed run through completed assembly and final test of that package.

Modelling choices

By the count-once yield-ownership convention, the gross-up from packages started to good packages is carried by the consuming IC or component dataset, not here.

Technology: CoWoS-S
Geography: Global average data from equipment vendor specifications and industry literature

System boundary

The figure groups this dataset's unit processes by class. It is not a count of manufacturing steps — each process runs over as many passes as the flow requires, and those pass counts ship with the dataset.

Download this figure (SVG)

Data quality and references

Composite DQI 1.8 Very good

Reliability

2.7

Completeness

2.1

Temporal

1.5

Geographic

2.0

Technological

1.3

Pedigree scores follow the ecoinvent data-quality matrix: 1 is the best attainable, 5 the weakest. The composite is their aggregate.

Sampling procedure: Equipment vendor specifications, academic papers, industry literature
Coverage status: Partial
Pedigree-scored source files: 24 — the source records behind this dataset's manufacturing operations. Each carries the five pedigree axes above; the composite DQI aggregates them.

Technosphere inputs

44 flows. Quantities are not published; they ship with the dataset on Circa.

Elemental fluorine (F₂) Process gasg · -70% / +400.1%

Source citations: Cymer Inc., US Patent 5,978,406, "Fluorine control system for excimer lasers" (1999)
Cymer Inc., US Patent 5,991,324, "Reliable, modular, production quality narrow-band KrF excimer laser" (1999)
Praxair (now Linde), "Specialty Gases and Equipment Reference Guide", p. 148 (excimer premix specifications)
patents.google.com (date not recorded). US5982800A - Narrow band excimer laser (Cymer, 1999).
patents.google.com (date not recorded). US6963595B2 - Automatic gas control system for a gas discharge laser (Cymer, 2005).
Upstream REEL dataset: Fluorine (F2)
Background dataset: Modelled by REEL; see the upstream dataset above.
Uncertainty: -70% / +400.1% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

SF₆ production Process gasg · -4.3% / +7.1%

Source citations: people.eecs.berkeley.edu (date not recorded). Bosch DRIE Silicon Processing and STS Results. Conference presentation.
Upstream REEL dataset: Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
Background dataset: Modelled by REEL; see the upstream dataset above.
Uncertainty: -4.3% / +7.1% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

C₄F₈ production Process gasg · -12.5% / +4.2%

Source citations: people.eecs.berkeley.edu (date not recorded). Bosch DRIE Silicon Processing and STS Results. Conference presentation.
Upstream REEL dataset: Octafluorocyclobutane (c-C4F8)
Background dataset: Modelled by REEL; see the upstream dataset above.
Uncertainty: -12.5% / +4.2% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

KrF/DUV Photoresist Process chemicalg · -16.7% / +25.1%

Derivation basis: Calculated by the manufacturing model. The linked REEL dataset carries the upstream life cycle sources.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Upstream REEL dataset: ArF Photoresist (193nm)
Background dataset: Modelled by REEL; see the upstream dataset above.
Uncertainty: -16.7% / +25.1% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

TMAH Developer (2.38% solution) Process chemicalg · ±22.6%

Derivation basis: Developer usage

The sources for this row are listed below.
Source citations: ASML (date not recorded). TWINSCAN NXT:2050i - DUV lithography machines | ASML.
Coater/Developer LITHIUS(TM) Series | Products and Service(products) | Tokyo Electron Ltd
brewerscience.com (date not recorded). Brewer Science: Developer Options for Spin-On Photosensitive Materials. Web page.
Cymer (date not recorded). ArF IMMERSION LIGHT SOURCES - Cymer.
ASML ships new TWINSCAN NXT immersion lithography platform
Upstream REEL dataset: TMAH Developer (2.38% solution) (N(CH3)4OH (aq))
Background dataset: Modelled by REEL; see the upstream dataset above.
Uncertainty: ±22.6% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

CMP Slurry (Copper) Process chemicalg · -27.8% / +33.2%

Derivation basis: Calculated from barrier removal rate

The sources below come from the manufacturing operations behind this row.
Source citations (specific to this process): Inherited, rolled up from the contributing process steps:

link.springer.com (date not recorded). Approaches to Sustainability in CMP: A Review. Journal article. DOI: 10.1007/s40684-021-00406-8.

nccavs-usergroups.avs.org (2024). Reducing CMP Process Mass Intensity. PDF document.

sciencedirect.com. Silica-Based Slurry - an overview.

pall.com (date not recorded). Wastewater Treatment in Semiconductor Industry. PDF document.
Upstream REEL dataset: Copper CMP Slurry
Background dataset: Modelled by REEL; see the upstream dataset above.
Uncertainty: -27.8% / +33.2% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

ArF Photoresist Process chemicalg · -33.3% / +66.7%

Source citations: microsi.com (date not recorded). Flack, W.W., Nguyen, H.-A. (Ultratech), Capsuto, E. (Shin-Etsu MicroSi), Abreau, K. (STEAG Hamatech USA), "Characterization of 100 Micron Thick Positive Photoresist on 300 mm Wafers", SPIE 2005 #5753-103. PDF document.
nrf.aux.eng.ufl.edu (date not recorded). AZ 9260 PHOTORESIST (520CPS) (US) Material Safety Data Sheet, substance key SXR109902, revision date 03/03/2010. PDF document.
Upstream REEL dataset: ArF Photoresist (193nm)
Background dataset: Modelled by REEL; see the upstream dataset above.
Uncertainty: -33.3% / +66.7% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Water supply (municipal) Waterm3 · -35.3% / +43.2%

Derivation basis: Calculated from process-water and ultrapure-water demand across all manufacturing operations, plus facility water allocated to each finished unit. The fresh intake shown is that demand less the share reused under the water-recycling scenario this dataset assumes, and wastewater follows the same balance.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Upstream REEL dataset: Water Supply (Municipal)
Background dataset: Modelled by REEL; see the upstream dataset above.
Notes: Net fresh-water intake, supplied as municipal water
Uncertainty: -35.3% / +43.2% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: m3

Electricity, Taiwan (TW) ElectricitykWh · -52.7% / +76.7%

Derivation basis: Calculated from equipment energy across all manufacturing operations. It also includes the assembly site's facility overhead: air handling and cleanroom conditioning, chilled water, compressed dry air, exhaust and dust collection, wastewater treatment and uninterruptible power.

The sources below come from the manufacturing operations behind this row.
Sources (inherited): Inherited, rolled up from the contributing process steps:

limitekltd.com (date not recorded). EBARA F-REX 300S - Limitek used-equipment listing (EB023), including photographs of the tool rating plate. PDF document.

fabsurplus.com (date not recorded). EBARA CMP SPEC <F-REX300S> - Ebara-authored configuration/checklist sheet, SDI (fabsurplus) catalogue item 82844.

advantest.com (2024). Advantest Unveils New Ultra-High-Current Power Supply for V93000 EXA Scale SoC Test System. Web page.

teradyne.com. Titan HP | Teradyne.

directindustry.es (date not recorded). Sistema de prueba para la industria electrónica - Titan HP - Teradyne - para semiconductores / modular / de alta potencia. Web page.

electronics360.globalspec.com (date not recorded). Chip complexity drives surge in system-level testing | Electronics360. Web page.

teradyne.com (date not recorded). Titan System Level Test. Web page.

Guste, Marinas & Ong, Machines 12 (2024) 467, Table 3; Besi Datacon 2200 evo product page
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: electricity, medium voltage
Uncertainty: -52.7% / +76.7% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: kWh

Kr Process gasg · -75% / +100%

Source citations: Robert Turner, US Patent 4,674,098, Providing of gases for an excimer laser (1987)
Cymer Inc., US Patent 5,978,406, "Fluorine control system for excimer lasers" (1999)
Cymer Inc., US Patent 5,991,324, "Reliable, modular, production quality narrow-band KrF excimer laser" (1999)
Praxair (now Linde), "Specialty Gases and Equipment Reference Guide", p. 148 (excimer premix specifications)
patents.google.com (date not recorded). US5978406A - Fluorine control system for excimer lasers (Cymer, 1999).
patents.google.com (date not recorded). US4674098A - Gas mixtures for excimer lasers (Turner, 1987).
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: krypton, gaseous
Uncertainty: -75% / +100% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

N₂ Process gasg · -22.5% / +25.3%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: nitrogen, liquid
Uncertainty: -22.5% / +25.3% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

O₂ Process gasg · -33.4% / +100%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: oxygen, liquid
Uncertainty: -33.4% / +100% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

H₂O Process gasg · -50.1% / +100%

Source citations: patents.google.com (date not recorded). US 2007/0207627 A1, "Reducing nitrogen concentration with in-situ steam generation" (ProMOS Technologies).
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: water, deionised
Uncertainty: -50.1% / +100% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

HCl Process gasg · -50% / +150%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: hydrochloric acid, without water, in 30% solution state
Uncertainty: -50% / +150% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Ar Process gasg · ±47%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: argon, liquid
Uncertainty: ±47% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

H₂ Process gasg · -50% / +100.1%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: hydrogen, gaseous, low pressure
Uncertainty: -50% / +100.1% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Compressed air (tool) Process gasg · -33.4% / +66.6%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: compressed air, 700 kPa gauge
Uncertainty: -33.4% / +66.6% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Compressed air Process gasg · -29.6% / +40%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: compressed air, 700 kPa gauge
Uncertainty: -29.6% / +40% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Copper sulfate Process chemicalg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: copper sulfate
Notes: From Cu plating bath (CuSO4 + H2SO4 + accelerator/suppressor) (33.0% copper sulfate). Cu source of the acid bath; resolves via the copper sulfate entry (GLO market).
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: g

Sulfuric acid Process chemicalg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: sulfuric acid
Notes: From Cu plating bath (CuSO4 + H2SO4 + accelerator/suppressor) (66.0% sulfuric acid). Conductivity acid of the bath; resolves via the sulfuric acid entry (RoW default for TW/KR/JP).
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: g

Cu plating bath (CuSO₄ + H₂SO₄) Process chemicalg · -33.3% / +50%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: proxy-mapped
Background dataset: copper sulfate
Uncertainty: -33.3% / +50% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Copper sulfate pentahydrate (electroless) Process chemicalg · -16.7% / +33.3%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: copper sulfate
Uncertainty: -16.7% / +33.3% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Copper anodes (pattern plating) Process chemicalg · -12.8% / +14.9%

Derivation basis: No retrievable public document identified (metric clarification; per-substrate mass derivation retained in notes)

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: copper, cathode
Uncertainty: -12.8% / +14.9% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Formaldehyde solution Process chemicalg · ±25%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: formaldehyde
Uncertainty: ±25% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Palladium chloride Process chemicalg · -45.4% / +36.4%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: proxy-mapped
Background dataset: palladium
Notes: Proxy mapping uses 60% of the material mass.
Uncertainty: -45.4% / +36.4% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Nickel sulfate hexahydrate Process chemicalg · ±20%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: nickel sulfate
Uncertainty: ±20% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Sodium hypophosphite Process chemicalg · ±25%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: proxy-mapped
Background dataset: sodium phosphate
Uncertainty: ±25% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Gold potassium cyanide Process chemicalg · -15.1% / +13.2%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: proxy-mapped
Background dataset: gold
Notes: Proxy mapping uses 68.4% of the material mass.
Uncertainty: -15.1% / +13.2% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Potassium permanganate Process chemicalg · -40% / +20%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: potassium permanganate
Uncertainty: -40% / +20% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Dry film photoresist Process chemicalg · ±25%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: proxy-mapped
Background dataset: methyl methacrylate
Uncertainty: ±25% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Flux (no-clean) Process chemicalg · -66.4% / +68%

Derivation basis: Typical flux application

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: flux, for wave soldering
Uncertainty: -66.4% / +68% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Flux (water soluble) Process chemicalg · -40% / +100%

Derivation basis: Flux type for FOWLP solder ball attach

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: flux, for wave soldering
Uncertainty: -40% / +100% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Capillary underfill (epoxy) Process chemicalg · -33.3% / +50%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: epoxy resin insulator, SiO2
Uncertainty: -33.3% / +50% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Flux paste Process chemicalg · -60% / +100%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: flux, for wave soldering
Uncertainty: -60% / +100% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Stencil cleaner (IPA) Process chemicalg · -50% / +100%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: isopropanol
Uncertainty: -50% / +100% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Lid adhesive (silicone) Process chemicalg · -69% / +343.1%

Source citations: patents.google.com (date not recorded). Intel Corporation, US20210398871A1, "Integrated circuit heat spreader including sealant interface material", priority date 2020-06-18, publication date 2021-12-23. Patent.
freepatentsonline.com (date not recorded). Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., US20130260511A1, "Lid attach process and apparatus for fabrication of semiconductor packages", filed 2012-06-12. Patent.
freepatentsonline.com (date not recorded). Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., US20170076960A1, "Lid attach processes for semiconductor packages", filed 2016-11-02. Patent.
Henkel, Technical Data Sheet, LOCTITE ABLESTIK 104, December 2015, Reference 0.0, 2 pp
Henkel, Technical Data Sheet, LOCTITE(R) ABLESTIK 286, November 2024, 1 p
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: silicone product
Uncertainty: -69% / +343.1% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Silicon Materialkg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: silicon, electronics grade
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: kg

Electroplated Cu Materialkg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: copper, cathode
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: kg

Cu pillar + SnAg Materialkg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: copper, cathode
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: kg

SnAg Materialkg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: composite
Background dataset: Modelled as a composite of its constituent materials.
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: kg

BT + ABF Materialkg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: proxy-mapped
Background dataset: epoxy resin insulator, SiO2
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: kg

SAC305 Materialkg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: composite
Background dataset: Modelled as a composite of its constituent materials.
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: kg

Cu Materialkg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: copper, cathode
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: kg

Thermal interface material Materialkg · -50.8% / +146.2%

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset: silicone product
Uncertainty: -50.8% / +146.2% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: kg

Outputs and waste

Wastewater Wastewaterm3 · -35.3% / +43.2%

Derivation basis: Calculated from the water balance: fresh-water input minus evaporation.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: carried, no background dataset
Background dataset: No treatment route recorded for this output.
Uncertainty: -35.3% / +43.2% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: m3

Spent photoresist (liquid spin-off) Solid wasteg · -24.4% / +97%

Source citations: patents.google.com (date not recorded). US11545361B2, "Method and apparatus for coating photo resist over a substrate". Patent.
patents.google.com (date not recorded). US9720325B2, "Photoresist coating scheme". Patent.
patents.google.com (date not recorded). US7405033B2, "Method for manufacturing resist pattern and method for manufacturing semiconductor device". Patent.
microchemicals.com (date not recorded). MicroChemicals GmbH, "Spin-Coating", chapter of Basics of Microstructuring / Fundamentals of Microstructuring. PDF document.
cdn.vanderbilt.edu (date not recorded). MICROPOSIT S1805 POSITIVE PHOTORESIST, Material Safety Data Sheet, revision date 04/08/2011, version 3.2. PDF document.
nanofab.utah.edu (date not recorded). JSR ARF AM 2073J-19 Material Safety Data Sheet, date prepared April 15, 2009 (Revision 5). PDF document.
epa.gov (date not recorded). US EPA, Emission Inventory Improvement Program (EIIP) Volume II, Chapter 6: Preferred and Alternative Methods for Estimating Air Emissions from Semiconductor Manufacturing, 2/24/99. PDF document.
rcrapublic.epa.gov (date not recorded). US EPA RCRA Online RO 11249, memorandum 9444.1987(18), letter to Mr. Frank Czigler, S & W Waste Inc., dated MAY 20 1987. PDF document.
patents.google.com (date not recorded). US9421567B2, "Recycle photochemical to reduce cost of material and environmental impact". Patent.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (date not recorded). Ni, J., Zhang, Q., Zhang, X., Sun, Z., Bao, D., "Detection Method and Common Characteristics of Waste Solvent from Semiconductor Industry", Molecules 28(16):5992, 2023. Journal article.
epa.gov (date not recorded). US EPA, "Defining Hazardous Waste: Listed, Characteristic and Mixed Radiological Wastes".
tel.com (date not recorded). Tokyo Electron Ltd., "Releases CLEAN TRACK LITHIUS Pro DICE, a 300mm Wafer Coater/Developer" (news release).
semiengineering.com (date not recorded). SemiEngineering, "Improving EUV Process Efficiency".
dspace.mit.edu (date not recorded). Modeling and analysis of extrusion-spin coating: an efficient and deterministic photoresist coating method in microlithography (MIT Mechanical Engineering thesis). Thesis.
microsi.com (date not recorded). Flack, W.W., Nguyen, H.-A. (Ultratech), Capsuto, E. (Shin-Etsu MicroSi), Abreau, K. (STEAG Hamatech USA), "Characterization of 100 Micron Thick Positive Photoresist on 300 mm Wafers", SPIE 2005 #5753-103. PDF document.
nrf.aux.eng.ufl.edu (date not recorded). AZ 9260 PHOTORESIST (520CPS) (US) Material Safety Data Sheet, substance key SXR109902, revision date 03/03/2010. PDF document.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, hazardous waste incineration, with energy recovery
Uncertainty: -24.4% / +97% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Spent photoresist (retained film) Solid wasteg · -22.9% / +57.3%

Source citations: nanofab.utah.edu (date not recorded). JSR ARF AM 2073J-19 Material Safety Data Sheet, date prepared April 15, 2009 (Revision 5). PDF document.
nrf.aux.eng.ufl.edu (date not recorded). AZ 9260 PHOTORESIST (520CPS) (US) Material Safety Data Sheet, substance key SXR109902, revision date 03/03/2010. PDF document.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, hazardous waste incineration, with energy recovery
Uncertainty: -22.9% / +57.3% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Intact un-eroded sputter target body (Ta) Solid wasteg · -33.3% / +66.7%

Source citations: Methods of rejuvenating sputtering targets - H.C. Starck Inc
materion.com (date not recorded). Enhance Your Sputter Deposition Yield With The Materion Approach.
materion.com (date not recorded). Sputtering Target Recycling Solutions at Materion. Vendor web page.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: material recovery (material dependent - typically recycled)
Uncertainty: -33.3% / +66.7% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Spent sputter targets (Cu) Solid wasteg · -44.2% / +45.5%

Source citations: ir.appliedmaterials.com (date not recorded). Applied Materials Strengthens Leadership in 300mm Copper Barrier/Seed with 100th System Shipment.
lesker.com (date not recorded). Copper (Cu) Sputtering Targets.
D. Depla; S. Mahieu; J.E. Greene (2010). Depla, Mahieu & Greene, "Sputter Deposition Processes", Handbook of Deposition Technologies for Films and Coatings, 3rd ed., Elsevier, pp. 253-296 (2010). Handbook of Deposition Technologies for Films and Coatings, 3rd ed. (P.M. Martin, ed.), Elsevier, pp. 253-296. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-8155-2031-3.00005-3.
materion.com (date not recorded). Sputtering Target Recycling Solutions at Materion. Vendor web page.
compoundsemiconductor.net (date not recorded). Sputtering process gives III-V devices a performance boost.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: market for copper scrap, sorted, pressed
Uncertainty: -44.2% / +45.5% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Copper in wastewater-treatment sludge/recovery Solid wasteg · -15.9% / +16.6%

Source citations (dataset-level): epa.gov (date not recorded). U.S. EPA Office of Water, "Preliminary Study of the Electrical and Electronic Components Point Source Category", EPA-821-R-22-005, DCN 11197 (2022) - Table 12 indirect Cu median 0.05 / mean 0.213 / max 5.64 / min 0.00015 mg/L (67 facilities, 1,309 results, 996 detects); Table 13 direct; Table 6 named-facility treatment trains; sec. 1.2.3.1 post-1983 process additions. Government report.
mee.gov.cn (date not recorded). GB 39731-2020, Emission standard of water pollutants for the electronics industry (official MEE PDF) - Table 1 item 13 total copper 0.5 direct / 2.0 indirect mg/L; Table 2 benchmark effluent volumes per wafer / per m2 PCB / per package. Standard.
gazette.nat.gov.tw (date not recorded). Executive Yuan Gazette Vol. 030 No. 237, 2024-12-18 - amendment to Taiwan Effluent Standards; Attached Table 1 (wafer/semiconductor) and Table 5 (basic metal / surface treatment / electroplating / PCB) copper ladder 3.0 -> 2.0 -> 1.5 -> 1.0 mg/L by vintage and permitted flow. PDF document.
Source citations (dataset-level): Inherited from this dataset's own bibliography, not tied to this row:

epa.gov (date not recorded). U.S. EPA Office of Water, "Preliminary Study of the Electrical and Electronic Components Point Source Category", EPA-821-R-22-005, DCN 11197 (2022) - Table 12 indirect Cu median 0.05 / mean 0.213 / max 5.64 / min 0.00015 mg/L (67 facilities, 1,309 results, 996 detects); Table 13 direct; Table 6 named-facility treatment trains; sec. 1.2.3.1 post-1983 process additions. Government report.

mee.gov.cn (date not recorded). GB 39731-2020, Emission standard of water pollutants for the electronics industry (official MEE PDF) - Table 1 item 13 total copper 0.5 direct / 2.0 indirect mg/L; Table 2 benchmark effluent volumes per wafer / per m2 PCB / per package. Standard.

gazette.nat.gov.tw (date not recorded). Executive Yuan Gazette Vol. 030 No. 237, 2024-12-18 - amendment to Taiwan Effluent Standards; Attached Table 1 (wafer/semiconductor) and Table 5 (basic metal / surface treatment / electroplating / PCB) copper ladder 3.0 -> 2.0 -> 1.5 -> 1.0 mg/L by vintage and permitted flow. PDF document.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: market for copper scrap, sorted, pressed
Uncertainty: -15.9% / +16.6% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

CMP slurry waste Solid wasteg · -27.8% / +33.2%

Derivation basis: Copper bulk, barrier and buff slurry (the dispensed-volume input rows on this record)

The sources below are this dataset's own bibliography. They are not tied to this row.
Source citations (dataset-level): Inherited from this dataset's own bibliography, not tied to this row:

link.springer.com (date not recorded). Approaches to Sustainability in CMP: A Review. Journal article. DOI: 10.1007/s40684-021-00406-8.

nccavs-usergroups.avs.org (2024). Reducing CMP Process Mass Intensity. PDF document.

sciencedirect.com. Silica-Based Slurry - an overview.

pall.com (date not recorded). Wastewater Treatment in Semiconductor Industry. PDF document.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, underground deposit
Uncertainty: -27.8% / +33.2% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Spent CMP pads Solid wasteg · -51.6% / +679.2%

Derivation basis: REEL derivation: CMP pad mass from pad geometry and polyurethane density

The sources for this row are listed below.
Source citations: Pureon AG (2024). Pureon IC1000 and IC1010 CMP Polishing Pads - Product Datasheet. Pureon product datasheet; IC1000 and IC1010 are DuPont trademarks.
Chu-An Lee; Hui-Chi Huang; Peng-Chung Jangjian (2013). US 8,367,429 B2: Adaptive endpoint method for pad life effect on chemical mechanical polishing. United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Technological Breakthrough in Pad Life Improvement and its Impact on CMP CoC.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (date not recorded). Approaches to Sustainability in Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP): A Review. Journal article.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, underground deposit
Uncertainty: -51.6% / +679.2% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Photoresist solids in NMP strip bath Solid wasteg · -33.4% / +66.6%

Source citations: microsi.com (date not recorded). Flack, W.W., Nguyen, H.-A. (Ultratech), Capsuto, E. (Shin-Etsu MicroSi), Abreau, K. (STEAG Hamatech USA), "Characterization of 100 Micron Thick Positive Photoresist on 300 mm Wafers", SPIE 2005 #5753-103. PDF document.
nrf.aux.eng.ufl.edu (date not recorded). AZ 9260 PHOTORESIST (520CPS) (US) Material Safety Data Sheet, substance key SXR109902, revision date 03/03/2010. PDF document.
rcrapublic.epa.gov (date not recorded). US EPA RCRA Online RO 11249, memorandum 9444.1987(18), letter to Mr. Frank Czigler, S & W Waste Inc., dated MAY 20 1987. PDF document.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, hazardous waste incineration, with energy recovery
Uncertainty: -33.4% / +66.6% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Silicon cake (from DBGW filtration) Solid wasteg · -90.6% / +300%

Derivation basis: No retrievable public document identified

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of inert waste, sanitary landfill
Uncertainty: -90.6% / +300% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Mixed process waste Solid wasteg · ±0.9%

Source citations: p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Drag-Out Reduction (2000). Report.
p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Rinse Water Reduction (2000). Report.
Park et al. - Effects of the degradation of methane sulfonic acid electrolyte on the collapse failure of Sn-Ag alloy solders for flip-chip interconnections, RSC Advances, 2017
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of inert waste, sanitary landfill
Uncertainty: ±0.9% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Spent dry film resist Solid wasteg · ±25%

Derivation basis: Calculated from the mass balance of spent materials and consumables, with treatment selected from the waste classification.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of waste plastic, mixture, municipal incineration
Uncertainty: ±25% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Manganate desmear sludge Solid wasteg · -40% / +35%

Source citations (dataset-level): rsc.org. Heterointerfacial adhesion failure mechanism of ultrahigh filler loading containing epoxy composite films for chip substrates.
tekhpolis.ru (date not recorded). S7439 PROCESS GUIDELINES. PDF document.
Source citations (dataset-level): Inherited from this dataset's own bibliography, not tied to this row:

rsc.org. Heterointerfacial adhesion failure mechanism of ultrahigh filler loading containing epoxy composite films for chip substrates.

tekhpolis.ru (date not recorded). S7439 PROCESS GUIDELINES. PDF document.
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, underground deposit
Uncertainty: -40% / +35% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Solder mask develop sludge (unpolymerized resin) Solid wasteg · -34.8% / +30.4%

Derivation basis: No retrievable public document identified

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of waste plastic, mixture, municipal incineration
Uncertainty: -34.8% / +30.4% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Phosphorus in wastewater-treatment sludge Solid wasteg · -47% / +46.5%

Derivation basis: Derived: elemental phosphorus balance, the phosphorus reaching treatment less the post-treatment residual

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, underground deposit
Uncertainty: -47% / +46.5% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Dicing slurry (Si/EMC/Cu particles) Solid wasteg

Derivation basis: No retrievable public document identified

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, underground deposit
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: g

Flux residue on stencil Solid wasteg

Derivation basis: Calculated from the mass balance of spent materials and consumables, with treatment selected from the waste classification.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of hazardous waste, hazardous waste incineration, with energy recovery
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: g

Broken dies Solid wasteg

Derivation basis: Engineering estimate based on yield loss

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset: treatment of inert waste, sanitary landfill
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: g

Emissions to air

8 elementary flows released to air by this dataset's own operations. Quantities are not published; they ship with the dataset on Circa.

VOCs Emission to airg

Source citations: epa.gov (date not recorded). US EPA, Emission Inventory Improvement Program (EIIP), Volume II Chapter 6: Preferred and Alternative Methods for Estimating Air Emissions from Semiconductor Manufacturing, February 1999. Government report.
Compartment: Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: NMVOC, non-methane volatile organic compounds
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

SF₆ Emission to airg

Derivation basis: Calculated from the sulfur hexafluoride purchased for this step and the central gas-fate utilisation and destruction-removal efficiency for thermal abatement

The sources below are this dataset's own bibliography. They are not tied to this row.
Source citations (dataset-level): Inherited from this dataset's own bibliography, not tied to this row:

people.eecs.berkeley.edu (date not recorded). Bosch DRIE Silicon Processing and STS Results. Conference presentation.

IPCC 2019 Guidelines Vol 3 Ch 6

EPA 40 CFR Part 98 Subpart I (2024)
Compartment: Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
CAS number: 2551-62-4
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Sulfur hexafluoride
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

C₄F₈ Emission to airg

Derivation basis: Calculated from the octafluorocyclobutane purchased for this step and the central gas-fate utilisation and destruction-removal efficiency for thermal abatement

The sources below are this dataset's own bibliography. They are not tied to this row.
Source citations (dataset-level): Inherited from this dataset's own bibliography, not tied to this row:

people.eecs.berkeley.edu (date not recorded). Bosch DRIE Silicon Processing and STS Results. Conference presentation.

IPCC 2019 Guidelines Vol 3 Ch 6

EPA 40 CFR Part 98 Subpart I (2024)
Compartment: Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
CAS number: 115-25-3
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Tetrafluoromethane
Notes: Proxied to CF4 (Tetrafluoromethane) for ecoinvent linking. The two substances are not equivalent: this one has the substantially greater warming effect of the pair, so any characterization performed through this proxy link understates it. Use the substance's own factor rather than the proxy's.
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

HCl Emission to airg

Derivation basis: Calculated as an air release, from a mass balance on the process gases going in, with the destruction or removal efficiency of any point-of-use abatement applied.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Compartment: Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
CAS number: 7647-01-0
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Hydrochloric acid
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Emission to airg

Derivation basis: Calculated as an air release, from a mass balance on the process gases going in, with the destruction or removal efficiency of any point-of-use abatement applied.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Compartment: Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: NMVOC, non-methane volatile organic compounds
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

HCHO Emission to airg

Derivation basis: Calculated as an air release, from a mass balance on the process gases going in, with the destruction or removal efficiency of any point-of-use abatement applied.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Compartment: Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
CAS number: 50-00-0
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Formaldehyde
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Flux volatiles Emission to airg

Source citations: circuitinsight.com (date not recorded). Diepstraten, G. (Vitronics Soltec B.V.), How to Manage Material Outgassing in Reflow Oven, SMTA Proceedings (circuitinsight mirror). Symposium paper.
Compartment: Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: NMVOC, non-methane volatile organic compounds
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

VOCs (from underfill cure) Emission to airg

Derivation basis: Calculated as an air release, from a mass balance on the process gases going in, with the destruction or removal efficiency of any point-of-use abatement applied.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Compartment: Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: NMVOC, non-methane volatile organic compounds
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: g

Emissions to water

9 elementary flows released to water by this dataset's own operations. Quantities are not published; they ship with the dataset on Circa.

Cl- Emission to waterg

Source citations: pca.state.mn.us (date not recorded). Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Alternatives for addressing chloride in wastewater effluent, wq-wwprm2-18, December 2018 - chloride conservative through conventional treatment; MN WQS 230 chronic / 860 acute mg/L. Government report.
Compartment: Water (surface water)
CAS number: 16887-00-6
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Chloride
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Cu2+ Emission to waterg

Source citations: epa.gov (date not recorded). U.S. EPA Office of Water, "Preliminary Study of the Electrical and Electronic Components Point Source Category", EPA-821-R-22-005, DCN 11197 (2022) - Table 12 indirect Cu median 0.05 / mean 0.213 / max 5.64 / min 0.00015 mg/L (67 facilities, 1,309 results, 996 detects); Table 13 direct; Table 6 named-facility treatment trains; sec. 1.2.3.1 post-1983 process additions. Government report.
mee.gov.cn (date not recorded). GB 39731-2020, Emission standard of water pollutants for the electronics industry (official MEE PDF) - Table 1 item 13 total copper 0.5 direct / 2.0 indirect mg/L; Table 2 benchmark effluent volumes per wafer / per m2 PCB / per package. Standard.
gazette.nat.gov.tw (date not recorded). Executive Yuan Gazette Vol. 030 No. 237, 2024-12-18 - amendment to Taiwan Effluent Standards; Attached Table 1 (wafer/semiconductor) and Table 5 (basic metal / surface treatment / electroplating / PCB) copper ladder 3.0 -> 2.0 -> 1.5 -> 1.0 mg/L by vintage and permitted flow. PDF document.
Compartment: Water (surface water)
Formula: Cu
CAS number: 7440-50-8
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Copper ion
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Sn2+ Emission to waterg

Source citations: p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Drag-Out Reduction (2000). Report.
p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Rinse Water Reduction (2000). Report.
Park et al. - Effects of the degradation of methane sulfonic acid electrolyte on the collapse failure of Sn-Ag alloy solders for flip-chip interconnections, RSC Advances, 2017
Compartment: Water (surface water)
Formula: Sn
CAS number: 7440-31-5
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Tin ion
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Ammonium Emission to waterg

Source citations: p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Drag-Out Reduction (2000). Report.
p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Rinse Water Reduction (2000). Report.
Park et al. - Effects of the degradation of methane sulfonic acid electrolyte on the collapse failure of Sn-Ag alloy solders for flip-chip interconnections, RSC Advances, 2017
Compartment: Water (surface water)
Formula: NH4+
CAS number: 14798-03-9
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Ammonium
Notes: TMAH biodegrades in WWTP; NH4+ mass fraction 18.04/91.15
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Dissolved organics (COD) Emission to waterg

Source citations: p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Drag-Out Reduction (2000). Report.
p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Rinse Water Reduction (2000). Report.
Park et al. - Effects of the degradation of methane sulfonic acid electrolyte on the collapse failure of Sn-Ag alloy solders for flip-chip interconnections, RSC Advances, 2017
Compartment: Water (surface water)
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: COD, Chemical Oxygen Demand
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Si Emission to waterg

Derivation basis: No retrievable public document identified

The sources for this row are listed below.
Source citations: p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Drag-Out Reduction (2000). Report.
p2infohouse.org (date not recorded). Florida Pollution Prevention Program - Electroplating Tip Sheet: Rinse Water Reduction (2000). Report.
Park et al. - Effects of the degradation of methane sulfonic acid electrolyte on the collapse failure of Sn-Ag alloy solders for flip-chip interconnections, RSC Advances, 2017
Compartment: Water (surface water)
CAS number: 7440-21-3
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Silicon
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Ni Emission to waterg

Derivation basis: Calculated as a release to water, from a contaminant mass balance on the process chemistry.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Compartment: Water (surface water)
Formula: Ni2+
CAS number: 14701-22-5
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Nickel II
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

CN- Emission to waterg

Derivation basis: Calculated as a release to water, from a contaminant mass balance on the process chemistry.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Compartment: Water (surface water)
CAS number: 57-12-5
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Cyanide
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Phosphorus (from hypophosphite) Emission to waterg

Source citations: EU STM BREF 2006 §2.13.1.13 and §4.16.9.2; EPA E&EC Study Report 2022 Table 13
Compartment: Water (surface water)
Formula: P
CAS number: 7723-14-0
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow: Phosphorus
Uncertainty: A minimum-maximum range is defined for this flow. Bounds ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Flows not quantified

3 flows are recorded for this dataset but carry no quantity — cut off below the significance threshold, or with no background dataset available. They remain inside the declared system boundary; each is listed with its reason.

Cut off - below the significance threshold (3)

Ne Process gasg · -75% / +50%

Source citations: Cymer Inc., US Patent 5,978,406, "Fluorine control system for excimer lasers" (1999)
Cymer Inc., US Patent 5,991,324, "Reliable, modular, production quality narrow-band KrF excimer laser" (1999)
Praxair (now Linde), "Specialty Gases and Equipment Reference Guide", p. 148 (excimer premix specifications)
laserfocusworld.com (date not recorded). Laser Focus World, "Cymer second-generation lithography lasers reduce neon consumption".
sst.semiconductor-digest.com (date not recorded). Semiconductor Digest (SST), "Chipmakers seek solution to neon gas supply shortage" (2016).
Background data: cut off
Background dataset: Not applicable: this flow is not quantified in the inventory.
Reason: Neon consumption (excimer-laser buffer gas) is recorded in this inventory. Upstream production is excluded under the declared cut-off criteria. It is an inert noble gas recovered as a byproduct of cryogenic air separation, with a contribution below the significance threshold.
Uncertainty: -75% / +50% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Organic additive package (SPS/PEG/leveler) Process chemicalg

Derivation basis: Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: cut off
Background dataset: Not applicable: this flow is not quantified in the inventory.
Notes: From Cu plating bath (CuSO4 + H2SO4 + accelerator/suppressor) (1.0% organic additives). Trace organics carried visibly as a documented cutoff row so the decomposition conserves the authored bath mass exactly.
Reason: Evaluated cutoff: a proprietary SPS accelerator / PEG suppressor / leveler package making up 1% of the plating bath. At sub-gram scale it is far below 1% of package input mass and energy and is insignificant across all impact categories (GWP, toxicity, resource depletion, water); no honest ecoinvent target exists for the proprietary organics. Documented per the boundary-inclusion policy: map what is mappable, under-include the un-modelable trace organics with an explicit note rather than proxying them to something unrelated.
Uncertainty: No range defined.
Unit: g

SnAg plating bath (MSA-based) Process chemicalg · -40% / +60%

Derivation basis: Solder plating bath

No source is attached to this row.
Source citations: Not stated
Background data: cut off
Background dataset: Not applicable: this flow is not quantified in the inventory.
Reason: The tin-silver plating bath is consumed in trace quantity and its formulation is complex, recorded in this inventory. This row covers the bath chemistry alone; the tin and silver the bath deposits onto the package are not carried on it. Where this dataset lists no separate deposited-solder material row, the deposited tin and silver are absent from the dataset altogether rather than accounted for elsewhere, and whether they belong inside this boundary is an open question this record does not settle. The bath chemistry falls below the declared cut-off threshold, so no upstream production dataset is attached.
Uncertainty: -40% / +60% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit: g

Limitations and unquantified flows (3)

Limits this dataset declares about itself: first any limit stated in its own description, then any limit it declares flow by flow, grouped by channel. Each entry below is the model's own disclosure.

The uncertainty range on this dataset's abated fluorinated-gas emissions to air is the range of the incoming gas, carried through in proportion. It does not widen for how much of the gas is consumed in the reaction, or for how completely the abatement destroys what is left; both of those are held at their central values on this dataset. Wafer datasets do carry those two through into the range, so the range published here is narrower than the one a wafer dataset publishes for the same kind of emission.
These materials are used at a step of the modelled flow and are also carried by this dataset's own material list. Each is counted once, on that list, and the step does not book it again: TSV barrier PVD (Ta/TaN) uses Cu sputtering target; TSV Cu seed PVD uses Cu sputtering target; Microbump formation (UBM + Cu pillar + SnAg cap) uses Copper (anode or replenishment) and SnAg solder; C4 bump formation (interposer bottom) uses Copper (anode or replenishment) and SnAg solder; Mass reflow (chip on wafer) uses SAC305 solder balls; Solder ball attach uses SAC305 solder balls; TIM dispense uses Thermal Interface Material.
Some consumable pulls referenced by the modelled process steps did not resolve to an inventory row and are absent from this dataset. They are itemised in the dataset's own export audit.

The flows above are this dataset's own records. What follows are the scope rules set once for the whole database in the methodology report, repeated here so every dataset page carries them.

Database-wide boundary policy — applies to every REEL dataset

These boundaries are set once for the whole database, in Chapter 2 of the methodology report, and apply to this dataset wherever they are relevant to it. The excluded flows listed above are specific to this dataset.

Use phase: Product operation is outside the cradle-to-gate scope.
End-of-life treatment: Recycling and disposal are outside the cradle-to-gate scope.
Distribution and retail: The gate is a finished component ready for integration into a higher-level assembly.
Inbound transport of raw materials: Transport of purchased raw materials to the manufacturing facility is already inside the upstream "market for" datasets that users link to a background database, so it is not modelled a second time here. This does not cover freight between REEL production stages, which is modelled where a dataset authors it.
Returnable shipping containers: Where freight between production stages is modelled, the mass moved is the product itself. The shipping container (FOSB, SEMI M31) is returnable capital equipment whose per-trip share is unsourced, so its tare is excluded from the transport effort.
Photomask fabrication: A mask set's embodied burden is amortised across a high-volume production run and is not attributed per wafer. Users assessing low-volume production should add mask fabrication separately; the methodology report gives the basis for the exclusion.
Employee transport, administration and R&D overhead: Employee transportation, facility administration and R&D/pilot-production overhead are outside scope.
Capital goods: Manufacturing equipment, cleanroom construction and facility infrastructure are excluded, on the grounds of absent public data on equipment embodied energy, uncertainty in equipment lifetime and allocation, common practice in electronics LCA, and a focus on the operational inventory. Future versions may include capital goods when sufficient public data becomes available.
Precious metal recovery credits: Scrap recovery credits for precious metals are excluded pending data availability.
Wafer reclaim: Test wafers and scrap are outside the system boundary.

Inside the boundary, linked rather than modelled

Silicon ingot growth and wafer slicing: Inside the cradle-to-gate scope, but treated as upstream material inputs linked to background databases rather than modelled as REEL processes.
Freight between production stages: Where a dataset's product moves between REEL production stages - wafer fabrication to the packaging site, for example - that leg is authored as a transport service and linked to an ecoinvent freight activity. It is measured as a transport effort in tonne-kilometres, not as a mass. Route distances are authored per route class with a stated band; a lower bound of zero is a modelling statement that the two sites can be co-located, not a missing value.

Cut-off criteria

A flow is excluded from a process inventory when it contributes less than 1 % of the total mass of inputs to that unit process, or less than 1 % of its total energy input. The denominator is total process inputs, not product mass. That distinction matters in semiconductor manufacturing, where the input mass of water, chemicals and gases greatly exceeds the product mass, so the threshold removes only genuinely minor flows.

Included regardless of the cut-off

Perfluorocarbons (CF4, C2F6, SF6, NF3) - high GWP, EPA regulated
Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr(VI)) - RoHS regulated, high toxicity
Volatile organics (photoresist solvents, PGMEA) - air quality
Precious metals (Au, Ag, Pd, Pt) - high embodied impacts
Ozone-depleting substances (legacy CFCs, HCFCs) - Montreal Protocol