March 2015

The Electronic Materials Report

SEMI / SIA / ESIA Webinars on Regulatory Restrictions of Fluorinated Substances Used by Semiconductor Manufacturers and Their Materials and Equipment Supply Chains

Webinars to Share Information on Regulatory Restrictions of Fluorinated Substances

Please see note below from SEMI regarding upcoming webinars on impending Regulatory Restrictions of Fluorinated Substances:

Webinars to Share Information on Regulatory Restrictions of Fluorinated Substances

Regulatory proposals pending in the United States (US) and Europe Union (EU) may result in restrictions on the use of some critical fluorinated substances commonly used by semiconductor manufacturers and their extended global supply chains. More complete information about the regulatory proposals is located below.

In order to better understand the potential impacts of these proposals and to draft comments to be considered in the regulatory process, our three industry associations (SEMI/SIA/ESIA) are holding two free global webinars to share information. The first webinar is intended for our colleagues in the western hemisphere (Europe and the US.) and the second webinar is intended for our colleagues in the eastern hemisphere (Asia and the US). Details of the webinar are below. You can join one or both webinars for free. Each webinar will last no more than 60 minutes. The webinars are taking place on:

Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015

We request that you and your global colleagues participate in the webinars. We further request that you please forward this request to your customers and supply chain partners, who may also be affected.

Please note that the SEMI Spring Standards meetings are taking place next week in San Jose, California, USA. If you are attending these meetings or are local to San Jose, you can join the webinar in person at the SEMI Headquarters Building in San Jose. Details are below.

Summary of Regulatory Restrictions of Fluorinated Substances

The restrictions apply to PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and related chemical analogs, as well as LCPFAC (long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylate) substances. The impact of these regulatory proposals for semiconductor manufacturers and all segments of their supply chain could be dramatic:

Semiconductor Manufacturers: Integrated device manufacturers and foundries may use these fluorinated substances directly or indirectly during wafer processing. The regulatory proposals partly focus on finished products (also called articles) that contain these fluorinated substances. The final semiconductor device (i.e. CPU, memory, display, LED, etc.) is being regulated (and not just the materials used in bulk).
Materials Suppliers: These fluorinated substances are often directly marketed by materials suppliers. Otherwise, the substances may be used as precursors to make other critical industrial materials.
Equipment Suppliers: The regulatory proposals partly focus on finished products (also called articles) that contain these fluorinated substances. Finished products include equipment, tools, instruments, components, sub-systems and related electrical / electronic devices used to manufacture semiconductors. We understand that PFOA / LCPFAC substances may be used to construct o-rings, seals, pipes, tubing, plasma process tools, teflon coatings, and wafer carriers.

While these regulatory proposals come from the US and EU, the impacts may be felt globally, as supply chains outside the US and EU may be affected. Furthermore, other countries have similar regulations in place (e.g. Korea and Taiwan) and it's only a matter of time before these other countries are likely to regulate these same fluorinated substances using similar regulatory mechanisms.

More Information - Regulatory Restrictions in the United States (US)

Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed regulating LCPFAC substances. More information about the proposal is here:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPPT-2013-0225-0001

More Information - Regulatory Restrictions in the European Union (EU)

Under the European REACH Regulation, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has proposed regulating PFOA and related salts. More information about the proposal is here:

http://echa.europa.eu/restrictions-under-consideration/-/substance-rev/1908/term

Agenda for Both Webinars

Overview of Regulatory Proposal from US EPA (TSCA)
Overview of Regulatory Proposal from ECHA (EU REACH)
Industry Impacts: Semiconductor Manufacturing Perspective
Industry Impacts: Material Supplier Perspectives
Industry Impacts: Equipment Supplier Perspectives
Collective Action: What Have We Done
Collective Action: What Are Next Steps

Webinar # 1 (for Western Hemisphere)

Dates / Times: The webinar will last no more than 60 minutes.

Start times are as follows:

Wednesday, April 1:

8 AM, San Jose, California, USA
9 AM, Denver, Colorado, USA
10 AM, Austin, Texas, USA
11 AM, New York, New York, USA
4 PM, London, UK
5 PM, Brussels, BELGIUM
11 PM, Shanghai, CHINA

Thursday, April 2:

12 AM, Tokyo, JAPAN

Physical Attendance

SEMI HQ: Seminar Room 3 (1st Floor), 3081 Zanker Road, San Jose, California, 95134 USA

Phone Conferencing

Global: 1.646.216.7111
North America: 1.866.721.5561
UK: 8002794047
Belgium: 0800.73.414
Germany: 0800.000.6854
Netherlands: 0800.022.5186
China: 86 0 4006815416
Taiwan: 0801137631
Korea: 00798148006940
Japan: 00531.121.598
Participant PIN: 199475#

Web Conferencing

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5880274312670717698

Webinar # 2 (for Eastern Hemisphere)