Reducing Environmental Impact in Next-Gen Microchip Manufacturing

Funding disclosure: 

Abstract

Microchips serve as the backbone of modern technology, and their applications will only grow in the coming years, with the market expected to hit $180 billion in the next decade. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are a type of microchip that utilize light to improve the traditional electronic capabilities and which also serve as a compact, energy-efficient alternative, particularly for transmission of information (at the speed of light). While PICs are more energy efficient, the materials used in PICs can have a significant environmental impact, contributing to 500 megatons of CO2-equivalent lifetime emissions from microchip production. My project aims to determine the best materials for photonic integrated circuits by developing a matrix that takes into consideration the environmental impact of materials, such as CO2 emissions and water consumption, along with factors relating to the compatibility and performance of the materials in PICs, by characterizing the materials in different ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum and processes associated with the microelectronics manufacturing. Considering the large—and growing—scale of the production of PICs, the evaluation of the environmental impact of the selected materials is paramount, particularly in the United States, where industry contributes to 23% of greenhouse gas emissions, and the manufacturing of microchips is growing, especially following the CHIPS Act of 2022.