TSMC, ASE complete world’s first IC product category rule

HSINCHU, TAIWAN: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. recently announced that the two companies have
collaborated to complete the world’s first Integrated Circuit Product Category Rule (IC PCR).

This IC PCR follows ISO 14025 standards, and addresses the unique nature of semiconductor manufacturing. It was compiled based on input from major semiconductor companies around the world.

The content of the IC PCR covers energy and water consumption, pollutant production, waste production, air pollution, carbon footprint, and other factors. It can act as a reference for global semiconductor companies when completing an Environmental Product Declaration Type III (EPD), and also support the global electronics supply chain in meeting requirements from Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, for all suppliers to provide eco-labelling within five years.

In order to fulfill their social responsibility for protecting the environment and to meet future demand from consumers for environmental labels and carbon footprint disclosure, TSMC and ASE began working on the IC PCR last year, voluntarily participating in a special project of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Department of Industrial Technology, and with guidance from the Industrial Technology Research Institute Energy and Environment Research Laboratories.

TSMC and ASE convened two international consultative meetings this year to gather the opinions of the domestic semiconductor industry, raw materials suppliers, and the US and European semiconductor industry associations.

The resulting IC PCR was certified by the Environment and Development Foundation, the only organization in Taiwan authorized by the Global Type III Environmental Product Declarations Network (GEDnet). The IC PCR is posted on the GEDnet website (http://www.gednet.org/). TSMC and ASE will hold regular discussions with domestic and international semiconductor firms, and make ongoing revisions to the IC PCR to meet evolving needs of the industry and the environment.

There are currently three types of environmental product declarations. A Type III declaration follows ISO14025 rules and is based on a product life cycle study, making a complete disclosure of a product’s environmental impact and carbon footprint.

Setting a product category rule (PCR) is a necessary first step in establishing environmental product labels and environmental footprint disclosure. Several hundred products from Europe, Japan, and Korea have already completed environmental product declarations.

“Product eco-labeling is an inevitable environmental trend, and we expect that most manufacturers around the world will be actively preparing environmental product labels to serve as a reference for consumers,” said Dr. Stephen Tso, TSMC Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer.

“The IC PCR completed by TSMC and ASE can not only help semiconductor companies make Type III Environmental Product Declarations, it can also serve as a reference for carbon footprint declarations to meet the needs of customers and consumers. TSMC will continue to do its part to protect the environment,” Dr. Tso said.

“Society is growing more environmentally conscious as the global warming issue intensifies, and consumers now consider not just quality and price when buying a product, but also its impact on the environment. We are pleased to see this growing trend in green consumerism,” said Raymond Lo, General Manger of Kaohsiung, ASE Group.

“As leaders in the semiconductor industry, ASE and TSMC are focused on developing solutions for green products, and this collaboration to set the world’s first IC PCR is part of our corporate social responsibility to help address global environmental concerns. Protecting our ecosystems and the world around us is a responsibility we take seriously, and we will continue to improve and operate in a sustainable fashion.”