Recycling of silicon wafers in metal powder products
[Company / organization] Seiko Epson Corporation
Planned start date, etc.
Usage to start in February 2020.
Description of the technology and business model
Epson has declared a commitment to a vision of developing environmental technology, promoting resource recycling, and eliminating the use of underground resources by 2050. Silicon wafer recycling technology is one of the ways we are looking to achieve this. Silicon wafers that are no longer needed in the fabrication of Epson’s semiconductors and inkjet heads are used as raw materials in the production of metal powder by Epson Atmix Co., Ltd., an Epson Group company. Epson Atmix uses its metal melting and atomizing process technologies to produce magnetic powders, sintered powders, and other metal and alloy powder products. Various elements are added to powder products to give them certain characteristics. Silicon is one of the main additives. Epson generates a certain amount of silicon wafer waste in test production and the like in semiconductor fabrication processes. Epson Atmix collected these wafers and tried recycling them to obtain raw material for metal powders after verifying that they satisfy impurity standards. The result? High-quality powder in volume production and a closed resource loop. This technology enables the company to recycle and thus reduce waste, reduce CO2 emissions, use fewer underground resources by using less virgin silicon, and further cut costs.
Achievements, targets, etc.
Epson Atmix has been recycling silicon wafers since February 2020. To date, it has recycled approximately five tons’ worth of silicon wafers, reducing both waste and the amount of new underground resources used. The company previously purchased raw silicon material for several thousand yen per kilogram. By replacing these purchases with recycled silicon wafers, Epson Atmix has sharply reduced its costs. In addition, the CO2 emissions intensity of virgin silicon is approximately 11 kg-CO2/kg. Recycling virtually eliminates this, thus cutting the company’s CO2 emissions.
Epson will take advantage of the existence of Epson Atmix within the Group to promote the recycling of other metal resources, as well. For example, we will continue to collect used ink cartridges and recycle the metal parts in them as raw materials for powder.
For further information
Epson’s corporate vision
https://global.epson.com/company/corporate_vision/
Epson Atmix website: