HW2: Life-cycle inventory analysis

The homework 2 is based on the book “Life-Cycle Assessment of Semiconductors” by Sarah Boyd.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-1-4419-9988-7

Read the chapters 1 “Introduction” and 2 “Semiconductor LCI Methods” and answer the following:

1. Which are the main constituents of a “gate-to-gate” LCI analysis of an IC? How can the
inventory data be generated/collected?

2. If you can use only available literature/data sheets to put together LCI data for an IC, which
characteristics are important to note and what kind of challenges you are likely to face?

Get familiar with the results presented in the chapter 5 “Life-Cycle Assessment of CMOS Logic” and 6
“Life-Cycle Assessment of Flash Memory” and answer the following:

3. Figure 1 presents Global Warming Potential and its development with the technology node
a) for a large (about 140 mm2) logic die and b) per gigabyte (GB) flash memory capacity. The
functional unit is for a) one die over a lifetime of 6,000 h b) one GB memory over a typical
lifetime of 100,000 cycles. End-of-life is excluded from the results.
 What kind of conclusions can you make of the different contributions to the GWP of
these components and their development with technology node reductions? Explain
the large relative contribution differences in life cycle phases between a) and b).
 The book is already some years old and describes the development only until 32 nm
node. What is your estimation how the GWP contributions may have continued ever
since? Justify your opinion.
Figure 1. GWP by life-cycle stage per a) logic die b) gigabyte (GB) flash memory capacity