Assessing Critical Materials Sustainability for Digitalization and Intelligence | Shiqi Liu

Field | Discipline

• Critical material
• Sustainability science
• Industrial ecology

Expertise

• Life cycle assessment
• Material flow analysis

Summary

In a world characterized by rapid technological evolution, integrated circuits have emerged as a fundamental force, powering the modern digital landscape across smart devices, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big-data analytics. The rapid development of these applications has contributed to a significant expansion of the global integrated circuits market, with revenues reaching $526.89 billion in 2023. However, this surge in demand has highlighted the vulnerabilities and complexities within the chip supply chain. This complexity is demonstrated by the materials required for fabrication, since the manufacturing process of wafers incorporates a variety of specific dopants, insulating layers, and conductive layer materials to meet diverse functional requirements. Among these materials, critical materials like gallium and indium play an indispensable role in achieving the performance, reliability, and stability of the circuits. However, the supply and utilization of critical materials generally come with harsh environmental influences such as greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Furthermore, the global integrated circuits trade is highly spatially unbalanced, with materials trade highly concentrated in a few countries on both the supply and demand sides. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the material flows for various types of integrated circuits to characterize the potential risks.

This research project aims to examine the critical material sustainability challenges of the global integrated circuits industry, driven by digital and intelligent transformation. Detailed content encompasses examining the relevant technologies to establish a list of materials for integrated circuits; tracing material flow embodied in worldwide trade and production data for the supply chain; and using criticality analysis and life cycle assessment to assess the environmental and material supply risks of the integrated circuit industry. This project aims to contribute to the development of strategies that ensure the continued growth and competitiveness of the integrated circuit industry while promoting environmental sustainability and responsible resource utilization in the digital age.

Supervision by

• Promotor: Prof. Dr. K.S. (Klaus) Hubacek | Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society - IREES | ESRIG, University of Groningen.

• Co-promotor: Ass. Prof. dr.  X. (Xin) Sun | Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society - IREES | ESRIG, University of Groningen.

More information and contact details can be found on the personal profile of Shiqi Liu.