3M will stop production and stop using PFAS in three years, the semiconductor industry may be affected

3M recently announced that it will completely withdraw from the production of perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as "permanent chemicals", and strive to completely stop using PFAS in its product portfolio by the end of 2025, because of concerns about these chemicals products can affect health and the environment. In semiconductor manufacturing, the required coolant is also a PFAS product, and 3M is the world's largest supplier of semiconductor coolant, which may have a greater impact on the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

3M chief executive Mike Roman said the decision was driven by increasing regulation of the chemical and growing demand for alternatives.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the required coolant (electronic grade fluorinated liquid) is also a PFAS product, which is widely used in the constant temperature cooling of semiconductor etching equipment, ion implantation equipment, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment. Although the consumption of semiconductor coolant in the semiconductor manufacturing industry is not high (the coolant can be recycled, but it will leak little by little), but with the continuous growth of semiconductor manufacturing capacity, the demand for semiconductor coolant will continue Increase. 3M has also been in a monopoly position in the global semiconductor coolant market. It announced that by the end of 2025, it will stop the production of all fluoropolymers, fluorine-containing liquids and PFAS-based additive products, and will stop using them in all of its products by the end of 2025. Using PFAS, this may have an impact on the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

It is reported that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are often colloquially referred to as "permanent chemicals" because they take a long time to be broken down in the natural environment.

However, due to its extremely stable chemical structure and unique chemical properties, PFAS has been favored by manufacturers for a long time due to its water and oil repellency. Since the 1940s, PFAS have been manufactured and used in various industries around the world. People can find PFAS in commonly used products such as nonstick cookware, stain removers and water repellents, paints, cleaning products, food packaging, and firefighting foam.