Clarkson University Professors Awarded Three-Year Project with Micron Technology

Clarkson University Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Jihoon Seo and Associate Director for Education Alan Rossner have been awarded a project by Micron Technology to drive an industry-wide shift toward sustainability in Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) consumable manufacturing.

Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) is one of the essential steps in the production of integrated circuits and other microelectronics devices. However, many new materials are not designed with Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability (EHSS) in mind.

To address these challenges, Seo and Rossner will perform research and analysis on the environmental sustainability of CMP consumable manufacturing. In particular, they shall assess CMP process with respect to sustainability, highlighting gaps related to the manufacturing of CMP consumables, and then develop a robust EHSS impact analysis for CMP consumable manufacturing by incorporating accurate life cycle assessments of inputs/outputs and their relevant impact categories.

“Clarkson University has a strong reputation as a leading research institution in the field of CMP,” Seo explained. “The CMP research team at Clarkson University has extensive experience in the development of novel CMP processes and materials development as well as in the characterization and optimization of CMP performance.”

“In addition to our cutting-edge research in the CMP field, we are also highly active in collaboration with industry partners,” Rossner added. “We work with leading semiconductor manufacturers and equipment suppliers to develop and implement advanced CMP processes and materials in real-world semiconductor applications.”

Seo and Rossner’s project comes just months after Micron announced it would invest up to $100 billion to build the largest semiconductor fabrication facility in the history of the United States. The new facility is less than three hours’ drive from Clarkson’s campus.

“This is just a wonderful trend to see companies come back and bring advanced manufacturing back to the states and to have our students be part of creating those products,” Clarkson Dean of Engineering William Jemison said at the time of Micron’s announcement.