Dresden – The Advanced Mask Technology Centre Dresden (AMTC) and DAS Environmental Experts have reached a significant milestone in their joint sustainability initiative. Following the successful installation and commissioning of all STYRAX Plasma-Wet systems, the AMTC now has a modernised waste gas treatment system for key areas of photomask production. The partners are thus putting the decarbonisation of a central section of the semiconductor value chain into industrial practice.
Decarbonisation begins where emissions are produced
The manufacture of modern semiconductors is not possible without fluorinated process gases. At the same time, perfluorocarbons such as tetrafluoromethane (CF₄) in particular pose one of the greatest challenges to the industry’s carbon footprint due to their very high global warming potential.
The manufacture of photomasks – one of the key production inputs in semiconductor manufacturing – also generates process waste gases that must be treated. With the successful commissioning of the plasma-wet systems from DAS Environmental Experts, AMTC is systematically transitioning waste gas treatment in mask production to an electric and sustainable technology. In doing so, the company is taking on a pioneering role in sustainable photomask manufacturing and setting new standards in the reduction of process-related emissions.
A key lever is the technical infrastructure of the manufacturing process. At the Subfab, DAS Environmental Experts’ systems treat process gases with a high climate impact directly at their source, thereby creating an essential prerequisite for more climate-friendly production. As production capacities increase and demands on the carbon footprint of semiconductor sites grow, the technical infrastructure of the factories is becoming increasingly important. High-performance waste gas treatment is thus evolving from a necessary component of the production process into a strategic lever for decarbonisation.
By switching to STYRAX Plasma-Wet systems, which are powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity, AMTC is reducing its use of natural gas – and the associated CO₂ emissions – by a further 21 per cent relative to total emissions in 2026. In addition, the oxygen – which is extracted at great expense from the ambient air and would be required for combustion – is no longer needed, making its delivery unnecessary and thus saving additional CO₂ emissions from road transport.
“With the successful commissioning, we have taken another important step towards climate-friendly photomask production. Environmental sustainability is not achieved solely in the cleanroom, but equally in a factory’s technical infrastructure. Together with DAS Environmental Experts, we are tackling the issue precisely where a significant proportion of emissions originate,” emphasises Thomas Schmidt, General Manager, AMTC Dresden.
Environmental technology as a pioneer in climate-neutral high-tech manufacturing
For DAS Environmental Experts, the project confirms the role that waste gas treatment plays on the path towards climate-neutral semiconductor manufacturing. The company brings decades of experience in the treatment of complex process waste gases and in the development of technologies for the semiconductor industry. DAS Environmental Experts therefore supports semiconductor manufacturers not only in the safe treatment of waste gases, but also in the sustainable further development of their production infrastructure.
This is no longer simply a matter of safely treating waste gases. With the targeted reduction of climate-relevant emissions, waste gas treatment is becoming a key component of more climate-friendly high-tech production.
“This successful project demonstrates that environmental technology is now an integral part of the strategic infrastructure of a semiconductor fab and its supply chain. If the industry is to expand production capacity whilst simultaneously meeting its climate targets, these two developments must be considered in tandem. It is precisely at this interface that we bring our technological and process expertise to bear,” says René Reichardt, CEO of DAS Environmental Experts.
A signal for Europe’s semiconductor industry and beyond
Photomasks are an indispensable tool in the manufacture of modern chips and are therefore part of a strategically important value chain. As Europe strengthens its semiconductor capacity, the environmental impact of production is becoming increasingly important, alongside security of supply and technological capability. For Europe, efficient yet climate-friendly production is therefore one of the prerequisites for strengthening its own semiconductor value chain in the long term.
AMTC is addressing precisely this issue with its modernised waste gas treatment system: in collaboration with DAS Environmental Experts, decarbonisation is already being put into practice in the subfab. The experience gained is laying the foundations for further applications and making the project a benchmark for the transformation of the semiconductor industry.
