Environment

Energy loss in pipes was eliminated by designing gradual slopes in the on-site piping to conserve the inertia of fluid flowing inside.

Maintaining quality in cleanrooms used in semiconductor production requires strict control of temperature and humidity, and much energy is consumed by air conditioning systems. To reuse waste heat (extra energy) generated by production equipment as energy for this system, Nagasaki Technology Center installed waste heat recovery equipment. A two-fluid humidification system was also installed, which releases mist (from water and compressed air) to humidify and cool the room. These measures save considerable energy in cleanrooms.

Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation installed solar power equipment (Hereinafter, equipment) with a generation capacity of approximately 1.1 MW on the roof of Kumamoto Technology Center Building No.1 with the aim of reducing environmental impact. The equipment began operating since March 2019. In March 2022, we installed a 1.8 MW facility on the roof of Building No.2, which has a generating capacity approximately 1.6 times that of Building No.1, and started operation. The equipment in Buildings No.1 and No.2 together generate approximately 3,300 MWh of electricity annually (equivalent to the annual power consumption of approximately 700 households), which is used to power the office building and to air-condition the clean room. In the future, considering introducing it to Nagasaki Technology Center and Oita Technology Center.

From left: Building No.2, Building No.1

Cool Biz and Warm Biz attire is worn at all technology centers in summer and winter months (June–September and December–March). Air conditioners are set at the optimum temperature. Moreover, all employees do their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even through “simple measures” such as turning off unneeded lights or idle computers, planning days without overtime, or using an automotive start-stop system when commuting.

There is some resistance in the industry to reducing the amount of pure water used by wafer washing equipment, which poses a risk of lower yields. Despite this, a thorough review of consumption at Kagoshima Technological Center revealed that water was constantly flowing in some pipes, even when not needed. After careful review to avoid any impact on quality, the constant flow of water was stopped, which has reduced annual consumption by nearly 11,000 cubic meters.

Water from washing processes is reused after treatment. Recovery is controlled by a timer at Nagasaki Technology Center, and by determining an optimal timer setting value, the plant succeeded in recovering more wastewater.

Containers from semiconductor mask (reticle) purchases consist of corrugated cardboard, cushioning, and other material. These boxes were generally processed as waste, but treating them as reusable shipping containers has eliminated 50,000 tons of waste annually.

Closer examination of wastewater containing fluorine from production at Nagasaki Technology Center revealed lower fluorine levels than expected, which indicated that fluorine treatment was not necessary. Since the amount of sludge generated from fluorine treatment is proportional to the amount of chemicals added to the wastewater, gradual rerouting of low-fluorine lines from the fluorine treatment path to the final neutralization tank reduced the amount of chemicals added and, as a result, the amount of sludge generated. This has enabled a reduction of nearly 2.7 million tons of waste each year.

Use of calcium hydroxide as an additive in dye dryers in the drying process at Kagoshima Technology Center led to scaling and other factors that had reduced processing performance significantly and increased waste. Switching to a new additive with both drying and descaling properties enabled the center to restore and maintain the original level of performance, greatly eliminate the need for equipment maintenance and new installation, and reduce annual waste by about 190 tons.

The water quality of rain is monitored as it flows off-site. Detection of environmentally hazardous levels of substances immediately closes a rainwater discharge valve. The water is discharged only after complete detoxification.

Instead of being buried, all on-site wastewater tanks and pipes are above ground and readily apparent. Any damage to pipes can be found quickly, enabling prevention of soil contamination.

To prevent soil contamination, or mixing with other chemicals in case of spills from tanks or delivery trucks, chemical handling areas are surrounded by ditches and embankments.

Waste tanks are designed to provide underground access for inspection from below. This enables leak inspection from all sides.

In the event that an incident of soil or groundwater contamination is identified in a Voluntary check or other assessment, remediation processes are implemented in compliance with pertinent local laws and ordinances.

Kumamoto Technology Center faithfully replenishes the large amounts of abundant local groundwater used in semiconductor production. This groundwater recharge program began in 2003 with cooperation from the nonprofit Kumamoto Environmental Network, the Midori Network land improvement organization, and many participating local farmers in Kikuyo and Ozu. In fiscal 2023, approximately 3.57 million m³ water usage was recharged.

Rice planting and harvesting in Sony partner fields
To raise environmental awareness, each year Sony employees join in planting and harvesting some fields in the groundwater recharge program. Harvested rice is served in the employee cafeteria.

Located within Setonaikai National Park, the Kunisaki Satellite of Oita Technology Center has been involved in greening since it opened in 1984. A focus of these activities is local biodiversity. "Shionoka Park" opened in 2003. Maintaining this barrier-free park, creating trails, and sharing it with the public demonstrates the plant’s commitment to good rapport with the local community. These activities have been consecutively recognized in the Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System (SEGES) since 2007. Furthermore, continuous activities were certified as “Green Legacy”, which is the highest rank of SEGES in April, 2019.

Miyakozawa, in the city of Tsuruoka near the Yamagata Technology Center, is the only wetland area in the prefecture to be registered under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty on wetland conservation. Recent years have seen more non-native species here and fewer native ones as species change over time, which has raised some concern. In response, Yamagata Technology Center has assisted the city since 2015 in conservation aimed at protecting native species such as killifish from red swamp crayfish and other invasive species.

Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation is working to support a rich ecosystem in ocean areas with conservation efforts for the coral native to Takashima Beach, located on Takashima Island off the coast of southern Nagasaki. Working together with the community revitalization group Yattarou-de Takashima and Associate Professor Yukio Koibuchi of the University of Tokyo,* who developed a coral nursery device, as well as MM Bridge Co., Ltd., The Nippon Corrosion Engineering Co., Ltd., and CP Farm Co., Ltd., in 2019, we manufactured two coral nursery units. We installed them on the seafloor of Takashima Beach to monitor how they promote coral growth. The coral has grown large, and it supports the local ocean ecosystem as the home and breeding grounds for a variety of organisms and as a source of nutrients.

In March of 2020, the project received the Partnership Award at the 15th Ecotourism Awards co-hosted by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and the Japan Ecotourism Society.

*) Currently serving concurrently as a member of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology and as a professor of the Chuo University Research and Development Organization

Plant tours are held for local government administrators, community members, and students at nearby elementary schools by Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing. At cleanup activities, employees and their families volunteer along with members of partner companies.

Kagoshima Technology Center has supported flower planting in Hayato and Kirishima since 1993. Sponsorship funds are used for flower beds at community centers, among other sites.

Since 2000, this Center and another ISO 14001-certified enterprise in the area have taken the initiative in organizing exchanges with the community on environmental topics. These events include joint collection of small volumes of certain waste (such as fluorescent lights and batteries), exchanging information on environmental activities and holding workshops with other companies, and giving hands-on lessons at local elementary schools to kindle an interest in environmental issues among students who will one day be responsible.

For some time, Nagasaki Technology Center employees have supported a local citizen’s group committed to keeping the Honmyo River clean. Employees have also formed their own group to pick up trash along the river. Since 2014, employees interested in botanical observation have also invited experts from a nature conservation association in Isahaya to learn about wild hops, morning glories, and other riverside plants.

Sony introduced the Green Partner Environmental Quality Approval Program in 2002. This program outlines Sony’s Green Partner Standards for chemical substance management. Sony audits suppliers based on these standards.
Sony purchases parts only from suppliers who have passed this audit and have been certified as Green Partners.

Sony also applies the Green Partner Environmental Quality Approval Program to manufacturing partners.
To further enhance the efficiency of the system to manage chemical substances, Sony also supplies our primary suppliers with a List of Specified Raw Material Suppliers (a list of recycled resin and, coated wire suppliers list) through our electronic procurement system.

New parts and materials are tested to confirm whether they comply with SS-00259 based on collected chemSHERPA data, in addition to conventional quality control standards. By implementing these strict management procedures worldwide, incompliant products are prevented from entering the market.

To prevent prohibited substances from accidentally entering products, Sony requires suppliers to conduct precision analysis (10 substances) on the specific parts and raw materials. For some high-risk substances Sony has also implemented internal control systems that involve using, for example, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and other measurement devices, to Sony sites worldwide, to help confirm that prohibited substances are kept out of products.

Examples of Environmental Features in Sony Products(usage of recycled materials)
Leading the development of recycled plastics SORPLAS™
https://www.sony-asia.com/electronics/sorplas-recycled-plastic

We've reduced our use of non-renewable resources by developing SORPLAS™, a recycled plastic that offers both sustainability, and high performance, making it ideal for our new products.

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