Journal article
Evaluating the Impact of Emerging Contaminants on Membrane Performance in Ultrapure-Water Production for Semiconductor Manufacturing: A PRISMA-Directed Meta-Analysis
IEEE transactions on semiconductor manufacturing, v 39(2), pp 358-368
01 May 2026
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Ultrapure water (UPW) is indispensable in semiconductor manufacturing, where it serves as the foundational input for wafer cleaning, chemical dilution, and rinsing steps. As device geometries shrink below 5 nm, even parts-per-trillion (ppt) levels of contaminants can compromise yield, reliability, and compliance with industry standards such as SEMI F63 and ASTM D5127. Emerging contaminants (ECs) including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) organics, and micro/nanoplastics pose new challenges for membrane-based UPW treatment systems, especially under evolving regulations like the EPA PFAS Rule (2024). This PRISMA-guided meta-analysis evaluates 31 peer-reviewed studies (2002-2025) to quantify how reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes perform under EC exposure. RO consistently achieved >99% rejection for long-chain PFAS and PPCPs but showed lower efficacy (93.8-99.2%) for short-chain compounds. NF demonstrated variable rejection (86-98%) depending on compound characteristics but offered energy savings in suitable contexts. UF was effective for microplastics but suffered significant flux decline (15-45%) with CMP-related organics. These findings offer critical, data-driven insights for semiconductor facilities seeking to maintain compliance, reduce operating costs, and optimize yield amid stricter water quality demands.
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Details
- Title
- Evaluating the Impact of Emerging Contaminants on Membrane Performance in Ultrapure-Water Production for Semiconductor Manufacturing: A PRISMA-Directed Meta-Analysis
- Creators
- Hafiz Usama Tanveer - Georgia Southwestern State UniversityHasham Tanveer - Drexel Univ, Coll Comp & Informat, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USASheeza Fatima - Purdue University West LafayetteRai Faisal Aslam - St. Cloud State UniversityHamza Tanveer - Georgia Southwestern State UniversityMuhammad Hashier Muneeb Farrukh - St. Cloud State University
- Publication Details
- IEEE transactions on semiconductor manufacturing, v 39(2), pp 358-368
- Publisher
- IEEE
- Number of pages
- 11
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Computer and Information Sciences
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001767771100003
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105028559182
- Other Identifier
- 991022193393104721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Source: SDGs in the Output
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
- Engineering, Manufacturing
- Physics, Applied
- Physics, Condensed Matter