TIPO releases Patent Trends on Wastewater Treatment and Recycling Technologies in Semiconductor Industry report to assist in green transformation

　The water supply strategies and water treatment technologies for high–tech industry are receiving increasing attention. In view of the domestic semiconductor industry’s dedication to the research and development of wastewater recycling and water resource regeneration technologies for the purpose of water resource management, TIPO released the “Patent Trends on Wastewater Treatment and Recycling Technologies in Semiconductor Industry” report on September 25, 2024, which explores the key technologies and patent trends for the semiconductor wastewater treatment and serves as significant reference for the industry to achieve green transformation, circular economy, ESG development, and the 2050 net-zero emissions goal.  

　According to the TIPO, the global semiconductor industry has made significant advancement in the field of sustainable water resource development through wastewater recycling and water resource regeneration technologies.  As the leading manufacturer of semiconductor components around the world, Taiwan has well-established industrial chains and technological foundation, with relevant R&D achievements on par with those developed by the advanced countries, such as, the U.S, Japan, and Europe.  In addition, Taiwan’s academic research institutions (for example, ITRI) and semiconductor-related companies (for example, TSMC and Mega Union Technology) have been actively engaged in the research and development of wastewater recycling and water resource regeneration technologies.  These efforts not only decrease the dependence on natural water resources but also create economic benefits and further drive the development of circular economy.  

　The report highlighted the trend of patent filings by global semiconductor industry for “wastewater recycling and water resource regeneration”, which surged and then stably developed for the past sixty years.  The trend can be roughly divided into five phases when the development initiated (in 1970~1997), and then took off (in 1997~2011), and slowed down and slightly declined (in 2012~2014), and further recovered and rebounded (in 2015~2018), and recently matured and stabilized (2019~2023).  

　In industrial aspect, as every country’s industrial structures are different, in advanced countries, like Europe, the U.S., and Japan, there are long-established large companies that engage in manufacturing electric appliances, water purification equipment, or relevant materials and have made R&D investment early in around 1970, while research institutions or small-scale companies in these countries are relatively less common.  Among the top 20 global patent applicants, Japanese applicants accounted for 60% of all filings and they are large-scale famous multinational corporations whose filing numbers still remain outstanding.  On the contrary, China started late to engaged in this field of patent applications (around 1997), but small and startup companies in China emerged rapidly after 2005 as a result of national policies and incentives, and therefore, China outpaced its competitors in the number of patent filings for relevant technologies.  

　It is noteworthy that Taiwan, as the major semiconductor manufacturer, has robust and complete supply chains and a prominent corporate culture.  Also due to the increasing weight placed on the issues of ESG, sustainable development and circular economy, the leading semiconductor manufacturers in Taiwan have engaged in the implementation of waste recycling, regeneration, and reuse or the development of relevant technologies, with wastewater recycling and water resource regeneration being key focus areas.  That is to say, Taiwan’s development is mainly led by leading semiconductor manufacturers, and their collaboration with domestic companies or academic research institutions also achieves commendable results.  

　The report concluded by analyzing the key technologies in semiconductor wastewater treatment, pointing out that these technologies usually rely on a combination of methods, instead of one single technique to achieve wastewater treatment and water resource regeneration.  These technologies can be roughly categorized into physical, chemical, and biological processes in terms of the reaction types.  Physical and chemical treatment processes have been developed earlier, and therefore, there have been relatively more institutions involved or patent filings.  Currently, the mainstream treatment processes are reverse osmosis, micro/ultra/nano-filtration and advanced oxidation, coagulation-precipitation, or ion exchange process.    Biological treatment process utilizes the characteristics of microorganisms to degrade pollutants in wastewater and convert them into harmless substances, making large-scale and low-cost treatment feasible.  Hence, this process, primarily through activated sludge processes or membrane bioreactor, offers significant economic value and becomes one of primary developments by worldwide industries.  Moreover, future advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and in its applications will enhance the importance of the control, monitoring, and detection treatment systems, which will further lead to the increase in patent filings and deserve ongoing attention.  

　With the international market’s continued rising demand for semiconductor products, enterprises should boost their competitiveness through green technology innovation to realize the 2050 net-zero transformation while fulfilling their sustainable development.  (Released 2024.09.25)  
/CCS