Semiconductor manufacturing relies heavily on wet processing steps that generate complex wastewater streams containing dissolved metals, oxidizers, and high-value chemicals. These streams are typically treated through neutralization and disposal, creating significant operating costs while also discarding materials that retain economic value. As new fabs are designed and built to support the rapid growth of advanced electronics and AI infrastructure, there is a growing opportunity to rethink wastewater management as a resource recovery challenge rather than a purely compliance-driven activity.

This presentation highlights practical approaches to improve both the economics and sustainability of semiconductor wastewater treatment through targeted recovery and selective chemical transformation. First, electrochemical metal recovery enables the selective removal and recovery of copper from both dilute and concentrated waste streams. Copper is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing and frequently appears in rinse waters and spent process solutions. Rather than sending these streams to ion-exchange, or precipitation and sludge disposal, electrochemical recovery can capture copper directly as a solid metal, reducing hazardous byproducts while recovering a valuable material.

Second, catalytic media can be used to rapidly decompose hydrogen peroxide present in acid-peroxide mixtures commonly used in semiconductor cleaning and etching processes. By selectively decomposing peroxide in a chemical-free process, these systems enable the recovery and reuse of the underlying acids that would otherwise be discarded. This approach not only reduces chemical consumption but also lowers wastewater treatment load and associated operating costs.

Together, electrochemical recovery and catalytic peroxide destruction provide a practical pathway toward more circular chemical management within semiconductor manufacturing. These solutions can be integrated into existing treatment infrastructure and applied to a range of wet processing streams. The result is a wastewater strategy that simultaneously reduces environmental impact, lowers operating costs, and improves resource efficiency while supporting the continued scaling of semiconductor production.