Inside Micron Taiwan’s Semiconductor Factory | Taiwan’s Mega Factories EP1

Summary

这段视频脚本介绍了位于台湾的世界最清洁的半导体工厂，它位于人类成就的前沿，是技术与未来的交汇点。工厂不断在创新，因为不创新就无法在这个行业生存。工厂使用硅材料，将数十亿的电路和晶体管堆叠在一起，并且目标是在不断缩小的芯片上增加更多晶体管。台湾在芯片制造方面表现突出，拥有丰富的经验和地理位置优势，在全球代工服务市场中占有近70%的份额，在先进制造工艺中占有90%以上，在组装和测试方面也处于全球领先地位。Micron Technology是台湾最大的半导体制造商之一，其在台湾的工厂规模巨大，生产过程从研发到销售都在工厂内完成。工厂的自动化程度高，操作人员的角色已从体力劳动转变为基于知识和决策的角色。工厂在环保方面也做出了努力，如安装了世界上第一个化学浓缩系统，回收利用废弃的异丙醇，并且通过智能处理系统回收了近80%的水资源。此外，工厂还采用了绿色墙面和可再生能源，以减少对环境的影响。整个生产过程体现了艺术与科学的精妙结合，是人类文明快速发展的重要推动力。

Takeaways

• 🏭 这家工厂可能是世界上清洁度最高的工厂，代表着人类成就的前沿，技术与未来的交汇点。
• 🚀 工厂不断在发展，创新是生存的关键，否则就会落后于行业。
• 🔬 硅是制造微芯片的基础材料，通过在硅片上叠加数十亿的电路和晶体管来实现使命。
• 🌐 在一个依赖计算能力的世界里，未来正是在这些超级工厂内部被创造出来的。
• 💧 工厂在周一上午达到水和电使用的高峰，任何故障都可能导致灾难性的后果。
• 🌟 工厂的控制中心被称为'星舰'，是整个工厂操作的大脑，控制着所有设施的电力系统、水系统、空调和化学管理。
• 📈 半导体制造涉及超过一千个步骤，其中任何一个步骤的中断都相当于整个工作流程的停止，重启将是一个挑战。
• 💰 生产中断可能会导致数百万美元的损失，能源中心在保障这个半导体巨头的命脉中起着至关重要的作用。
• 📊 芯片上放置的大量晶体管，这些所谓的开关，是所有计算的基本组成部分，晶体管数量越多，可能进行的计算就越复杂。
• 🏞️ 台湾在芯片制造方面表现突出，拥有丰富的经验和地理优势，几乎占据了全球代工服务市场70%的份额。
• 🌿 工厂通过安装世界上第一个化学浓缩系统，将废弃的异丙醇转化为可再利用的原材料，减少了对环境的负担。

Q & A

这个工厂为什么被称为世界上最干净的工厂？

这个工厂采用了尖端技术，不断进行创新，并且在半导体制造过程中对环境和资源的保护做出了巨大努力，包括安装了世界上第一个化学浓度系统来回收利用废弃的异丙醇，以及通过智能处理系统回收近80%的用水，因此被称为世界上最干净的工厂。

为什么在半导体制造行业中创新是至关重要的？

在半导体制造行业中，创新是生存和发展的关键。如果不进行创新，就无法在技术快速发展和竞争激烈的行业中保持竞争力。此外，半导体技术的进步对整个计算和电子行业具有基础性的影响。

硅在半导体制造中扮演什么角色？

硅是制造微芯片的基础材料，它有时可以导电，有时则不导电，这取决于如何施加微小的电压，因此被称为半导体。在半导体制造中，硅被用来制造数以亿计的电路和晶体管。

台湾在全球半导体生产中占据什么地位？

台湾在全球半导体生产中占据领导地位，拥有近70%的全球代工市场份额，超过90%的先进制造工艺市场份额，并且在组装和测试方面也处于全球领先地位。台湾是全球最重要的半导体生产地。

Micron Technology 在台湾的制造规模有多大？

Micron Technology 在台湾的制造规模非常庞大，拥有25%的员工在台湾工作，生产了Micron 65%的DRAM，并且在全球市场的份额超过10%。台湾的工厂占地面积达100万平方米，相当于140个足球场的大小。

半导体制造过程中的设计阶段包括哪些内容？

半导体制造过程中的设计阶段包括开发集成电路的架构，类似于建造摩天大楼时的建筑设计。设计阶段需要将数十亿个晶体管合理地布局在每个微小的芯片上。

如何确保半导体制造过程中的洁净度？

为了确保半导体制造过程中的洁净度，工作人员需要穿上特制的防尘服（俗称兔装），并通过一个特殊的“淋浴”过程，使用过滤空气清除任何可能的污染物。此外，生产区域的清洁度是医院手术室的一百倍。

半导体制造中使用的光刻机的工作原理是什么？

光刻机的工作原理类似于暗房中的照相印刷过程，但使用的是价值数百万美元的机器，并且具有极高的精确度。在机器内部，硅片暴露于紫外线下，通过带有设计图案的掩模（类似于胶片底片）投影，光学地将电路设计印刷到硅片上，使暴露区域固化，而未暴露区域则被蚀刻掉。

自动化在半导体制造中扮演什么角色？

自动化在半导体制造中扮演着至关重要的角色，它可以减少人为污染的可能性，提高生产效率。通过自动化系统，机器可以自动搬运硅片，优化交付效率，并且允许单个操作员远程监控和操作更多的机器。

芯片制造完成后的最终挑战是什么？

芯片制造完成后的最终挑战是将它们转化为可用的组件。这包括使用钻石刀片将硅片上的多个芯片分离，然后将单个芯片放置到电路板上，并通过精密机器用细金线进行连接。

这个工厂如何减少对环境的影响？

这个工厂通过安装世界上第一个化学浓度系统来回收利用废弃的异丙醇，回收近80%的用水，采用垂直绿化方法在工厂墙壁上种植植被，创建绿色带，以及使用可再生能源来减少能源消耗，从而减少对环境的影响。

Outlines

00:00

🏭 世界最清洁的工厂：半导体制造的未来

本段介绍了一个处于人类成就前沿的工厂，这里不断进行技术创新，以硅为基础材料，制造出数十亿的电路和晶体管。工厂的使命是不断缩小芯片尺寸的同时增加晶体管数量。工厂内部有一个控制中心，类似于星舰的舰桥，由Rex Lai负责，确保所有系统如电力、水、空调和化学管理的稳定运行。半导体制造涉及超过一千个步骤，任何一步的中断都可能导致整个工作流程停止，重启过程非常具有挑战性，并且可能导致数百万美元的损失。硅是制造微芯片的关键物质，根据电压的应用，它可以导电或不导电，因此被称为半导体。晶体管作为开关，是数字系统中的基本组件，而芯片实际上是由数十亿个开关组成的。台湾在芯片制造方面表现突出，拥有丰富的经验和地理优势，在全球代工服务市场中占有近70%的份额，先进制造工艺超过90%，并在组装和测试方面处于全球领先地位。

05:05

🌟 台湾半导体产业的全球领先地位

台湾拥有从北到南的三个科学园区，形成了密集的芯片生产设施集群，成为世界上最重要的半导体生产地。台湾是全球唯一同时生产最先进逻辑产品和存储器的地区，其中TSMC生产领先的逻辑产品，Micron生产领先的存储器。Micron Technology是台湾最大的半导体制造商之一，公司在美国成立，但在台湾拥有庞大的工厂，是台湾成为半导体生产领先地区的原因之一。Micron在台湾的生产规模巨大，25%的员工在台湾工作，生产了65%的Micron DRAM，全球市场份额超过10%。工厂占地10万平方米，相当于140个足球场，从研发到制造、组装、测试直至销售的整个过程都在此完成。工程师Zhong Lian Bin拥有三十年的半导体工程经验，他注重细节，强调精确性。半导体制造涉及1000多个步骤，设计阶段是将数十亿个晶体管集成到每个微小芯片上的任务，设计类似于建造摩天大楼。设计完成后，进入制造阶段，也就是所谓的Fab。进入Fab之前，需要穿戴专门的防尘服，以防止灰尘、头发和皮肤碎屑污染无尘室。

10:07

🛠️ 超净生产环境与先进设备

在进入超净生产区之前，工作人员需要经过一个特殊的“淋浴”，通过数十个通风口喷射过滤空气，去除任何微小颗粒。生产线的清洁度是医院手术室的一百倍。制造过程始于一个完美的、干净的12英寸硅晶圆，通过高速旋转并使用紫外线敏感液体进行涂层，然后进入光刻机。光刻机类似于暗房中的相片打印过程，但其精度和成本都极高。60年前，晶体管的大小肉眼可见，而今天，晶体管的大小缩小到了几乎比人的头发小10000倍，这需要巨大的创新。在机器内部，晶圆暴露于紫外线下，通过带有设计图案的掩模投影，类似于胶片底片，将电路设计光学地打印在晶圆上。这个过程随着电路层的叠加而反复进行。由于电路通道的尺寸仅为几纳米，任何微小的污染都可能破坏整个生产线。为了最小化污染的机会，工厂采用自动化系统，机器在工厂内搬运晶圆，不仅避免了人类的接触，还优化了交付效率。装载机将印刷好的晶圆放入特制容器中，然后通过悬挂在头顶轨道上的小车运输。这些小车覆盖着传感器，可以相互检测并调节速度以防过于接近。工厂内有数千辆这样的小车，每天行驶近400,000公里，相当于绕地球十圈。

15:09

📈 远程监控与自动化生产

尽管工厂有数千台昂贵且可靠的机器，它们仍然需要不断的监控。幸运的是，为了保持无污染，这种监控可以远程完成。一个位于工厂远端的小团队负责这项工作，他们使用超过50,000个传感器和250百万个控制点，每天产生高达30PB的数据流。屏幕上显示了几个关键指标，这些指标来自于大量数据的整合和简化，使每个人都能立即把握当天的生产重点，并识别工厂中的任何当前问题。晶圆测试完成后，芯片制造的80%工作已经完成。但它们现在面临最终挑战，即被转化为可用的组件。每个晶圆上都打印了许多芯片，现在需要将它们分离。这是通过使用钻石刀片切割完成的，这是这里使用的最古老的技术之一。单个芯片被提取并逐个放置在电路板上。接下来，它们需要连接起来，以便它们可以与其他组件通信。精密机器放置细金线以建立连接。硅晶圆本身非常脆弱，任何湿度或腐蚀环境都可能损坏硅芯片。因此，后端工艺将封装硅芯片，以保护其免受任何环境和机械损伤。一旦芯片穿上熟悉的黑色保护外壳，它们就会进行测试，不合格的芯片将被淘汰。然后，所有合格的部件都会用激光标记，以便它们可以被轻松识别。现在它们准备好进入世界并投入使用了。

20:14

🌱 环保与可持续发展

这个非凡的过程无疑改变了世界，并且随着其不断完善和发展，将继续这样做。但是，与所有事物一样，它带来的好处是有代价的。随着过程变得更加复杂，所需的水和电力也在增加。在工厂内部，Rex Lai和他的团队正在努力减轻这样一个巨型工厂不可避免地对环境造成的影响。他们安装了世界上第一个化学浓度系统，将废弃的异丙醇(IPA)转化为可再用的原材料。他们还试图用芯片制造过程中使用的其他化学品取得同样的成功。以前浓度为15%的废物会送去焚烧，现在浓度达到80%就可以回收利用。工厂使用的水资源比任何其他资源都多，这里的聪明水处理系统回收了将近80%的使用水，大幅减少了消耗。我们不仅横向考虑问题，还采取了纵向方法。在我们的新工厂，我们已经开始在墙上种植植被，创建绿化带，并产生了18,000平方米的绿色空间，对我们的环境做出了巨大改善。这些绿墙有助于减少维持工厂内部环境所需的能源使用。使用可再生能源节省的电力相当于一个小城镇的用电量。我们只生产芯片，不产生其他任何东西，这意味着我们尽量留下尽可能小的环境足迹。我们看到全球变暖的负面影响，我们需要尽自己的一份力量，我们将继续在台湾这样做。我们是一个小岛，自然资源有限。但是，通过许多非常聪明的人集体努力，我们已经成为世界生产不可或缺的一部分。这当然是值得骄傲的事情。半导体世界是艺术与科学的精妙融合，精度和独创性在复杂的舞蹈中交织在一起。由于不断的创新和全天候的制造，人类文明以光速前进。所以，下次你发送短信、拍照或流式传输视频时，记得这非凡的旅程，一次芯片接一次芯片地推动我们进入未来。

Keywords

💡半导体

半导体是指一类具有电导率介于导体和绝缘体之间的材料，通常在施加一点电压时其导电性能会发生变化。视频中提到，硅是生产微芯片的基本材料，它正是一种半导体。半导体的这种特性使其在微芯片制造中扮演关键角色，用于加工成含有数十亿晶体管的复杂电路，实现数字信息的处理。

💡晶体管

晶体管是微电子学中的一种基础电子组件，主要作用是放大和开关电子信号。在视频中，晶体管被形容为微芯片中的开关，控制着所有数字信号的0和1状态。晶体管的高密度集成使现代电子设备能够执行复杂的计算和处理功能。

💡光刻机

光刻机是用于半导体制造的关键设备，它使用紫外光通过掩模（类似于负片）将电路设计精确地映射到硅晶片上。视频描述了光刻过程的复杂性和精确性，这种技术使得能够在微小的晶片上定义极其细小的图案，对提升晶片性能至关重要。

💡洁净室

洁净室是一个特定的环境，空气质量、温度和湿度都严格控制，以最大限度减少微粒污染。在视频中，为了防止灰尘和微粒污染半导体制造环境，工作人员需要穿戴专门的防尘服装进入洁净室。洁净室的存在是为了保证半导体制造过程中的高品质和减少产品缺陷。

💡创新

创新在半导体行业中是生存和成功的关键。视频中强调，每天都需要有新的创造，否则就会落后。在半导体制造中，不断的技术创新是推动芯片性能提升和加工精度增强的驱动力。

💡智慧型工厂

视频中提到的“星舰”控制室，实际上是工厂的大脑，负责监控和控制整个设施的能源、水系统、空调和化学品管理。这种智能化的控制系统是现代制造业中智慧型工厂的体现，它通过高度自动化和集成的信息系统来优化工厂的运作效率和资源管理。

💡环保

环保在半导体制造业中越来越受到重视。视频中提到，工厂采用创新技术回收利用水资源和化学物质，如将废弃的异丙醇转化为可再利用的原材料，减少环境负担。这反映出半导体工业在追求生产效率的同时，也在努力降低对环境的影响。

Highlights

This factory is described as the world’s cleanest, symbolizing the pinnacle of human technological achievement.

The facility focuses on continuous innovation with a mission to increase the number of circuits and transistors on increasingly smaller chips.

The factory is a crucial part of the global computing landscape, with its operations compared to the command room of a starship.

Rex Lai is portrayed as the captain of this 'Starship', overseeing critical factory operations that ensure constant and reliable supplies.

The factory has over a thousand processes in semiconductor manufacturing, highlighting the complexity and scale of the operation.

A single process halt can cause significant disruptions and financial losses, emphasizing the critical nature of continuous production.

Semiconductor chips from this factory are essential for various technologies, from smartphones to military applications.

Taiwan holds a dominant position in the semiconductor industry, contributing significantly to global market share in various sectors.

The factory spans 1,000,000 square meters, equivalent to 140 football pitches, underscoring the immense scale of operations.

The design and production involve a cleanliness level a hundred times that of a hospital operating room, indicating the precision required in semiconductor manufacturing.

Automation plays a vital role in minimizing human contamination and enhancing efficiency in the factory.

The facility uses advanced technology to reclaim and recycle 80% of the water used, reflecting its commitment to sustainability.

Innovative chemical concentration systems within the factory transform waste into reusable raw materials.

The factory employs state-of-the-art photolithography technology to print intricate circuits onto wafers with extreme precision.

The final product undergoes rigorous testing and is encased to protect against environmental and mechanical damage, ensuring high-quality semiconductor chips.

Transcripts

This could be the world’s cleanest factory.

It’s at the cutting edge of human achievement

where technology meets the future.

And it’s constantly developing.

If you cannot innovate

you will not survive in this industry.

They take silicon, one of the world’s most common materials

and stack billions of circuits and transistors on it.

Their mission – to add billions more

on chips that are always getting smaller.

Everyday you need to do something new.

If not, you are falling behind.

In a world where everything depends on computing power

tomorrow is being created right here

inside this Mega Factory.

Monday morning.

Peak time for water and power usage.

It’s critical.

One glitch could spell disaster on the factory floor.

We jokingly call it the 'Starship.'

Because it looks like the captain's command room inside a starship.

It serves as the brain of our factory operations

controlling the entire facility's power systems

water systems, air conditioning, and chemical management.

Captain of this starship, Rex Lai.

He’s the one with all the responsibility

making sure the supplies are constant, and reliable.

In semiconductor manufacturing

there are actually over a thousand processes.

You can imagine that when one of these processes halts

it's equivalent to the entire workflow coming to a halt

and restarting it afterward is quite a challenging task.

It’s more than challenging.

A break in production can cost millions.

It places this energy center in a crucial role

safeguarding the lifeblood of this semiconductor giant.

At the heart of the process, silicon.

The substance that makes microchips possible.

Sometimes it conducts electricity

sometimes it doesn’t

depending on how a little electrical voltage is applied.

Hence it’s called a “semiconductor.”

In semiconductor manufacturing

we commonly refer to the components as transistors.

Transistors essentially serve as switches

and they can be used in digital systems

where all signals are represented using 0 and 1.

It may seem crazy

but basically a chip is just a lot of switches.

Yet, it's way more complex than it appears.

In integrated circuits a vast number of transistors

these so-called switches

are placed on a single chip.

For example, the chips used in Apple's smartphones

contain hundreds of billions of transistors.

These microscopic switches are the basic components of all computing.

Whatever you want your chip to do

it’s the billions of transistors on board that make it possible.

The more transistors there are

the more complex the computations possible

and the more your device can do.

From communications, computing, medial health

and even military purposes

they are basically the brains of modern electronics.

Taiwan punches above its weight when it comes to creating chips

not least thanks to its long experience

and its geographical location.

Taiwan is extremely strong in the manufacturing sector.

It holds nearly 70% of the global market share in foundry services

over 90% in advanced fabrication processes

and it also leads in assembling and testing at the global level.

Ranged across three science parks from the North

to the central

and down to the South of Taiwan

there’s a dense cluster of facilities built

to serve every stage of chip production.

Taken together, they make Taiwan

the most significant producer of semiconductors in the world.

Taiwan is the only location around the world

that manufactures both the most leading-edge logic products

and also the leading-edge memory.

So the leading-edge logic obviously is produced by TSMC

and the leading-edge memory is by Micron.

At the center of the cluster

is Micron Technology.

one of Taiwan's largest semiconductor manufacturers.

The company was founded in the USA

but it has also made itself a home in Taiwan

with a vast factory performing the bulk of its manufacturing.

It’s been here for nearly 30 years

and is one of the reasons

why the island has become pre-eminent in semiconductor production.

The scale and magnitude of Micron Manufacturing in Taiwan

is just unparalleled.

25% of Micron’s employees work in Taiwan

and we produce 65% of Micron’s DRAM

and worldwide market share is about more than 10%.

So a Mega Fab is yes

but it’s not an overnight work.

This is the factory:

1,000,000 square meters of production

the size of 140 football pitches.

The entire process takes place within these walls

from R&D, through fabrication, assembly and testing

right through to sales.

We have two manufacturing plants

one in Taoyuan Kweishan

the other one right here in Taichung Houli.

I’m not gonna tell you how much it is

but it’s a mega factory.

Zhong Lian Bin has been working

in semiconductor engineering for three decades

He’s a perfectionist

and you have to be.

He prides himself on getting everything right

down to the last detail.

Semiconductor manufacturing today

is involving more than 1000 steps.

We are not talking about just getting one step correct.

We’re talking about getting all thousand over steps correctly lined up

to be able to have functional chips.

The first step is design, a monumental task

given that billions of transistors

have to be fitted onto each tiny chip

Semiconductor design is actually developing the architecture

for integrated circuits.

So design is kind of like building a skyscraper.

Architects and civil engineers will discuss about

the high-level building plan

where to put the utilities, how to lay out the rooms.

Once the design is complete

it’s sent to the fabrication area

otherwise known as the Fab, where it will be made.

Getting in is not a simple process.

There is one enemy that can never be permitted to enter

dust.

Not one particle can be brought in.

It’s called ‘gowning’

but it’s not really a gown that they put on.

They call it a bunny-suit

but despite the funny name

it’s one of the most vital pieces of equipment in the factory.

It’s designed to keep the dust, hairs and skin particles

we shed the whole time

from polluting the pristine factory floor.

Even the furniture in the gowning room

is designed to maximize cleanliness.

It’s all made from stainless steel

right down to the benches and shoe racks.

Once you’re tucked safely inside your bunny-suit

there’s one more stage

before you can finally enter the clean area.

You need to take a special “shower.”

Filtered air is blasted through dozens of vents

removing any particulates that might have made it this far.

This is like half a minute out of one million years.

That’s the amount of the control that we have to

in order for us to be able to have successful wafer fabrications.

The production line is a hundred times cleaner

than any hospital operating room.

But cleanliness is just a precondition.

The work is yet to begin.

The machines here are some of the world’s most sophisticated

without them, the technical advances made in the design rooms

could not be made a reality.

It all starts with a perfect, clean silicon wafer 12 inches across.

It’s spun at high speed.

A few drops of a UV-sensitive liquid are enough

to coat the wafer evenly.

And then it’s into the photolithography machine.

It’s a bit like the way photos used to be printed in a darkroom

but in a machine costing a hundred million dollars

and with the accuracy to match.

60 years ago, a transistor

we were able to see using human’s naked eyes.

Today, the size is in fact like almost 10,000 times smaller

than a human hair.

That’s a huge amount of innovation

especially coming from photolithography

in order for us to print or define

such small patterns onto the wafers.

Inside the machine

the wafer is exposed to UV light

projected through a mask carrying the design

like a film negative.

This light optically prints the circuit design onto the wafer

causing exposed areas to solidify

while unexposed ones are etched away.

This process happens time and time again

as the circuitry is built up in layers.

And with the pathways in the circuits measuring

just a few nanometers

the tiniest bit of contamination

could disrupt the entire production line.

The staff may be in their bunny-suits

but the best way

to keep the chance of contamination to a minimum

is to keep the people out.

To do that

you need to automate whatever you can.

Getting machines to move the wafers about the factory floor

not only keeps humans away from them

but it also optimizes delivery efficiency.

Loading machines take the printed wafers

and place them in specialized containers.

These containers are then hoisted up into little buggies

running along overhead rails.

With all this high-speed traffic

the little vehicles are covered in sensors

so they can detect one another

and regulate their speed if they get too close.

There are thousands of them in this mega factory

and together they travel nearly 400,000km every day

the equivalent of circling the planet ten times.

In the earliest days of semiconductors

wafers were manually loaded onto machines by people.

Nowadays, with remote connections

and automated material handling systems for delivery and retrieval

the number of machines operated by a single person

has increased from 10 to 30 or even more

which was previously impossible.

Altogether, there are thousands of huge machines

on the factory floor.

And as expensive and reliable as they are

they still need constant monitoring.

Fortunately for purposes of keeping out contamination

this can be done remotely.

By a remarkably small crew located at the far end of the factory.

Our factory currently operates with nearly 5000 units

if we count in terms of units.

However on any single shift

we rely on only 70 to 90 colleagues to accomplish this.

So, in the semiconductor industry

the role of people has essentially shifted from manual labor

the role of people has essentially shifted from manual labor

to knowledge-based and logical decision-making.

Wolf Chen is in charge of this crew.

They have to make sure that

the hundred or so processes inside the clean area

are all running to plan.

They have at their disposal over 50,000 sensors

and 250 million control points.

This results in an astonishing flow of data

reaching up to 30 petabytes every single day.

On the screens

you can see several critical key indicators

that come from consolidating and simplifying a mass of data.

This allows everyone

to grasp today's production priorities straight away

and identify any current issues within the factory.

After the wafers have been tested

80% of the chip-making work is done.

But now they meet their final challenge

to be transformed into usable components.

Each wafer has had many chips printed onto it.

Now they have to be separated.

This is done by one of the oldest technologies in use here

cutting with diamond blades.

The individual chips are extracted

and placed one by one onto circuit boards.

Next, they have to be connected up

so that they can communicate with other components.

Fine gold wire makes the connections

placed by yet more precision machines.

A silicon wafer itself is very fragile.

If there’s any humidity, any corrosion in the environment

it could damage the silicon chips.

So the back-end process will encapsulate the silicon chip

so that it’s able to protect against any kind of environmental damage

as well as any kind of mechanical damage.

Once in their familiar black protective casing

these chips are tested.

Any that aren’t up to scratch are weeded out.

Then, all qualified parts are laser-tagged

so they can be readily identified.

Now they’re ready to head out into the world and be put to use.

This extraordinary process has undoubtedly

changed the face of the world

and will continue to do so

as it is refined and continues to develop.

But, as with everything

the benefits it brings come at a cost.

The process is always becoming more complex.

In the past, simpler steps were needed

now they need to be more intricate.

So that means more water and electricity are required

to complete a process.

Back in the starship

where the factory is kept running.

Rex Lai and his team are attempting to mitigate the burden

inevitably placed on the environment

by the demands of such a mega factory.

We've installed the world's first chemical concentration system

within our factory.

Its purpose is to transform discarded isopropyl alcohol (IPA)

into reusable raw materials

making it attractive for buyers.

They’re trying to achieve the same success

with a range of other chemicals used in the chip-making process.

What at 15% concentration

would previously have been sent for incineration

can at 80% head out for recycling.

The factory uses more water than any other resource

a resource that is under increasing pressure worldwide.

Clever treatment systems here at the factory

reclaim nearly 80% of the water used

dramatically reducing consumption.

We don’t just look at things horizontally.

We’re taking a vertical approach too.

So, in our new factory

we've started planting vegetation on the walls

creating green belts

and generating 18,000 square meters of green space

making huge improvements to our environment.

These green walls help reduce the energy used

to maintain the environment within the factory.

And the use of renewable energy

saves the equivalent of the power used by a small town.

We only give out chips and nothing else

which means

we try to leave as small environmental footprint as possible.

You see the downside impact of global warming.

We need to do our part

and we’ll continue to do so in Taiwan as well.

We are on a small island with limited natural resources.

But through the collective effort of a lot of very smart people

we have managed to become essential to world production.

This is certainly something to be proud of.

The world of the semiconductor

an exquisite fusion of art and science

where precision and ingenuity intertwine in an intricate dance.

Thanks to the ceaseless innovation

and round-the-clock manufacturing

within these mega factories

human civilization advances at light speed.

So, the next time you send a text

snap a photo

or stream a video

remember the extraordinary journey

that propels us into the future

one chip at a time.