Eco-design methodologies for microelectronic devices
Abstract
Eco-design represents a natural process for industries wishing to fulfil their role in safeguarding environment and resources. The constraint linked to impacts becomes a decisive factor which can be systematically integrated in the early stages of products development. Because of chips specificities, both in structure and complexity of design process, microelectronic industry has been up to now out of advanced considerations related to chips environnemental performances. Our target was to define an eco-design methodology dedicated to microelectronic sector including the identification of methods, tools and indicators which have the highest chance to be deployed in R&D departments. The strategy aims to increase designers' environmental consciousness and drive them to explore innovative opportunities that can positively impact the environment during design phase. Our methodology relies on a platform integrating three tools, each one of them dedicated to a part of chip design. Environmental analysis is based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In the preliminary stages of design, knowledge on product (structure, properties and performances) is limited so the evaluation is assessed using "Quick LCA": it consists in predicting the environmental footprint of an under-development product thanks to adaptive mechanism based on the evaluation of previous generations. In addition to technical solutions, an optimized integration of an innovative process such as eco-design requires organizational changes into the company: a proposal for internal design process modification was done including recommendations for integration of a product-oriented management system.
PhD Student: Aurélie VILLARD Grenoble University, 2010 Director: Daniel BRISSAUD
How to help designers to consider the environmental impacts of a micro-chip over its full life cycle soon the earlier stages of design?
Methodologies:
Eco-design as an approach to design chips by considering the impacts of design decisions
Models are developed to link design parameters to their environmental attributes, in collaboration with R&D teams
=> Life Cycle Assessment method is a decision-making method which gives indication for supporting the choice of a design option regarding a large spectrum of impacts.
Results:
Get for each microelectronic designer a set of eco-design tools that is suitable for his needs.