Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies for Handling Energetic Materials
Amy Theis
SEMI Standard S30-0719, “Safety Guideline For Use Of Energetic Materials In Semiconductor R&D And Manufacturing Processes,” provides guidelines to serve as a minimum set of safety criteria for the procurement, storage, handling, and use of energetic materials in the semiconductor industry. Conformance to these guidelines will help eliminate hazards and control risks when energetic materials are used by implementing industry best practices.
A central provision of this standard is the definition and classification of energetic materials. The standard defines an energetic material as being hazardously exothermic, pyrophoric, water reactive, or a material that reacts with air or water to form a product with one of those properties. S30-0719 sets thresholds for when these classifications apply, providing guidance for applying appropriate controls and mitigation strategies by chemical process suppliers, chemical users and equipment manufacturers.
This presentation will provide an overview of the SEMI standard, review the energetic material classification process, and identify typical engineering controls and administrative controls commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing and research environments. Several case study examples will be provided to demonstrate practical application of the standard.