ElectraMet is pleased to announce that its collaborative research paper, “Integrated Electrochemical Technology for Efficient Metal Recovery in Semiconductor Wastewater,” has received an Honorable Mention for the 2025 Best Paper Award from IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing.
The recognition was awarded to ElectraMet contributors Cameron A. Lippert (Chief Innovation Officer), James R. Landon (Chief Technology Officer), and Alan M. Rassoolkhani (R&D Manager), alongside academic collaborator Jason Keleher of Lewis University. The paper was published in Volume 38, Issue 3 (August 2025) of the journal.
Addressing the Reality of Semiconductor Wastewater
As semiconductor manufacturing continues to scale in both complexity and output, the wastewater generated from these processes is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Streams produced by chemical-mechanical planarization, wet etching, and electroplating often contain elevated copper concentrations, oxidizers such as hydrogen peroxide, and a range of additives that complicate treatment.
These conditions create a persistent gap between what conventional systems can reliably handle and what facilities are required to achieve for discharge compliance. In many cases, that gap is managed through offsite hauling or multi-step treatment approaches that remove copper without recovering it, resulting in both material loss and increased operational burden.
A Different Approach to Recovery and Compliance
The research explores a High Efficiency Selective Electrochemical Cell (HESEC) designed to operate across a wide range of semiconductor wastewater streams. Rather than treating recovery and compliance as separate challenges, the system integrates both within a single process.
Experimental results demonstrate that copper can be removed to discharge-compliant levels while also being recovered as a high-purity metal product. This dual capability is particularly relevant in environments where wastewater composition varies significantly, and where traditional approaches struggle to maintain stability or efficiency.
From Treatment to Resource Management
One of the more significant implications of the work is the shift it represents in how wastewater is approached within semiconductor facilities. Instead of centralized treatment after streams have mixed and diluted, the research supports a model of more localized, point-source intervention.
Treating streams closer to where they are generated allows for greater control over chemistry, reduces system complexity, and creates the conditions needed for meaningful material recovery. In this context, copper is no longer treated solely as a contaminant to be removed, but as a resource that can be captured and returned to use.
Collaboration and Continued Research
This recognition reflects a broader collaboration between ElectraMet and academic partners, combining applied system design with fundamental electrochemical research. The work contributes to ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency and sustainability of semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Future research will continue to expand on these findings, including work on evolving slurry chemistries, oxidant management, and opportunities for reuse within semiconductor operations.
Read the Paper
The full publication is available here:
