The Global Single Wafer Cleaning Equipment Market Report (2025-2031) notes that environmental performance is becoming a key driver for semiconductor fabrication investments and partnerships.
As the world accelerates toward decarbonization, AI & 5G, semiconductor fabs face a paradox — enabling sustainability while operating one of the most resource-intensive industrial ecosystems on the planet.
India’s semiconductor mission has built momentum. Yet with only one mega-fab under development — versus China’s 44 and the US’s 15 — India has a unique opportunity. Pivot to Green: Build at capacity and responsibly.
FM’s involvement, therefore, becomes integral to India’s green chip production.
Everything you need to know about contaminants in electronics manufacturing
Why is FM central to India’s Semiconductor fabs?
India’s ambition to cover 8-10% of the global market by 2030, needs a multifaceted sustainability approach. FM’s importance shifts from just cleanroom maintenance, to managing entire ecosystems at scale
The resource, machine & manpower ecosystems need:
- Circular Economy practices
- Renewable Energy base
- Asset Management & Cleaning innovation
- Security & Disaster-response protocols
What do sustainable practices look like on production floors?
WATER USAGE:
For fabs, water risk is a financial risk.
It is not about how much water you draw, but how clean you keep it through the cycles.
FM plays a critical role across all four water-cycle stages:
- Withdrawal: Reducing evaporation and pre-treatment loads with strict temp control, particle control and sanitation.
- Consumption: Monitor particle levels and reduce contaminant load before discharge.
- Reuse: Segregate spent drains for circular process integration (recirculate to UPWs, valuable resource recovery & byproduct sidestreams).
- Recycle: Implementing ZLD to achieve upto ~84% recycling by routing effluent into 20+ categories.
Ensuring quality, contamination control, uptime, and reuse performance, makes water net positivity achievable.
ENERGY:
The many options available for limiting energy consumption in fabs are:
- Tool Related: Upgrading to energy-efficient tools and integrating smart control systems.
- Facility Related: Renewable energy and exclusive sources.
For instance, integration of digital twins and BIM can help fabs test and discover more energy efficiency pathways.
A landmark Los Angeles-fab study shows HVAC + cleanroom airflow alone can consume ~60% of fab electricity — meaning FM decisions directly shape power efficiency and emissions.
Beyond Water & Energy — FM Priorities in Sustainable Fabs:
- Air & contamination control
- Chemicals & gas safety
- Equipment lifecycle efficiency
- Digital facility control (BMS, IoT, digital twins, SCADA)
- On-site pilot sustainability programs
- Security & contingency systems
READ: Indian Electronics Industry Staging a Sustainable Shift
Other Semiconductor Cleaning Device Market Trends
- Miniaturized Device Cleaning Needs
As device geometries shrink and 3D architectures expand, contamination tolerance drops dramatically. FM-driven cleanliness and chemical management become mission-critical to meet next-node purity standards. - Single-Wafer Cleaning Momentum
According to the latest QY Research report, single-wafer tools are gaining share due to:
- Lower chemical footprint
- 30–40% water savings vs batch systems
- Higher yield and cleaner process control
- Emerging Cleaning Innovations
- Megasonic & cryogenic methods for 3D NAND / FinFET
- Supercritical CO₂ dry cleaning as a low-waste alternative for photoresist removal
The FM Playbook for Smart, Sustainable, Secure Fabs
Remote facility management platforms, AI-enabled predictive maintenance, digital twins, and closed-loop resource systems will define the fabs that lead globally.
FM’s value equation:
Operational uptime + Resource efficiency + Contamination integrity + Risk resilience
India’s semiconductor rise will depend significantly on FM-savvy infrastructure — prepared for green compliance, business continuity, and zero-defect expectations.