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Texas Instruments has been playing the ‘green’ initiative a little too long now, in regard to its hyper-environmental-energy efficient 300mm fab known as R1. When the fab was built, I fully supported the hype surrounding its light sensors, grated windows, reflective roof and fish pond etc… but the story keeps coming back again and again about how great the achievements have been and what a model it is to the semiconductor industry! 

Stop right there, do not move!

Now listen.

R1 is the most environmentally friendly fab on the whole planet. The simple reason for this is that it isn’t being used!

NADA!

Other than showing people around the bare office area to naturally marvel at the light sensors and grated windows, the fab is unpopulated, closed, shuttered, out of operation and almost totally useless to the green cause in the semiconductor industry until the thing is actually in operation.

Of course what makes R1 even more ridiculous is that TI has no need for the fab now, perhaps potentially sometime way in the future, but most people I talk to believe the chances of it ever being used are remote.

ISMI did the right thing this year and didn’t let TI present papers on R1 but SEMI has yet to learn. Please, for the sake of humanity, can we stop this nonsense?!

The reason for the rant can be viewed here.

Caption: In an effort to conserve water, TI installed waterless urinals at R1 as shown below.