Approximately 680,000 tons. This is the amount of carbon emissions that can be reduced by the Samsung semiconductor products certified for reducing CO₂. This is equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed and stored by approximately 11.3 million trees. What kind of path is Samsung Semiconductor taking, in order to quietly protect us like trees do, and to have a positive impact on the environment?
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method used to collectively evaluate a product’s environmental impact through its’ entire life cycle from its raw materials extraction stage to production, application and disposal of a product. However, adopting the methods on semiconductor has been a continuing challenge as it requires numerous raw material, hundreds of complicated manufacturing processes and thousands of application. However, after strenuous studies and research, Samsung Semiconductor came up with a comprehensive way to accounts the vast amount of necessary data to measure carbon emitted throughout semiconductor’s lifecycle. As a result, 38 Samsung’s semiconductors received Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) certification by The Carbon Trust using this assessment. Take a look at our PCF certified products that delineate Samsung Electronics’ eco-friendly footprint and reflect our continuous effort to protect the environment *The Carbon Trust is an eco-friendly certification non-profit organization established in 2001 by the British government. The Carbon Trust awards carbon footprint and water footprint certifications in accordance with international inspection standards, by comprehensively measuring the environmental impact of the consumption of carbon and water, from the pre-production stage to the entire production process of a product.
first to obtain
in the industry
→
UFS
(1 type)
Expansion of key
memory products
→
DRAM/SSD/
Memory card
(8 types)
Expansion of system semiconductors
and
memory products in 2021
→
Logic chips (3 types)/
Image sensor (1 type)/
DRAM/SSD/Memory
card(20 types)
first to obtain
in the industry
→
UFS
(1 type)
Expansion of
memory products
→
DRAM/SSD/UFS/
Memory card
(5 types)
Samsung Semiconductor, the first in the semiconductor industry to receive CO₂ measured label and reducing CO₂ label awarded by the Carbon Trust, obtained the Product Carbon Footprint certification (CO₂ measured label) for 1 type of UFS in 2019, DRAM, SSD, and 8 types of memory cards in 2020, 4 types of system semiconductors, DRAM, SSD and 20 types of memory cards in 2021. Reducing CO₂ label can be obtained if the follow-up model of a product with carbon footprint certification reduces its carbon emissions in comparison to the existing model. In 2020, Samsung Semiconductor obtained a reducing CO₂ label for one type of UFS that had been awarded carbon footprint certification in 2019 for the first time in the industry. In addition to this, in 2021, DRAM, SSD, UFS, and five types of memory cards also received the reducing label.
n October 2019, Samsung Semiconductor launched the “UFS 3.0 (512GB)” and it was awarded carbon footprint certification for the first time in the semiconductor industry, worldwide. The “UFS 3.0 (512GB)” is the first semiconductor product where the Carbon Trust has certified its eco-friendly manufacturing results. Even more impressive, the “UFS 3.0 (512GB)” was achieved the CO₂ measured PCF label and Water measured PWF (Product Water Footprint) label at the same time.
The “UFS 3.0 (512GB)” is a high-performance 5th generation (9x layer) 512Gb (gigabit) V-NAND-based product. When compared to the previous 4th generation 64-layer 256Gb V-NAND-based 256GB product, its capacity has been doubled, its data transmission speed has been increased by 2.1 times, and its operating voltage has been lowered by 33% to provide superior speed, power saving abilities, and productivity at the same time. A single process (1 Etching Step) that increases the number of cell stacking layers by approximately 1.5 times and pierces more than 90 layers at once, has been applied to the 5th generation 512Gb V-NAND, and the chip size has been reduced by more than 25% compared to the previous 4th generation V-NAND, in order to minimize carbon emissions and water consumption.
The Carbon Trust awards the reducing CO₂ label certification to newly-launched products when they can prove that they emit less carbon dioxide than their predecessors. The “UFS 3.1 (512GB)”, which is the follow-up product of the “UFS 3.0 (512GB)” which was previously awarded carbon footprint certification, is the industry’s first product to obtain the reducing CO₂ label thanks to the efforts put in to reduce carbon emissions during the development and manufacturing processes of the product.
The “UFS 3.1 (512 GB)” emits less carbon dioxide than the previous “UFS 3.0 (512 GB)” model, and its “continuous write speed” is approximately three times faster, too.
As a high-performance mobile processor used in premium smartphones, the Exynos 2100 is optimized for high-spec gaming and complicated multitasking. By applying cutting-edge 5nm processes and the latest CPU/GPU design technology, it has achieved unmatched performance and low power. At the same time, it can perform up to 26 trillion artificial intelligence calculations per second.
The HM2 Camera Image Sensor Chip is a product that has greatly expanded the 100 million-pixel image sensor market for smartphones. The HM2 Camera Image Sensor Chip is a 108 million-pixel mobile image sensor that uses 0.7 μm pixels. The height of the camera module can be decreased by up to 10% by reducing the size of the image sensor by up to 15% compared to devices using 0.8 μm pixels. This image sensor utilizes the non-pixel structure that combines 9 pixels into one. It not only brings ultra-high resolution to life but also creates clean images in low-light conditions.
The S6HD820 (Quantum Processor 8K III) decompresses compressed digital data received from broadcasting or the Internet into broadcasting video data, then processes the resolution and audio to deliver it to screens and speakers. This product is equipped with a network processing unit (NPU) to optimize 8K high-resolution and audio based on artificial intelligence, and integrates the previously separate high-resolution upscaling IC into one chip to achieve low power efficiency. The upscaling IC is a semiconductor that converts low-resolution images into high-resolution images. It converts 2K or 4K videos into 8K.
The S6TST21 (QUANTUM PROCESSOR 8K III) converts video data received from the DTV SoC into the time and data required by the DDI (Display Driver IC), then delivers it. This product reduces power consumption by not only integrating two chips that were used in previous 8K TVs into one, but also by applying advanced processes.
The “Portable SSD T7 Touch” has simultaneously obtained carbon footprint certification from the Carbon Trust in the UK and low carbon certification from the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, an organization affiliated with the Korean Ministry of the Environment. Low carbon certification is awarded to products that have reduced their carbon footprint compared to previous products that obtained an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Furthermore, the “Portable SSD T7 Touch” was awarded low carbon certification and was recognized as a green product. A “green product” is a product that minimized contaminant production and reduced energy and resource consumption during the entire product manufacturing process.
Packaging material usage that can be reduced through the production of the “Portable SSD T7 Touch” (compared to the Portable SSD T5)
Carbon emissions that can be reduced through the production of the “Portable SSD T7 Touch” (compared to the Portable SSD T5)
The amount of carbon that can be reduced through the production of the “Portable SSD T7 Touch” (compared to the Portable SSD T5)
Carbon emitted during the production process of the “Portable SSD T7 Touch” was reduced, and the packaging material used was also reduced by 67% compared to its predecessor, the “Portable SSD T5”. The material was also changed from plastic to an eco-friendly pulp. In addition, Samsung has been working hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at their business sites, such as by improving the efficiency in terms of handling process gas or improving the efficiency of existing equipment.
Through its continuous efforts to reduce its carbon footprint in all stages of production through advanced processes and development of technology, in 2022, Samsung Semiconductor was the first company in the semiconductor industry to create a low carbon product certified by the Ministry of the Environment. This product is the “Portable SSD T7”.
As a result, carbon emissions were reduced by approximately 5.1% in comparison to its predecessor, the “Portable SSD T5”. The amount of carbon reduced in this way is approximately 84 tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to the effect of the absorption of CO2 by approximately 13,000 30-year-old pine trees.
| Year | Product | Certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
|
Portable SSD T7 (1TB) | Korean low carbon certification (Ministry of the Environment) |
| 2021 |
|
Portable SSD T7 Touch (1TB) | Carbon Trust, Reducing CO₂ |
| 2021 |
|
Exynos 2100 | Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2021 |
|
HM2 Camera Image Sensor Chip |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2021 |
|
S6HD820 (Quantum Processor 8K III) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2021 |
|
S6TST21 (Quantum Processor 8K III) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2021 |
|
HBM2e | Carbon Trust, Reducing CO₂ (8GB), CO₂ measured (16GB) label |
| 2021 |
|
GDDR6 | Carbon Trust, Reducing CO₂ (8Gb), CO₂ measured (16Gb) label |
| 2021 |
|
UFS3.1 | Carbon Trust, Reducing CO₂ (512GB), CO₂ measured (128GB, 256GB) label |
| 2021 |
|
EVO Select MicroSD Card |
Carbon Trust, Reducing CO₂ (128GB), CO₂ measured(64GB, 256GB, 512GB) label |
| 2021 |
|
DDR4 RDIMM (16GB, 32GB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2021 |
|
DDR4 SODIMM (8GB, 16GB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2021 |
|
LPDDR5 (8GB, 12GB, 16GB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2021 |
|
SSD 980 PRO (250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
Portable SSD T5(1TB) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2020 |
|
Portable SSD T7 Touch(1TB) |
KEITI, Low Carbon Product certification (Semiconductor industry first) Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
SSD 860 EVO (500GB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
EVO Plus MicroSD Card (128GB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
GDDR5 (8Gb) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
HBM2(8GB) | Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
LPDDR5 (12GB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
PM1733 U.2 (15.36TB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
DDR4 SODIMM (8GB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label |
| 2020 |
|
UFS3.1 (512GB) |
Carbon Trust, Reducing CO₂ label (Semiconductor industry first) |
| 2019 |
|
UFS3.0 (512GB) |
Carbon Trust, CO₂ measured label (Semiconductor industry first) |
| 2019 |
|
V5 Nand Flash TLC (512Gb) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2019 |
|
UFS2.1 (1TB) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2019 |
|
LPDDR4X (12GB) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2018 |
|
V4 Nand Flash TLC (512Gb) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2018 |
|
SSD 860 EVO (4TB) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2018 |
|
LPDDR4X (16Gb) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2018 |
|
LPDDR4 (16Gb) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2017 |
|
SSD 850 EVO (250GB) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
| 2017 |
|
Nand Flash MLC(64Gb) |
KEITI, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) |
*Environmental Product Declaration and low carbon certification is run by the Korean Ministry of the Environment and operated by the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, and the certification of products expires after 3 years from the date of certification.
*Enter only products that have been awarded certification after the integration of the carbon labeling system and the Environmental Product Declaration system in July 2016.
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