ABSTRACT
Foundry partnerships may discourage environmental concerns by providing few incentives for firms to enhance manufacturing methods. SEEQ's foundry partners in 1995, the most recent year for which Environmental Protection Agency has released Toxics Release Inventory reports, included American Microsystems Inc Semiconductor, Hualon Microelectronics, International Microelectronic Products, Ricoh, Rohm and Samsung. The problem is that fablessness may reduce incentives for US companies to promote better environmental results from their constantly shifting sets of foundry suppliers. Another problem with relocation is that, although US environmental laws help to ensure that states follow uniform environmental standards, not all jurisdictions possess the same level of resources, industry-specific expertise and even political will to administer and enforce federal laws. Restructuring may be understood as an effort among US semiconductor firms to improve long-overlooked weaknesses in production methods. Restructuring, including the attendant shift of chip fabrication out of Silicon Valley, complicates even further efforts to evaluate industry and corporate environmental performance.
