Electrochemical Innovations for Sustainable Copper Management in Semiconductor Wastewater

In this paper, we investigate the potential of a High Efficiency Selective Electrochemical Cell (HESEC) to recover copper from a variety of semiconductor wastewater streams while also achieving EPA discharge compliance. The copper chemical-mechanical planarization (CuCMP), wet etch, and electroplating processes produce significant levels of copper laden wastewaters with complex matrices that make recovery of the copper difficult. Based on our experimental results, the HESEC provides insight into how novel electrochemical cell designs can be used to achieve selective copper removal and recovery from different wastewater streams and open up new possibilities for economical point source treatment and implementation of sustainable practices.