Semiconductor and Nanostructured Materials in Renewable Technologies

This paper examines the increasingly tensioned role of semiconductors and nanostructured materials in the global energy transition. While crystalline silicon (c-Si) and wide-bandgap semiconductors (SiC, GaN) enable decarbonization across PV, wind/grid power electronics, and electrified mobility, current production paradigms impose rising environmental burdens. We define a “semiconductor sustainability paradox”: node scaling and process complexity increase electricity demand, ultrapure-water use, and hazardous chemistries, while dependence on critical minerals intensifies, concentrating impacts upstream and amplifying burden-shifting risks. Based on an extensive literature review and LCA evidence, we highlight a persistent disconnect between R&D innovation and end-of-life management, reflected in low recycling rates (e.g.,