SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY
UPDATE
January 2020
McIlvaine Company
Showa Denko Expands High-Purity Gas Production with New Facilities
Schilling Engineering Reveals Contract
with Plansee
BES
Completes World-Leading Compound Semiconductor Innovation Centre
More
on Cleanroom for Cardiff Cluster
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Showa Denko
Expands High-Purity Gas Production with New Facilities
Showa Denko K.K. has decided to establish its
subsidiary’s second factory in Shanghai to produce high-purity gases for
electronics. Shanghai Showa Electronics Materials Co., Ltd. (SSE), which is
SDK’s wholly owned subsidiary producing high-purity gases for electronics, will
establish facilities to produce high-purity nitrous oxide (N2O) and high-purity
octafluorocyclobutane (C4F8) gases and a dangerous-goods warehouse to stock
high-pressure gases. The second factory will start its operations in the second
half of 2021.
High-purity N2O is a specialty gas used to
form oxidized films on surfaces of integrated circuits, which will compose
semiconductor chips or display panels. High-purity C4F8 is a specialty gas used
for etching of those oxidized films and other micromachining processes. Due to
progress in information communication technologies including 5G mobile
communication technology and Chinese government’s policy to nurture
high-technology industry, the market in China for semiconductor chips and
display panels (e.g., organic electroluminescent display panels for TVs, etc.)
is expected to expand.
The Showa Denko Group is now producing
high-purity N2O at its Kawasaki Plant and a site of a group company in Korea,
and high-purity C4F8 at Kawasaki Plant and SSE’s First Factory in Shanghai.
The new factory will cover an area of about
107,600 sq. ft. (10,000m2). The new facilities will be designed to produce 1,000
tons per year of high-purity N2O, as well as 600 tons per year of high-purity
C4F8.
Operations are expected to begin in the
second half of 2021.
In addition, since the market for
semiconductor chips in Taiwan is also expected to expand, SDK’s subsidiary
Taiwan Showa Chemicals Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will establish a new facility to
produce high-purity C4F8 with annual production capacity of 150 tons. The
startup of operations of the new facility is scheduled to be in the spring of
2020. Total amount of investment to establish new facilities in Shanghai and
Taiwan is about 3 billion yen.
Schilling
Engineering Reveals Contract with Plansee
The German cleanroom technology expert has
completed a 4,304 sq. ft. (400 sqm) cleanroom for the Austrian metallurgical
company.
Components for semiconductor production are
manufactured in the 4,304 sq. ft. (400 sqm) CleanCell4.0 of ISO Class 6.
A new 4,304 sq. ft. (400 sqm) ISO Class 6
cleanroom has started operation in Austria at Plansee, the Reutte-based company
that specializes in powder processing of the hi-tech metals such as molybdenum
and tungsten.
The new facility has been built with the
latest technology provided by Schilling Engineering. The German cleanroom
specialist said the new site has been put into operation meeting the high safety
standards of the semiconductor industry.
With more than 14,000 employees at 50
production sites worldwide, the private company Plansee Group generated sales of
€1.5 billion in the 2018/2019 financial year.
Plansee's headquarters, and the company's
largest production site, are located in Austria, where the company originated in
1921. Today, Plansee focuses on high-melting metals with special properties,
namely high resistance and good conductivity.
At Plansee, the metals are first processed
into high-purity powder and then pressed and sintered. The semi-finished
products and components are required in the electronics industry, in
semiconductor manufacturing, and in medical technology. Absolute cleanliness in
production, therefore, is a top priority.
The production of components for
semiconductors takes place within a CleanCell4.0, Schilling's ISO Class 6
cleanroom workstation. Parts made of molybdenum and other materials are
assembled inside, which could be impaired in their function by the smallest
impurities.
Contamination of the sensitive components by
particles must be absolutely ruled out. That is why over half of the 4,304 sq.
ft. (400 sqm) production area meets the strict cleanliness requirements of ISO
cleanroom Class 6.
Schilling explained that clean air is
introduced into the cleanroom with the help of laminar flow units integrated
into the ceiling, which are equipped with ULPA15 high-performance filters.
The particle-free airflow displaces airborne
particles downwards and are then discharged from the cleanroom into the air
circulation system. This air exchange process is carried out up to 60 times an
hour.
Recirculation and return air are routed
within the cleanroom walls. The already cooled and filtered air is circulated,
which contributes to the efficient operation of the cleanroom, Schilling claims.
In addition, the airflow within the walls ensures optimal use of space.
Commenting on why Plansee has chosen
Schilling's cleanroom workstation, project manager Mario Kuisle, said: “The air
circulation of the CleanCell4.0 cleanroom system convinced us from the start.
This will enable us to save high energy costs in the long run. Another important
factor was the fact that the airflow inside the walls ensured optimal use of
space. The cleanroom was adapted precisely to our conditions.
The project was challenging due to the
particular conditions of the site for which Schilling delivered a tailored
solution. Kuisle explained: “The onsite ceiling of the Plansee hall is
structurally unsuitable for suspension due to the expected snow loads, among
other things. Subsequently, the cleanroom ceiling was constructed using a
self-supporting framework made of aluminum profiles.
"The ceiling is accessible and has been
marked with stable walking paths. A huge advantage of the construction is that
the cleanroom was built without supports and columns," he added.
For Schilling, another challenge was the
required height of the cleanroom, which was designed to be four meters higher
than normal sites. The height required by the installation of measuring machines
could be achieved with removable wall elements.
The ceiling, which is equipped with 67 clean
air units, has a modular structure and can be flexibly redesigned. For
Schilling, the modular system of the CleanCell4.0 cleanroom enables flexible
planning of future utilization.
"The modular design of the cleanroom system
helped us significantly in our investment decision," Kuisle said. "We wanted to
be able to quickly and flexibly convert the cleanroom to other production
processes. We are currently producing for semiconductor production and have
integrated the production machines into the cleanroom walls. Thanks to the
modular wall and ceiling elements, we can convert to changing allocation
concepts in the future."
In the Plansee project, intelligent control
dimmable LED light strips were integrated homogeneously into the aluminum strips
of the ceiling. Featuring 1000 lux, these LEDs achieve uniform lighting with
little shade and contribute to energy savings, Schilling said.
Doors and material locks are also illuminated
with LEDs. The design uses various colors to help visualize whether a door can
be opened or must remain closed for pressure compensation and active flushing.
Schilling also revealed that the monitoring
system chosen for this project offers intelligent control of production-relevant
room data, such as temperature and humidity.
The high-precision air-conditioning
technology temperates the room with a deviation of +/- 1 °C and is also
characterized by extremely energy-efficient air conditioning.
For Kuisle, the cleanroom runs flawlessly.
"The technology is very complex but perfectly coordinated and well thought out,"
he said.
For both Schilling and Plansee, the energy
optimization of the cleanroom was very important to the project. "Using a heat
pump, we can save high additional costs in the long term. We also have the
option of programming a night-time reduction. The quiet filters and good
lighting are also very positive, which facilitates the daily work in the
cleanroom,” Kuisle concluded.
BES Completes
World-Leading Compound Semiconductor Innovation Centre
Heywood company BES has completed an £8.1
million design and build project to deliver in the world’s first compound
semiconductor cluster in South Wales for Compound Semiconductor Applications
(CSA) Catapult.
The world-leading Catapult Innovation Centre
will drive advances in compound semiconductor technology and applications,
enabling the UK to spearhead future technologies, including autonomous vehicles,
5G mobile networks, renewable energy and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Working like a silicon chip but with a higher
performance, compound semiconductors are essential components inside many
devices such as Wifi, smartphones and GPS satellite communications.
The completed project is of national and
international significance, launching a facility that will become a hub for
high-tech research and development and support the UK’s growth potential in
emerging sectors.
The company has designed, constructed and
commissioned an IS07-classified cleanroom along with a number of laboratory
environments, including a photonics lab, a power electronics lab, an advanced
packaging suite, an evaluation lab, a radio frequency lab and a high-power lab.
All labs and cleanrooms have been constructed
from specialist cleanroom partitioning and contain client equipment including
Climate Chambers, a Shaker Chamber and optical tables.
Steve Marsh, managing director of BES said:
“The Catapult Innovation Centre is located at the heart of the world’s first
compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales and will play a pivotal role in
building on the UK’s world-leading expertise in the sector, through innovation,
testing and research.
“Working collaboratively with the client and
their designers Monteith Scott and M&E consultants Atkins, our integrated design
and construction team provided a seamless project delivery.
“The advanced labs and clean rooms we have
designed and built as part of this project will play a key role in helping the
UK capitalize on the next wave of technological discovery and our
multi-disciplinary approach to managing the delivery of sophisticated facilities
from concept through to validation means that we were the ideal partner for the
project.”
BES was also responsible for the design and
installation of a new plant room on the second floor to accommodate the
project’s complex heating, ventilation, and air conditioning requirements, along
with a new ground floor substation.
The project also involved construction of
open plan offices, which comprise a number of meeting rooms, breakout spaces, a
boardroom and a sunken split-level amphitheater.
These facilities will allow clients to work
collaboratively with the Catapult team and provide a research space for academia
and public bodies.
They will also provide an income for the
Catapult Innovation Centre as a venue hire space.
CEO of CSA Catapult, Stephen Doran said: “CSA
Catapult will play a crucial part in the global adoption of compound
semiconductor technology, and the work that BES has completed for us will help
us on that journey.
“Our open plan office space, along with our
state-of-the-art laboratories, were executed by BES with our vision and
capabilities in mind. Our new Innovation Centre, now open for business, will
allow us to be at the heart of compound semiconductor collaboration and we are
thrilled to be able to welcome visitors and partners into our new home.”
More on
Cleanroom for Cardiff Cluster
BES of
Heywood has completed an £8.1 million project for the South Wales
Compound Semiconductor Cluster to design, construct and commission an
IS07-classified cleanroom along with a number of laboratory environments,
including a photonics lab, a power electronics lab, an advanced packaging suite,
an evaluation lab, a radio frequency lab and a high-power lab.
All labs and cleanrooms have been constructed
from specialist cleanroom partitioning and contain client equipment including
Climate Chambers, a Shaker Chamber and optical tables.
“The Catapult Innovation Centre is located at
the heart of the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales and
will play a pivotal role in building on the UK’s world-leading expertise in the
sector, through innovation, testing and research,” says BES MD. Steve Marsh.
BES was also responsible for the design and
installation of a new plant room on the second floor to accommodate the
project’s complex heating, ventilation, and air conditioning requirements, along
with a new ground floor substation.
The project also involved construction of
open plan offices, which comprise a number of meeting rooms, breakout spaces, a
boardroom and a sunken split-level amphitheater.
These facilities will allow clients to work
collaboratively with the Catapult team and provide a research space for academia
and public bodies.
McIlvaine Company
Northfield, IL 60093-2743
Tel: 847-784-0012; Fax:
847-784-0061
E-mail:
editor@mcilvainecompany.com
Web site:
www.mcilvainecompany.com