In fact, semiconductor fabrication specifications are among the most stringent in the world, which explains why players in this sector prefer to team up with a reliable partner, one with the international footprint and technical expertise to deliver the gases and chemicals at the time, place and purities needed. For example the ability to deliver projects worldwide is growing in importance as more and more manufacturers are looking to hedge their geographical risk by diversifying beyond Asia. This trend is particularly evident in the US, where Linde has noted a steady rise in demand for its air separation units (ASUs) to produce high purity gases.

Looking back twenty years, customers previously focused their investment plans primarily on Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Now, however, attention is increasingly shifting towards the US and to a lesser extent Europe in a bid to reduce reliance on imports. And Linde is ideally positioned to support this shift with its SPECTRA™ plant portfolio for high purity gaseous and liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon. With contract wins increasing, these plants are enjoying continued popularity as they clearly cater to shifting market needs.

Purity is especially important for the latest generation of devices with miniaturized circuitry. These special chips have extremely intricate structures, which raise the risk of points of failure. In fact, even the slightest impurity can cause imperceptible flaws and lead to defects. This means not only must the manufacturing environment be as pure as possible, the gases used in that environment also have to be of ultra high purity.

Added to this purity challenge is the issue of spiraling demand. New, state-of-the-art fabs are driving demand both for electronics specialty gases and for ultra-high-purity air gases. These are used for example to create protective – or inert – atmospheres where nanostructures can be fabricated. Linde and its joint venture Linde LienHwa (LLH) are expanding their reach to specifically serve this growing market with gas supply solutions tailored to individual volume and purity needs. Similarly, Linde has partnered with an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer that is planning its own microchip facility. The aim is to ensure security of supply as EVs require a lot more chips than combustion-engine cars.

SPECTRA™ on-site nitrogen generators are the most reliable means of meeting the ultra-high purity needs of the electronics industry. They are engineered for reliable operations and low specific energy consumption, delivering ultra-pure gaseous and liquid nitrogen and oxygen with less than 1 part per billion (ppb) impurities. Modular SPECTRA™ ASUs maximize operational efficiency for lowest cost of ownership and environmental footprint. The entire SPECTRA™ family is designed on a modular basis for rapid, cost-effective deployment on site.

In addition, the electronics industry is increasingly interested in the on-site production of green hydrogen, as demonstrated by an agreement between Linde and Infineon for the production of green hydrogen at Infineon’s site in Villach, Austria. Linde will build, own and operate a two-megawatt electrolyzer plant at the Villach site. The plant will produce green hydrogen using Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technology from ITM Power. The use of high-purity green hydrogen in manufacturing reflects Infineon’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its Villach site.

Looking ahead, Linde is determined to keep pace with spiraling demand for electronics gases across the semiconductor industry, for example by dynamically expanding its SPECTRA™ family, giving customers even more choice and keeping the wheels of innovation turning behind the scenes at microchip fabs.