ELECTRONICS
Supporting the semiconductor industry while reducing its environmental footprint
Under a long-term contract, Air Liquide is building an industrial gas production facility in Idaho, in the United States, to supply the new fab of one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers. The state-of-the art, environmentally efficient production unit will be operational by the end of 2025.
It will provide large volumes of high-purity industrial gases for the production of cutting-edge memory chips. Through this project, Air Liquide is contributing to technological progress while optimizing the semiconductor sector’s environmental footprint.
This image illustrates the operation and environmental commitments of a new Air Liquide industrial gas production unit dedicated to the semiconductor sector, in particular for the manufacture of electronic chips.
Summary of elements shown Industrial gas production unit (Air Liquide)
Product :
- Ultra-pure nitrogen
- Other gases
These gases are supplied to semiconductor manufacturers.
- Industrial customer
- Target industry: Microchip manufacturing
- Ultra-pure, stable gases required for microetching and assembly of electronic components
- Energy and environmental performance
- New-generation unit: 5% more energy-efficient than the previous-generation plants
- 100% renewable electricity: Target achieved within the next 5 years
Air Liquide will build, own, and operate a new industrial gas production facility in Idaho, which will produce large volumes of ultra-pure nitrogen and other gases, such as oxygen and argon, for a leading player in the semiconductor industry and other customers in the area. The project will create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs during construction and operation.
Air Liquide will invest over $ 250 million in the project. This represents a strategic investment that will support the production of cutting-edge memory chips, notably to meet the growing demand for computing capacities required by artificial intelligence.
As it will produce a wide range of critical gases with enhanced energy efficiency and reduced logistics-related emissions, the unit will give the customer a significant competitive edge in the growing semiconductor market. Most of the gases will be produced on-site, avoiding the need for them to be transported by truck. In addition, the electricity for the new facility is targeted to be 100% from renewable sources within the next five years.