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MCILVAINE Company says semiconductor manufacturers will spend US $2.3 billion in 2012 for flow control and treatment products.
Line sizes on chips are decreasing, but as a result, more pure water is required in the semiconductor manufacturing process. With many manufacturers becoming more aware of the environmental impacts of their operations, water reuse is also a focus.
According to information from the McIlvaine Compny, ultrapure water systems will see revenues of US $800 million, with pumps and valves to take a US $598 million share of the market, while filtration, sedimentation and centrifugation to take US $771 million, and monitoring accounting for US $140 million of the market.
The figures include flow control and treatment products used to extract water from sources, purify it for chip washing, and also effluent treatment prior to discharge.
Due to the ultrapure requirements for water used in semiconductor processing, incoming water is subjected to granular media filters, cartridges, reverse osmosis, ion exchange and degasification, or other steps. Monitoring is a key part of the process, with the water’s contamination levels controlled at parts per billion or trillion levels.
The pumps and valves that process ultrapure water, as well as pipes and tanks used to transport or store the water have to utilise special materials suited to the task.