The Electronics and Specialty Gases business of Linde North America recently commissioned a new carbon dioxide (CO2) purification unit at its electronics gases facility in Medford, Oregon.
The production unit was designed to produce CO2 with purity above 99.9997 percent, primarily for the semiconductor and other electronics applications.
Linde North America is a member of The Linde Group, a world leading gases and engineering company. Linde’s Electronics and Specialty Gases business is a leading global supplier of a wide range of products – from high-purity nitrogen and rare gases to electronic process gases such as hydrogen chloride, sulfur hexafluoride and silane, to series of halocarbons -- across a number of industries: semiconductor manufacturing, medical, scientific research, fiber optics, environmental testing and compliance, laser applications and lighting.
The Medford plant utilizes a multiple-stage distillation process to produce several grades of CO2, including an ultra-low hydrocarbon grade for specialized on-wafer CO2 cleaning operations. This grade relies on a proprietary cylinder preparation process which assures final hydrocarbons are at low part-per-trillion levels and are not deposited on wafer or mask surfaces which would have a negative impact on yield.
“Semiconductor manufacturers continue to reinforce their need for high quality and reliability of supply chain,” said Peter Thomas, head of marketing for Linde’s Electronics business. Linde North America is the largest supplier of CO2 in North America with over 25 potential raw material supply points. “Linde’s investment in a completely integrated CO2 purification system at Medford allows us to fully manage the availability and overall quality for this key material,” said Thomas.
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 billion (USD 15.3 billion). The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.
Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.