Liqui-Cel® Membrane Contactors are Chosen for Low Level Oxygen Removal in a DRAM Wafer Fab located in South East Asia

Charlotte, NC. USA. -- Membrana's Liqui-Cel Membrane Contactors have been chosen as the liquid degassing technology of choice at a South East Asian fab that will be manufacturing 300 mm DRAM Wafers. The fab will produce approximately 20,000 wafers/month using 0.09-micron production technology. Liqui-Cel Contactors will be installed for dissolved oxygen removal in the high purity water system.

Phase one of the system is 227 m3/hr (1000 gpm) and will utilize Liqui-Cel 10 x 28 Membrane Contactors. The Membrane Contactors will be used to remove dissolved oxygen from saturation to less than 3 parts per billion (ppb). The Contactors will operate in combo mode where a small amount of nitrogen and vacuum will be used. As the oxygen specification is lowered in the future, additional contactors will be added at that time to produce effluent water with less than 1 ppb of dissolved oxygen.

The contactors offer a modular compact solution for dissolved gas control. They have been delivered to the OEM who will begin system fabrication this month. The Contactors are part of an overall water treatment system, which is scheduled to start-up in Q3 of 2003. This is phase one of a three-phased project where the capacities will be increased to 600 m3/hr (2642 gpm).

Liqui-Cel Membrane Contactors are used around the world for adding or removing Oxygen (O2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen (N2) to or from different liquids in the Semiconductor, Power, Pharmaceutical, Photographic, Food and Beverage, and many other industries. For example, it is known that O2 negatively impacts many processes; it is corrosive and can oxidize materials. In the power and industrial areas, piping and equipment are susceptible to corrosion. Specifically to the semiconductor market, high levels of O2 can cause lower wafer yields. Additionally, CO2 negatively impacts performance of EDI and Ion Exchange. The Liqui-Cel Contactors offer a modular solution for O2/CO2 removal before these processes without chemicals.

Liqui-Cel Contactors are also used to add gasses to liquids to enhance megasonic cleaning. The beverage industry looks to membrane contactors for carbonation, nitrogenation and O2 removal. These reflect only a few examples of the variety of applications where the Liqui-Cel Membrane Contactors are used. New applications are constantly being developed.

Additionally, Membrana offers liquid ring vacuum pumps, eductors and Orbisphere sensors to complement the membrane contactors.

Membrana's Industrial Membrane Group also manufactures a variety of membranes used for filtration in various industries and applications. Manufacturing facilities are located in the USA and Europe. Global markets are served through sales offices and affiliates in North America, Europe, Japan, South East Asia and China.