Swagelok Collaborates with Leading Companies to Guide Next-generation 450mm Wafer Fabs
SOLON, Ohio – Swagelok Company is among a group of 10 leading global companies announcing the formation of the Facility 450 Consortium (F450C) to address the complex facility and infrastructure challenges of 450mm semiconductor wafer fabrication.
Centered at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) in Albany, N.Y., the F450C is a subgroup of the Global 450 Consortium (G450C), which was formed to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition to 450mm wafers.
“The shift to 450mm will be extremely complex and will affect every aspect of the industry and all levels of the supply chain,” said Arthur F. Anton, president and chief executive officer of Swagelok Company. “We have a responsibility to our customers to do everything we can to ease this transition and, at the same time, take full advantage of this opportunity to introduce sustainable practices and quality standards that will yield long-term benefits to the industry.”
While the G450C provides leadership on challenges related to tools, equipment, and processes, the F450C will focus on facility and infrastructure issues, including the design of facilities, wafer handling, tool connection, chemical distribution, and water and electrical systems.
In tandem, the G450C and F450C will work to hold down operational costs, improve tool and equipment uptime, and otherwise provide long-term benefits as the industry builds high-volume 450mm facilities.
Swagelok’s role within the F450C will focus on tool installation efficiencies, cleaning specifications, training requirements, safe working environment standards, and other facility requirements.
Larry Vandendriessche, director, semiconductor marketing for Swagelok, emphasized Swagelok’s commitment to the collaborative nature of the G450C and F450C enterprises. Swagelok is an affiliate participant of the G450C.
“This is precisely how we have envisioned allocating our resources at Swagelok. It’s only through this kind of close collaboration that the industry as a whole will be able to manage the shift to 450mm wafer production without severe disruptions,” said Vandendriessche. “Together, we can do this in a cost-effective manner.”
In addition to Swagelok, the companies making up the F450C are Air Liquide, CH2M HILL, CS Clean Systems, Ceres Technologies, Edwards, Haws Corporation, Mega Fluid Systems, M+W Group, and Ovivo.
The G450C is made up of five member companies – Intel, TSMC, GLOBALFOUNDARIES, IBM, and Samsung – as well as New York State partnering with CNSE.
About Swagelok Company
Headquartered in Solon, Ohio, U.S.A., Swagelok Company is a major developer and provider of fluid system solutions, including products, assemblies, and services for the research, instrumentation, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, power, petrochemical, alternative fuels, and semiconductor industries. Its manufacturing, research, technical support, and distribution facilities support a global network of more than 200 authorized sales and service centers in 70 countries. For more information about Swagelok, visit the company’s Website at http://www.swagelok.com/.
About The Facilities 450mm Consortium (F450C)
The Facilities 450mm Consortium (F450C) is a first-of-its-kind partnership at SUNY’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) that is leading the global effort to design and build next-generation 450mm computer chip fabrication facilities. The collaboration includes 10 of the world’s leading nanoelectronics facility companies, including Air Liquide, CH2M HILL, CS Clean Systems, Ceres Technologies, Edwards, Haws Corporation, Mega Fluid Systems, M+W Group, Ovivo, and Swagelok. Members of F450C are working closely with the Global 450mm Consortium (G450C), as announced by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, to identify viable solutions required for 450mm high-volume facility construction, with initial focus areas to include reducing tool installation cost and duration, and improving facility sustainability. For more information, visit http://www.g450c.org/.
