Air Products to expand NF3 capacity at Ulsan, Korea facility

LEHIGH VALLEY, USA: Air Products announced it is more than doubling its nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) capacity at its production facility in Ulsan, Korea. The new capacity is expected to be onstream in the second half of 2012.

NF3 remains the chamber cleaning gas of choice for semiconductor, thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), and thin-film photovoltaic manufacturers. Air Products pioneered the use of NF3 as a chamber cleaning gas and has been safely manufacturing and distributing the product for more than 30 years.

"With the market for NF3 tight and the major OEMs committed to NF3 for their next generation processes, we felt the time was right to maximize our existing infrastructure and make this cost effective expansion," said Wayne Mitchell, VP and GM of Electronics for Air Products. "We remain committed to the chamber cleaning business and plan on growing with our strategic customers and developing the products they need to produce the latest devices in consumer electronics."

Besides Ulsan, Air Products operates three independent NF3 plants at its Electronic Specialty Materials manufacturing facility in Hometown, Pa. The independent NF3 facilities in the US and Korea offer Air Products' customers significant security of supply.

With the capability to supply NF3 or on-site fluorine, Air Products' portfolio of chamber cleaning solutions is unique in the industry. The company's products, chamber cleaning process experience, and history of fluorine production and handling provide semiconductor, PV or LCD manufacturers a variety of solutions for their applications.