Chemtrade turned to Modular Devices, experts in mobile cleanrooms, to engineer and manufacture a custom, prefabricated ISO Class 4 trace metals mobile cleanroom at their Cairo, OH plant.
This article explores the partnership between Chemtrade and Modular Devices, showcasing how their collaboration is shaping the future of UltraPure Sulfuric Acid manufacturing in the US.
The semiconductor boom: fueling demand for ultrapure sulfuric acid
Electronic grade sulfuric acid, also known as ultra-pure sulfuric acid (UPS), is an important microelectronics chemical reagent.
The traditional process for the production of electronic-grade sulfuric acid is through the direct distillation of industrial sulfuric acid. Electronic-grade sulfuric acid is majorly used in semiconductors and PCB panels for cleaning and etching applications.
One of the several requirements of the semiconductor industry is specialty electronic wet chemicals.
In the fabrication process of semiconductor devices, several materials have to be cleaned and etched.
This cleaning and etching process is undertaken by various wet chemicals with high levels of purity to clean away the accumulated residue over the wafers or substrates.
Trace metal cleanrooms have unique requirements
A wet etching solution is used to remove the patterned photoresist layer over the wafer or substrate electronic-grade sulfuric acid is one of the wet chemicals used in the semiconductor industry.
This acid is widely used in semiconductors for ultra-largescale integrated circuit assembly and processing. The purity of electronic-grade sulfuric acid can effectively remove the impurity particles, inorganic residue, and carbon deposits on the wafer while cleaning and etching.
The electronic-grade sulfuric acid market is expected to witness high growth in the next five years, driven by the increasing demand for electronic products in the US and in developing economies globally.
The Modular Devices design utilises plastic, powder coating, and epoxy in place of metal throughout the cleanroom including fume hoods, sinks, casework, pass-throughs, and air showers
However, the major restraints for the market growth are its complex production process, high manufacturing cost, and the fact that most production is done outside the US.
Understanding these challenges, Chemtrade is bringing production back to the US and is in the process of expanding production of UltraPure Sulfuric Acid starting with the Cairo, OH plant.
Chris Patterson, VP of Cleanrooms at Modular Devices, emphasised the exceptional collaboration between Chemtrade and Modular Devices, saying, “The experience of working with Chemtrade on this project has been exceptional. The confidence Chemtrade has placed in Modular Devices to deliver their trace-metals mobile cleanroom for the Cairo, Ohio facility speaks volumes about our team and in-house capabilities.”
Pre-engineered ISO Class 4 trace-metals cleanrooms
Chemtrade selected Modular Devices, specialists in mobile cleanrooms, to design and construct a custom, prefabricated ISO Class 4 trace metals mobile cleanroom.
Trace metal cleanrooms have unique requirements, combining the demanding specifications for cleanroom classification with the need to eliminate the exposure of metal in the space.
The Modular Devices design utilises plastic, powder coating, and epoxy in place of metal throughout the cleanroom including fume hoods, sinks, casework, pass-throughs, and air showers.
One of the several requirements of the semiconductor industry is specialty electronic wet chemicals
Key Features of Modular Devices’ Trace Metals, ISO Class 4 mobile cleanroom:
- Three modules connected on-site to form one large 1,700 sqft cleanroom complex.
- Two modules create the main ISO Class 4 clean area.
- One separate module houses the mechanical systems.
- The prefabricated design allows for a simple installation and can be operational shortly after delivery.
- Ceiling-mounted Ultra-low Penetration Air (ULPA) filtration covers 60% of the clean areas’ ceiling.
- ULPA filtration removes 99.999% of airborne particles down to 0.12 microns.
- The cleanroom areas experience more than 300 air changes per hour—or five per minute!
- The pre-engineered mobile cleanroom is manufactured and delivered in a fraction of the time of a traditional design-build project, shortening the path to market for Chemtrade's Ohio expansion.
Greg Mink, CEO of Modular Devices, expressed his enthusiasm for the project: “We are excited to have been chosen by Chemtrade for this challenging project. Our trace-metals mobile cleanrooms allow us to showcase our design/build skills in the construction of a unique cleanroom designed to be operational the day it arrives on-site. This approach significantly reduces time and cost for Chemtrade while expanding their capabilities overnight.”