Look inside a semiconductor fab and you’ll find cleans rooms, chip manufacturing equipment, etching machines and deposition and chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) tools as supporting infrastructure for waste, water processing and more.
But look closer and there is a protective coating that is working to safeguard the fab infrastructure from floors to ceilings.
Maybe surprisingly to some, Sherwin-Williams, one of the largest house paint vendors in the U.S., is one such company that has been supplying manufacturing facilities, including chip fabs, for decades with high-performance specialized coatings.
These coatings ensure that the fabs, supporting buildings, processing water and industrial waste infrastructure are protected from chemically aggressive environments. That means improving the lifecycle of the infrastructure of fabs and extending the life of substrates used in semiconductor manufacturing.
Low-VOC coatings
When it comes to low volatile organic compound (VOC) coatings, it helps semiconductor cleanrooms stave off airborne molecular contaminations (AMCs) that can derail semiconductors manufacturing.
“High-performance coatings are the first line of defense for a fab’s structural elements, preventing wear and contamination while reducing the need for costly maintenance,” said Mark Wafford, construction solutions executive for semiconductor manufacturing market at Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine. “The right coatings enhance the efficiency of clean zones by minimizing airborne contaminants, which means fewer disruptions, less downtime, and ultimately, increased speed to production.”
These high-performance coatings can withstand:
- Weather
- Transporting
- Handling and installation
Workers coat the walls of industrial waste facilities to help prevent corrosion and chemical damage. Source: Sherwin-Williams
Why it matters
Fabs are multi-billion-dollar investments. Any corrosion, chemical damage or wear can cause delays and cost even more money for foundries and semiconductor vendors. With aggressive chemicals used in the manufacturing of semiconductor wafers, it is not surprising that degradation of floors, walls and other structural components is part of the normal conditions of semiconductor fabs.
Coatings are engineered to prevent material breakdown and resist corrosion and chemical absorption. For fabs, that means:
- Less downtime
- Longer-lasting infrastructure
- Fewer repairs
Sherwin-Williams also said these low-VOC coatings help accelerate fab construction in two ways:
Applying steel and concrete off-site to reduce the time and labor of doing the jobs on-site.
Scalable coating systems are applied for specific needs of semiconductor environments to reduce construction delays and make application faster.
“When fabs get up and running faster, they can start production sooner, helping meet demand and securing their position in a competitive industry,” Wafford said.
Wafford added there is a push toward environmental sustainability and wastewater management in fabs as chip companies work toward carbon net zero goals.
“At the same time, there’s pressure to increase chip yields and decrease facility downtime, which means construction timelines are being squeezed tighter than ever,” Wafford said. “Solutions that accelerate fab construction — like shop-applied coatings and prefabrication techniques — are becoming more and more essential to keeping projects on track.”
Future uses
Sherwin-Williams said the use of coating systems for ultrapure water and UPW water systems as well as industrial waste treatment plant is growing in implementation among semiconductor manufacturing.
These systems protect assets that treat and store water for recycling and reuse. Protecting these systems from harsh chemicals and other elements is becoming an important aspect for coatings and will likely continue to grow as fabs look to preserve energy and environmental processes.
