New Patented Recycling Systems for Slurry and Ultrapure Water for the Semiconductor Market
As the first company worldwide the HighQ-Factory GmbH, a company of the Faeth Group, launched a new patented recycling system for the semiconductor market. The recycling system helps for example optimize CMP processes as well as dicing & grinding processes.
In the system, the incoming waste water, which contains a mixture of ultrapure water, slurry and other chemical materials, passes through several complex filtration and ultra-filtration steps. As a result, the mixture separates into its original raw materials and can be re-used in the production process. The patented, self-cleaning backflush process of the ultrafiltration modules leads to an effectively longer life cycle of the high-cost filter elements. Subsequently, the ultra-filters are generally replaced after a period of more than a year, further increasing the system‘s cost efficiency. The result is that for the first time it is now possible to separate wastewater into its principal components – efficiently and profitably.
Besides the environmental aspect there are numerous advantages to this recycling technology:
- Cost savings of up to 85 % by reusing the raw materials of the slurry and ultrapure water.
- CMP process safety is often significantly improved as possible microscratches can be reduced by as much as 35 %.
- The demand for new raw materials is significantly reduced by up to 85 %, since only 15 % of new raw material must be added.
- Health and environmental protection by filtering out of harmful nano particles and by reducing the consumption of non-renewable raw materials.
Recyclable materials are:
- Ultrapure water
- Oxide slurry
- Tungsten slurry
- Ceria slurry
- Copper slurry
- Lithium tantalate
- Chemical solids
- Rare earth
HighQ-Factory GmbH provides future-oriented and environmentally friendly process solutions for the semiconductor industry. The company mainly focuses on the recycling of ultrapure water and chemical resources through an automated ultrafiltration process. HighQ-Factory is part of the Faeth Group of companies. As a family-run business operating globally, the Faeth Group of companies is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing, installation, qualification and analysis of gas and chemical supply systems. Combined with the ability to produce individual, customer-specific solutions, the company has earned a strong reputation in the semiconductor, photovoltaic and LED industries. Founded in 2004, the Faeth Group has 350 employees.
