Dual Containment Tubing: A Flexible Solution for High-Purity Sub-Fab Plumbing

As the semiconductor industry enters a super cycle, and construction begins on numerous fabs around the globe, now is the time to carefully consider time-saving, cost-effective options for building out the sub-fab infrastructure. Selecting flexible, high-purity, PFA dual containment tubing over conventional PVC piping to support chemical distribution will save on labor and installation costs, while increasing chemical resistance of DCT systems.

In some cases, to keep up with and stay ahead of demand means adding capacity. Thirty-eight 300 mm fabs are on target to open worldwide by 2024, Global fab investments are predicted to range from $60 billion to $70 billion annually from 2021-2024, with the greatest spending in Korea, Taiwan, and China. Additionally, many IDMs and foundries are continuing to build out 200 mm fabs to meet the increasing demand of legacy node products.

The cost of building a fab today ranges from $0.5-1 billion for a 200 mm legacy node fab to $10 billion for a leading-edge node 300 mm fab. Of that cost, 10-15% is allocated to the sub-fab, which consumes more energy and resources than any other part of the fab. Whether the goal is to build a new fab or update an existing one, it is important to evaluate and implement flexible, more cost-efficient approaches to building out the sub-fab infrastructure that is vital to a fab’s operation.

In this white paper, we will discuss:

• an area of opportunity for improved flexibility and cost savings
• review the challenges and pitfalls of using conventional plumbing approaches
• offer an alternative to PVC pipe using dual containment tubing