15 March 2012

SAFC Hitech opens Taiwan facility to enhance HB-LED precursor capacity

SAFC Hitech of St Louis, MO, USA (a business segment of SAFC within the Sigma-Aldrich Group) says it has underlined its commitment to the Asia-Pacific electronics markets by opening its new multi-million dollar facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in a ceremony attended by dignitaries including Kaohsiung City Mayor Miss Chiu Chen and senior executives Rakesh Sachdev (Sigma-Aldrich president & CEO), Gilles Cottier (SAFC president) and Philip Rose (SAFC Hitech president).

The 270,000ft2 expansion significantly increases the site’s existing capacity for the high-volume manufacturing of high-quality trimethylgallium (TMG), triethylgallium (TEG) and trimethylindium (TMI) precursors for high-brightness LED (HB-LED) applications. The site will also produce atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) precursors for the silicon semiconductor market and offer regional transfilling capability and technical service and support.

SAFC Hitech says that the latest expansion of its global manufacturing footprint reinforces Taiwan as a strategic regional hub from which to leverage its existing proprietary knowledge and capabilities as a provider of ultra-high-purity metalorganic and silicon precursors for thin-film deposition production processes for the microelectronics and optoelectronic markets. The firm’s existing Taiwan operations will transition to the new Kaohsiung facility.

“One of SAFC Hitech’s key objectives is to continue to provide leading materials technology solutions to drive functional performance in end-use devices in the high-growth markets we serve - for now and in the future,” said Rose at the opening. “Following the March 2010 production expansion for TMG at our Bromborough, UK manufacturing site, this strategic investment in Taiwan will continue to strengthen our position as a leading global supplier of reliable precursors for the HB-LED market. This market is tailored to address the increased focus on improving efficiency and reducing energy costs through design and technology advances, which is driving the electronics sector to introduce more energy-conscious products and systems,” he added.

“Due to the rise in demand for LEDs, and in particular HB-LEDs, we are increasingly engaged in customer collaboration activities throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” added Dr Geoff Irvine, SAFC Hitech’s VP of marketing & business development. “With 30 years experience in supplying precursors, our focus is on developing local infrastructure and manufacturing capacity in order to continue to offer customers a broad product range and novel delivery systems optimized for performance and cost of ownership,” he added. “Our proprietary delivery systems like bubblers/ampoules and EpiFill, EpiVapor and EpiSensor are allied to strong application development and vertical integrated manufacturing.”

In addition to the enhanced manufacturing capacity, SAFC Hitech’s Kaohsiung site capabilities can handle and characterize highly specialized laboratory-scale chemicals and features a dedicated customer support center. The site also provides integrated inert atmosphere transfilling stations, analytical instrumentation for the detection of ultra-low-metallic and -oxygen-containing contaminants and dedicated cylinder preparation and packaging areas. The site is ISO 9001 certified for quality, with work to acquire ISO 14001 certification for safety and environmental protocols in process.

Tags: SAFC Hitech TMG TEG TMI

Visit: www.safchitech.com