Germany – The expansion of Wacker Chemie’s hyperpure hydrogen chloride production at its Burghausen plant in Germany is now complete.
The overall production has increased significantly as a result of the commissioning of the new facility in mid-July. Buyers from the semiconductor sector, where ultrapure hydrogen chloride is a vital etching and cleaning agent, are served by the increased production volumes. The company’s portfolio of speciality chemicals for the semiconductor industry will be strengthened by the investment expenses of this expansion project, which total several million euros.
In the chemical industry, hydrogen chloride (HCl) is used in a variety of processes and serves as an essential reaction gas to transform low-energy source materials into reactive intermediates. For example, Wacker uses HCl in the production of silicones, pyrogenic silica, and polysilicon, all of which are crucial components for the semiconductor and solar sectors.
The colorless, water-soluble gas is a vital processing help in the semiconductor industry. It is used to clean crucial plant components and etch hyperpure silicon wafers. To avoid any contamination, these processes must meet extraordinarily high quality standards.
Fulfilling demand
Wacker took the initiative to invest tens of millions of euros in the expansion and infrastructure at its Burghausen location since it is one of the few businesses in Europe that can supply HCl in the needed quality and quantity. Given that megatrends like rising chip demand are still reshaping the industry, the company’s most recent expansion has enabled it to fulfill the rising demand for semiconductor components.
The rock salt used to make Wacker’s hydrogen chloride comes from the company’s own mine in Stetten, Germany. This salt is ideally suited for industrial use due to its composition and purity. Wacker’s hydrogen chloride offers an excellent purity level of 99.9995% compared to the industry standard of 99.9979% purity for HCl appropriate for semiconductors, making it one of the purest products on the market. This outstanding quality guarantees that it satisfies the exacting standards of the chip industry and raises the bar for semiconductor production.
