Facilities and purchasing managers can achieve positive results for fire safety and occupant health and safety while capturing cost efficiencies through green system material selection.

Semiconductor industry facilities and purchasing managers who are key decision makers for systems and materials selection need to rethink and broaden their approach in selecting, specifying, and purchasing an industrial fume exhaust duct system. By broadening their perspective and taking into consideration the long-term value, the best in “green” class fume exhaust duct systems will ultimately deliver the rewards of reducing waste and improving system sustainability.

The robust fume exhaust duct systems approved for the semiconductor industry are containment systems with specialty lining consisting of a fluoropolymer coating or a composite. The fluoropolymer and composite lining’s purpose is to protect the duct containment system from corrosion and chemical attack by the volatile chemicals, toxic fumes, and corrosive vapors. These fume exhaust duct systems transfer the contaminated air produced by the semiconductor manufacturing process to fume abatement scrubber systems. The abatement scrubber systems are typically water sprayed across numerous filaments that wash toxic exhaust air to a clean state before the clean air can be dischargedin to the atmosphere.

The semiconductor industry is known to be extremely progressive and continually changing, relentless in the pursuit of new designs and best inclass practices. The saying, “the only thing thatremains the same is change” fits the industry perfectly. We often reador hear news of an excitingleading edge technology in chip design which reduces manufacturing costs and improves deviceperformance. The result from the implementation ofthis technology is a win-win providing efficienciesand performance which typically benefit both thecompany and the ultimate end consumer.

Facilities systems and operations are not as intense or multifaceted as the manufacturing systems which produce a DRAM or flash memory. However, the search for new technologies and the best in class practices related to facilities systems and operations are an aggressive and an ongoing effort because they too can have a positive influence on a semiconductor company’s bottom line. Facilities systems and their continual 24 hours a day, 7 days a week operation become a part of the company’s long term expense budget. Facility managers are tasked to evaluate, align, and implement cost reduction initiatives on their site to closely match what other industry leaders set as the benchmark for best practices.