Recently, it was reported that 3M’s Zwijndrecht plant in Flanders, Belgium, was “closed indefinitely” due to the strict environmental protection policies of the Belgian government. It is reported that the semiconductor coolant (electronic grade fluorinated liquid) produced by the plant accounts for 80% of the global production capacity, which may lead to another impact on the already tight global semiconductor manufacturing capacity.
Semiconductor coolant is very important in semiconductor production line. Zhou Di, a national science and technology expert from the Ministry of science and technology of the whale platform, told the financial Associated Press: “Semiconductor coolant can be used to adjust the temperature during circuit pattern etching. It can be used for a long time without damage to electronic equipment and components. It is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing, data center and cooling of avionics equipment. In the semiconductor manufacturing process, in order to obtain accurate processing capacity under smaller process size, coolant needs to be used in some links of chip production to accurately control the temperature.”
For the harm caused by the emergency of semiconductor coolant, Zhou Di said that “since the semiconductor production line often operates 24 hours a day, the relevant semiconductor equipment also needs constant temperature cooling through coolant to ensure stable operation. Therefore, coolant is an essential material for semiconductor production, and the biggest impact will be the installation speed of new plants and new machines.”
In order to repair the supply gap as soon as possible, 3M has begun to take action. At present, the company has invested 150 million euros to actively solve the problem of traditional manufacturing and disposal of perfluoroalkyl / polyfluoroalkyl substances, but it remains to be seen when this shortage can be solved.
Elvis Hsu, general manager of semiconductor business unit of cinno research, told the financial Associated Press: “the duration of semiconductor coolant supply shortage depends on the commitment reached between 3M and Belgian authorities and whether 3M’s new emission control measures are effectively started and comply with local safety measures.”
According to public information, the international leading wafer factories are almost all 3M customers, including TSMC, liandian, Samsung, SK Hynix, Intel, etc. the size of these shopping malls almost affects the semiconductor supply pattern all over the world. At present, many leading manufacturers have issued statements that the company has not had much impact at present. Among them, TSMC said: “the company cooperates closely with the supply chain and is not expected to have an impact at present”; Liandian said: “there are alternatives”.
3M brings coolant crisis, and Chinese enterprises are expected to take the opportunity to expand the market. At present, the mainland manufacturers involved in benchmarking 3M semiconductor coolant mainly include Zhejiang Juhua Co.Ltd(600160) ( Zhejiang Juhua Co.Ltd(600160) . SH), Shenzhen Capchem Technology.Ltd(300037) ( Shenzhen Capchem Technology.Ltd(300037) . SZ), Shenzhen Yingshi technology, Zhejiang Noah fluorochemical, Sikang chemical, etc.
For downstream enterprises in the mainland, there may also be a short “withdrawal period”. Elvis Hsu told reporters that “in the short term, downstream manufacturers can cooperate closely with the supply chain and actively seek alternatives and multiple supply sources. In the long term, downstream manufacturers can actively promote the development of semiconductor coolant manufacturers from different regions and reduce their dependence on a single supply place.”
