High-Purity CO2 Supply Tightens for Advanced Semiconductor Cleaning - thelec.net

The supply of high-purity carbon dioxide (CO2), critical for advanced semiconductor manufacturing, is tightening, according to industry sources. The shortage stems from reduced production of raw CO2 d... Read original →

The high-purity CO₂ crunch reveals a hidden dependency of advanced nodes on petrochemical byproducts. At 3nm and below, supercritical CO₂ cleaning is indispensable for post-EUV residue removal, replacing wet chemistries. Any supply disruption risks yield instability, directly threatening Samsung and SK hynix’s HBM3E and AI chip ramp. With inventories now under a 30-day buffer, fabs are fast-tracking secondary suppliers like Taekyung and Seondo—but qualifying 5N+ purity capacity takes 6–9 months. Geopolitical risk has cascaded from raw materials to upstream refining: Middle East tensions have spiked liquid CO₂ costs by 20%, exposing a 'non-core yet critical' vulnerability. Within 18 months, leading IDMs will likely deploy closed-loop CO₂ recycling and may form regional stockpiling alliances with TSMC (Taiwan, China) to mitigate single-source exposure.