SAFC Hitech plans new production facility in Taiwan for LED and silicon semiconductor precursors

Following the March 2010 production expansion of trimethylgallium (TMG) at its Bromborough, UK manufacturing site, SAFC Hitech®, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich® Group, reinforced its commitment to the Asia-Pacific electronics markets by announcing plans to build a new, dedicated facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan for transfilling, technical service and production of LED and silicon semiconductor precursors.  The new facility, expected to be operational by late 2011, will extend the Company's ability to serve the Asian market, leveraging the knowledge and capabilities developed at its existing Kaohsiung facility.

The new investment will transition current operations into a new environment that is expected to expand the Company's transfilling and technical service base, as well as add significant capacity for the dedicated manufacturing of high-quality precursors to support the burgeoning High Brightness LED (HBLED) market and ALD and CVD precursors for the silicon semiconductor market.

Increased focus on improving efficiency and reducing energy costs through technology and design advances is driving the electronics sector to roll out more 'energy-conscious' products and systems.  Due to the resulting exponential rise in demand for LEDs, and in particular HBLEDs that are used in applications such as backlighting in flat panel television sets and energy efficient lighting, SAFC Hitech continues to strengthen its leading position as a legacy supplier of reliable precursors for the HBLED market.  

"As mass manufacturing continues its rise, we are experiencing significant increases in customer and partnership activities in the Asia-Pacific region, which aligns nicely with our core commitment to driving global expansion in the production of precursors for the rapidly expanding HBLED market," said Philip Rose, SAFC Hitech President. "The expansion of our Kaohsiung presence is a logical next step that will help us to support these markets. By increasing our investment in local technical service capabilities and by leveraging our proprietary technologies and capabilities, we are able to increase our transfilling, production and technical services in these key markets."

The existing SAFC Hitech Kaohsiung capabilities handle and characterize highly-specialized laboratory-scale chemicals and features a dedicated customer support center.  This existing site is ISO 9001 certified for quality and ISO 14001 certified for safety and environmental protocols. The facility was originally built to service the semiconductor industry demands for ultra-high quality precursors using proprietary technologies. The site also provides integrated inert atmosphere transfilling stations, state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation for the detection of ultra-low metallic and oxygen containing contaminants and dedicated cylinder preparation and packaging areas. An extensive departmental infrastructure (Health & Safety, quality, shipping, sales) provides for adherence to the highest standards of performance.