Taiwan's semiconductor industry boasts an impressive industrial cluster and professional division of labor, making it an important partner in the global electronics supply chain. The development of advanced manufacturing processes used in semiconductor wafer fabs is closely linked to the equipment industry, which comprises of large international equipment manufacturers, as well as local ones with their indispensable localized supply chains. Whilst Taiwan's semiconductor industry is leading the way—expanding its reach into Europe and the U.S. and steadily increasing its pace of production—a number of little-known local champions of the industry have emerged. These champions have quietly contributed their utmost strength in places where the bright spotlight does not shine. They have become a pillar of support for the expansion of Taiwan's semiconductor industry and have achieved remarkable results.
TOPWELL is a manufacturer of clean room fan filter units (FFUs) with independent R&D, production, and design capabilities. These so-called FFUs consist of a motor, fan, case, control panel, as well as a precise environmental parameter monitoring system. They are specially designed to perform dust particle removal in wafer fabs and are an essential part of maintaining a clean room environment. FFUs not only serve as an important means of maintaining cleanliness in wafer fabs, they can also be used in hospitals as well as electronics and pharmaceutical factories.
In an interview with DigiTimes, Chih-Kai Chang, assistant vice president of TOPWELL, pointed out that the company has long enjoyed the opportunity to provide its FFU equipment to the largest wafer foundries in Taiwan. According to him, the company has acquired extensive technological and manufacturing capabilities. As part of the recent global expansion strategy of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, TOPWELL has begun to set up factories in the U.S. and Japan, making it an important member of the industry's joint efforts to succeed in the international arena, he added.
High-Efficiency FFUs with Real-Time Environmental Monitoring Feedback: Establishing a Mechanism for Visualized Factory Management
The semiconductor industry is relentlessly pursuing ESG goals, which means that the design of FFUs must also consider the efficiency of energy saving and carbon reduction functions. The industry has already shown that it is determined to fulfill its mission to achieve carbon footprint verification and net-zero emissions, which have already been widely accepted. Therefore, high-efficiency FFU equipment is indispensable in order for the industry to realize its ESG targets of saving energy and reducing electricity consumption.
There is a wide variety of possible FFU configurations in a wafer fab. Given the 24-hour continuous operation of such systems, it is the responsibility of the equipment manufacturer to ensure energy-saving and carbon-reduction designs. In addition to FFU equipment, TOPWELL has also developed a series of environment detection devices that measure temperature and humidity, differences in ambient and air filter pressure, fan power consumption, airflow, and dust particles in the factory. These devices are used to analyze environmental parameters and other important data to provide the integrated design capabilities of a precise control mechanism and FFUs to meet customers' demands.
In order to challenge the traditional notion of emphasizing FFUs' speed above all else, it is essential to measure environmental parameters and set reference targets. The key to high process yields is to precisely control the number of fine particles in a clean room. To alter the passive mindset of looking for the cause of problems only after process yields have already been affected, TOPWELL offers its customers solutions to prevent problems in advance by collecting big data on clean room operations. These solutions include FFU filter replacement cycle, maintenance, as well as fan motor speed, and airflow control as part of a visualized management system. Moreover, the factory's operations management team can achieve ESG goals more easily by using big data analytics and AI prediction capabilities.
TOPWELL Enters the International Market and Opens Up New Business Opportunities for the Future
Following the deteriorating geopolitical situation and the rise of protectionism, countries are accelerating their investments in the development of the semiconductor industry. Chih-Kai Chang believes that TOPWELL has gained years of experience and extensive capabilities through the deployment of its FFUs in Taiwan's semiconductor industry. The company has also established sales and logistics systems in North America, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries due to the global presence of its target customers, he added. TOPWELL not only provides the best possible services to its existing customers, but also foresees the future prosperity of the international market and hopes to create new business opportunities hand in hand with other members of Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain.
Credit: Company
