Major Semiconductor Manufacturer Demonstrates GORE® Filters Perform Comparably to UF Module at Significantly Lower Cost
A major semiconductor manufacturer in China sought a lower cost alternative to UF modules. GORE® Filters provided performance that was nearly equivalent to that of costly UF modules, meeting the requirement for all but the most demanding applications.
Benefits
- GORE® Filters can meet the requirements for most of the manufacturer’s ultrapure water applications at significantly lower cost than UF modules.
- Initial capital cost of final filtration skid will be 50 percent lower
- Annual operating expenses will be 25 percent lower
- GORE® Filters will require significantly less floor space than a UF module skid.
Situation
A major semiconductor manufacturer in China was seeking a lower-cost alternative to ultrafiltration modules for a production water system. To compare filtration performance, parallel trials were run with GORE® Filters and ultrafiltration modules.
Trial Setup
- Single water source for GORE® Filter and UF module
- Single 10-inch GORE® Filter installed after pre-filter
- Inlet water quality ~100,000 counts/liter @ 0.05μm
- Trial was run with GORE® 0.02μm, then GORE® HR*
- Water quality from UF module and GORE® Filters compared using UDI50 particle counter.
*HR: High Retention filter. Testing demonstrates retention superior to typical 0.02μm filter
Results
The performance of the GORE® Filters was nearly equivalent to that of the ultrafiltration module:
- UF: ~50 to 100 counts/liter @ 0.05μm
- GORE® HR: ~50 to 200 counts/liter @ 0.05μm
- GORE® 0.02μm: ~200 to 500 counts/liter @ 0.05μm
- Manufacturer now has data proving that GORE® Filters meet the requirements for most ultrapure water applications that had previously required the more costly UF modules
FOR MICROELECTRONICS USE ONLY.
Not for use in food, drug, cosmetic or medical device manufacturing, processing, or packaging operations.