Chemours Expanding Teflon Capacity

US chemical producer Chemours, the DuPont spinoff, plans to expand capacity for its Teflon- branded PFA polymer in response to what it says is growing global demand from the semiconductor industry.

Through quality improvements made during a turnaround at its Washington Works plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Chemours said it has already increased capacity for the high performance polymer by 15% and expects to lift output capability further up to the end of 2018, achieving an overall 25% rise.

Up to 2021, the Delaware-based company said it will undertake a further upgrade at the West Virgina site, thereby doubling its current production capacity. All in all, the improvements are designed to allow the company to meet growing trends in global telecommunications trends such as 5G, Chemours said.

With the technological revolution driving demand for increasingly powerful and efficient integrated circuits that will have increasingly strict requirements for greater chip densities and higher yields, the company said PFA can provide “reliable, high-quality solutions,” thus enabling device manufacturers to maximize chip yields and design freedoms while minimizing downtime and process variability.

From bulk chemical distribution to wet-etch and CMP processes, chemically inert Teflon fluoropolymers enable equipment and systems that use high-performance, contamination-free gases and chemicals during the IC manufacturing process, said Chemours.