German industrial gases group Linde, which is in the throes of a merger with US rival Praxair, has announced it is investing an undisclosed sum to increase production for rare gases used in electronics. The move, it said, is in response to growing demand.

The company is currently adding rare gas processing capacity at Meford, Oregon, USA. The project adds to a newly installed neon plant in LaPorte, Texas, with an annual capacity of 40 million liters.

Linde said it recognizes the increasing demand for neon from deep UV (DUV) multi-patterning lithography and other excimer laser applications. The group noted that it has also strengthened its supply chain in Europe and installed additional purification capacity.

In addition, a xenon expansion project in Alpha, New Jersey, USA, is due for completion later in quarter three in order to meet the high-volume commercial adoption of the rare gas for etch applications in new 3D semiconductor structures.

Head of Linde Electronics, Andreas Weisheit, said: “We continue to invest globally in our own sources and at the same time develop additional supply capacity with our partners.”