Edwards wins largest order in China for turnkey abatement at FPD fab

CRAWLEY, ENGLAND: Edwards, a leading global supplier of vacuum and abatement equipment and services, has secured its largest sale to date in China. The £12 million ($19 million) order from a leading flat panel display (FPD) manufacturer is for a customized fabwide turnkey abatement solution.

The system will be used for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and dry etch manufacturing processes to manage process exhaust gases and their effluents.

“Our turnkey abatement solutions have been optimized to ensure that the treatment of process exhaust gases and their by-products minimizes health and safety risks and meets environmental regulations, while also being easy to install,” said Jason Xu, Edwards’ general manager for China.

“These systems also help reduce the fab’s operating costs, energy consumption and carbon footprint. The resulting low cost of ownership makes it possible for manufacturers to both effectively manage the bottom line and respect the planet.”

This latest turnkey system sale includes Spectra Z and Atlas TPU exhaust management systems. FPD manufacturing involves large flows of silane, which is pyrophoric and generates approximately 2.68 grams of SiO2 powder for each liter used. (A full production FPD fab can produce up to 200 kg of powder per day.)

This powder can easily block exhaust ducts, degrading system performance and requiring increased maintenance. The Spectra Z has been optimized to handle these high silane flows, thereby improving fab safety and increasing system uptime.

The Atlas TPU uses an inward-fired, almost flameless, combustion system that eliminates the possibility of producing global-warming gases during the abatement of NF3, another gas commonly used in FPD manufacturing. The Atlas TPU is a highly effective, field-tested solution for preventing the formation of both PFCs and NOx.

“2010 has been widely recognized as a year of recovery, and China, in particular, is experiencing a period of tremendous growth,” said Neil Lavender-Jones, Edwards Asia Pacific region president. “This major sale marks a significant expansion by Edwards in Asia.”