South Korean conglomerate Hyosung Corp. will raise the production of Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3) -- a chamber cleaning gas used in the manufacture of semiconductors, flat panel displays and other electronics -- by building and adding NF3 production facilities.
Hyosung's chemical business said on Jan.11 that it would sink about 200 billion won into Quzhou, a city in southwestern Zhejiang province (China), to build a new NF3 production plant, capable of producing 2,500 tons annually, by the first half of 2017. In addition, Hyosung will invest 100 billion won in its Ulsan plant to raise the plant’s production by 1,250 tons a year. The Ulsan plant’s new production line will be cranked up in March.
“Hyosung has been a manufacturer of the world’s No.1 products in the textile and industrial materials sector, such as spandex and tire cords. Against such a backdrop, Hyosung’s chemical materials unit will build its first overseas plant in China. Thus, it marks a great step forward for us,” Hyosung said.
Hyosung has decided to construct a new plant in China in a bid to cut production and logistics costs, meet fast-growing demands from the Chinese market and secure a competitive edge over its rivals in the global market.
Cho Hyun-Joon, president of Hyosung Group, stressed: “The construction of a new plant in China is our strategic move to preemptively respond to the Chinese market’s exploding demand for semiconductors and displays.”
Fluoride is one of the strongest antioxidants on Earth. Nitrogen trifluoride is a gas that manufacturers of electronic parts, such as semiconductors, LCDs and solar batteries, use as a cleaning agent for their manufacturing equipment.
