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Water Treatment Technology Drives High-Quality Development of the Electronic Semiconductor Industry, Laying a Solid Foundation for High-End Manufacturing
2026-04-24
Water is often called the "industrial blood" of semiconductor manufacturing, and ultrapure water (UPW) is the backbone medium used throughout the entire chip production process. Unlike standard industrial water, semiconductor-grade ultrapure water must meet strict international electronic-grade standards and adapt to the precise needs of different manufacturing processes. It requires the complete removal of minerals, particles, bacteria, microorganisms, and dissolved gases—achieving near "impurity-free" purity. Key specifications include: stable resistivity above 18.2MΩ·cm (25℃), with 95% of operating time above 17MΩ·cm; total organic carbon (TOC) below 1ppb (and under 0.5ppb for high-end processes); metal ion levels (copper, nickel, sodium, etc.) below 0.01ppb (and even under 1ppt for advanced processes); fewer than 1 particle larger than 1μm per mL; no more than 0.01 bacteria per mL; and total silicon content ≤2μg/L. Even tiny traces of impurities in critical steps—such as wafer cleaning, etching, lithography, and chemical mechanical polishing—can contaminate wafer surfaces, cause short circuits, and hurt chip yield and performance.
To meet these extreme water quality demands for advanced manufacturing, water treatment companies around the world are investing more in R&D to refine ultrapure water preparation processes. Today, the combination of "two-stage reverse osmosis (RO) + electrodeionization (EDI) + terminal polishing" is the global industry standard. This process pairs RO’s efficient desalination with EDI’s continuous, stable water production—no chemical regenerants needed. It’s both eco-friendly and reliable, meeting the water needs of 12-inch wafers and 7nm-and-below advanced processes. For example, a leading global water treatment firm customized a 50 tons/hour ultrapure water system for a top semiconductor substrate maker, using a four-step purification process: "two-stage RO + ultra-pure electrodeionization (UPW-EDI) + nano-catalytic TOC removal + secondary terminal polishing." This system meets the strict standards of <1ppt metal ions and <1 particle per mL, helping the client boost production yield by over 15%.
Beyond ultrapure water, wastewater treatment remains a major challenge for the global semiconductor industry, with strict compliance required for international environmental standards and regional regulations. Wastewater from semiconductor production—including electroplating, etching, and cleaning wastewater—features complex compositions, high pollutant concentrations, and persistent toxicity. It contains heavy metals like copper and nickel, as well as fluoride and hard-to-degrade organic pollutants, making treatment particularly difficult. International standards and regional rules mandate strict discharge limits: total copper ≤0.3mg/L (direct discharge) and ≤1.0mg/L (indirect discharge); total nickel ≤0.1mg/L (direct discharge); fluoride ≤10mg/L (direct discharge); and chemical oxygen demand (COD) ≤50mg/L (direct discharge). In regions with stricter environmental rules, limits for total cyanide, total chromium, and other indicators are more than 50% tighter than baseline standards.
To align with international environmental policies and industry guidelines, semiconductor and water treatment companies worldwide have adopted a full-cycle treatment approach: "source prevention – classified pretreatment – comprehensive treatment." Technologies like countercurrent cleaning reuse, chemical precipitation, ion exchange, and Fenton oxidation enable wastewater reduction, recycling, and safe disposal. Today, leading companies globally have raised wastewater reuse rates to over 90%, cutting fresh water use, reducing environmental impact, and delivering both economic and ecological benefits.
The global semiconductor water treatment equipment market is highly competitive, with a handful of international giants dominating the high-end segment. Meanwhile, emerging companies across regions are gaining market share through technological innovation. Leading global water treatment firms have advanced polyamide reverse osmosis membrane technology, achieving desalination rates above 97%. High-precision TOC analyzers on the global market offer ppb-level detection accuracy, with prices varying by brand and technical capabilities. Many global water treatment providers can supply ultrapure water systems for 12-inch wafer fabs, serving major semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. While technical hurdles remain for core components—such as high-precision ion exchange membranes and nano-scale ultrafiltration membranes—ongoing R&D is speeding up technological innovation and product upgrades across the global market.
Industry experts worldwide note that as semiconductor processes advance to 3nm and 2nm, water treatment requirements will grow even more rigorous—with intelligence, low carbonization, and modularization shaping the global industry’s future. Moving forward, water treatment companies around the world will deepen collaboration with semiconductor manufacturers, focusing on advanced process water needs, addressing key technical challenges, and driving upgrades in global water treatment technology and equipment. At the same time, leveraging advanced technologies like AI-driven control and digital twins will help optimize system operation, cut energy use, and push the global semiconductor industry toward greener, low-carbon development.
As an "invisible cornerstone" of the global electronic semiconductor industry, water treatment innovation impacts not just chip quality and industry competitiveness, but also the safety and stability of the global high-end manufacturing supply chain. With ongoing technological breakthroughs and expanding application scenarios, the global water treatment industry will integrate more closely with the semiconductor sector—laying a strong "water foundation" for the industry’s high-quality, sustainable development worldwide.
