Case Study: 1,200 m³/day Semiconductor UPW System — Southeast Asia

/ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In early 2023, a major semiconductor manufacturer in Penang, Malaysia, expanded their 8-inch wafer fabrication line. The expansion required an additional 1,200 m³/day of Ultrapure Water (UPW). Relying on outdated single-pass RO systems was causing unacceptable yield defects due to trace silica and boron slipping through to the wafer washing stations.

WANDONG ENVIRO was contracted to deliver a turnkey Double-Pass RO and EDI (Electrodeionization) plant. By engineering a high-density vertical skid architecture, we fit the entire multi-barrier purification train into their severely constrained sub-fab space. The system successfully locked the output resistivity at a continuous 18.2 MΩ·cm, eliminating water-related wafer defects and achieving a payback period of just 1.5 years through yield protection.

/ MODULE 02 — THE RAW REALITY

The site refused to cooperate.

Three constraints that would have killed a standard commercial water filter. We documented them on day one.

DEADLY CONSTRAINT · 01

YIELD KILLER

Trace Impurities (Boron & Silica)

Even parts-per-trillion (ppt) of boron or silica can short-circuit a microchip. The client's municipal feed water had fluctuating silica levels. Standard single-pass RO systems simply cannot achieve the ionic rejection required for modern semiconductor nodes.

DEADLY CONSTRAINT · 02

SPACE LIMITATION

Cleanroom Footprint Constraints

Fab floor space is the most expensive real estate on earth. The designated utility sub-fab area was extremely narrow. A traditional, sprawling water treatment plant would not fit without sacrificing revenue-generating production space.

DEADLY CONSTRAINT · 03

ZERO DOWNTIME

The Cost of Downtime

Semiconductor fabs operate on continuous 24/7 cycles. If the UPW system trips, the wafer washing stations halt, costing millions of dollars per hour. The system required absolute redundancy and seamless integration with the fab's central DCS.

/ MODULE 03 — THE ENGINEERED CURE

We didn't just supply equipment.
We engineered a paradigm shift.

Here is exactly how our engineering team neutralized the site's deadly constraints.

CURE FOR CONSTRAINT 01

Double-Pass RO + EDI

We deployed a multi-barrier architecture. The Double-Pass RO utilizes inter-stage pH adjustment (NaOH dosing) to fully ionize boron and silica. The final Continuous Electrodeionization (EDI) stack polishes the water to an absolute 18.2 MΩ·cm without hazardous chemical regeneration.

CURE FOR CONSTRAINT 02

High-Density Vertical Skids

We utilized 3D CAD modeling to design a multi-tier stainless steel skid. By stacking the RO pressure vessels and EDI modules vertically, we shrank the mechanical footprint by 40%, allowing the entire 1,200 m³/day plant to drop seamlessly into the existing sub-fab room.

CURE FOR CONSTRAINT 03

N+1 Redundancy & DCS Sync

We hardcoded N+1 redundancy into the Siemens S7 PLC. If a primary high-pressure pump faults, the standby unit engages in milliseconds. The entire system communicates via Modbus TCP/IP directly to the fab's central DCS, providing total visibility to the operations center.

/ MODULE 04 — ENGINEERING BLUEPRINT

A 5-stage train designed for absolute purity.

We engineered a highly resilient purification architecture. By combining UF pre-treatment, Double-Pass RO, and EDI, we completely insulated the fab from municipal water quality fluctuations.

01 //

UF Pre-treatment

Hollow Fiber PVDF. Removes suspended solids and organics, guaranteeing SDI < 2.
02 //

1st Pass RO Stack

DOW BW30 Elements. Removes 99% of bulk dissolved salts and silica.
03 //

2nd Pass RO Stack (with pH Adjust)

NaOH dosing ionizes boron. 2nd Pass RO polishes permeate to < 5 µS/cm.
04 //

EDI (Electrodeionization) Stack

Continuous electrical regeneration. Produces 18.2 MΩ·cm ultrapure water.
05 //

Final Polish (UV + Filters)

185nm UV destroys trace TOC. 0.05μm filters capture resin fines before wafer contact.

3D CAD / P&ID DRAWING

Full skid isometric CAD & P&ID (DWG-WD-2023-SE-PID-005)
available during technical consultation.

FIG. 04.1 — UPW PROCESS BLOCK FLOW EXCERPT

/ MODULE 04.5 — THE PARAMETER SHIFT

The Chemical Verdict.

Parameter	Feed Water (Municipal)	Permeate (UPW Output)	SEMI F63 Standard
Resistivity (@ 25°C)	~ 0.005 MΩ·cm	18.2 MΩ·cm	≥ 18.1 MΩ·cm
TOC (Total Organic Carbon)	2,500 ppb	< 0.8 ppb	< 1.0 ppb
Dissolved Silica (SiO2)	15,000 ppb	< 0.5 ppb	< 1.0 ppb
Particles (> 0.05μm)	> 10,000 counts/mL	< 1 count/mL	< 1 count/mL

// MODULE 05 — FACTORY ACCEPTANCE TEST

Witnessed FAT. 18.2 MΩ·cm Verified.

FAT DATE: 2023-04-10 → 2023-04-13

WITNESS: Fab Facilities Director

RESULT: PASS · 0 NCR

PLAY FAT HIGHLIGHTS

REC ● WANDONG WORKSHOP 02 · BAY B · 11.04.2023 14:30

EDI VOLTAGE

STABLE @ 150V

RESISTIVITY

18.24 MΩ·cm

REDUNDANCY TEST

FAILOVER < 0.5s

DCS HANDSHAKE

MODBUS TCP PASS

// MODULE 06 — BILL OF MATERIALS (EXCERPT)

The physical evidence.

Every line item below is in-service in Southeast Asia today. 100% Tier-1 global supply chain.

P/N · WD-DPRO-1200

Double-Pass RO Skid

SS304 Frame · DOW FilmTec™ Elements

P/N · IONPURE-VNX

EDI (Electrodeionization) Stack

Continuous Electrical Regeneration

P/N · GRUNDFOS-CRN

Grundfos CRN Pumps

SS316L Wetted Parts · N+1 Hot Standby

P/N · WD-UV-185NM

185nm UV TOC Destructor

Breaks down trace organics to < 1 ppb

P/N · WD-SCADA-S1500

Siemens S7-1500 PLC

Dual-Redundant Logic · Modbus TCP/IP

P/N · GF-PVDF-PIPE

GF+ High Purity PVDF Piping

IR Butt Welded · Zero Particle Shedding

/ MODULE 07 — DEPLOYMENT DIARY

14 weeks. 4 milestones. Documented.

2023.01.15 → 2023.02.20 · 5 WEEKS

Design & 3D Modeling

Sub-fab space was severely constrained. We utilized 3D CAD to engineer a high-density vertical skid layout, stacking the RO and EDI modules to save 40% floor space.

2023.03.01 → 2023.04.13 · FAT

Fabrication & Factory Acceptance

GF+ PVDF piping IR welded in our cleanroom workshop. Full wet FAT witnessed by the client's QA team. 18.2 MΩ·cm resistivity achieved and verified.

2023.04.20 → 2023.05.28 · TRANSIT

Ocean Freight & Cleanroom Erection

Shipped to Penang, Malaysia. The vertical skids were designed to fit exactly through the fab's standard double doors. Dropped into the sub-fab with zero civil modifications.

2023.06.05 · GO-LIVE

Commissioning & Handover

System powered on. Modbus TCP/IP handshake with the main fab DCS established. Continuous 18.2 MΩ·cm water supplied to the wafer washing stations.

Commissioning of Semiconductor UPW Plant

/ MODULE 08 — FINANCIAL VERDICT

The ledger doesn't lie.

Verified by fab operations team. 12-month post-commissioning data.

YIELD LOSS AVOIDED

\$2.5M

Estimated annual savings by eliminating wafer defects caused by trace silica and boron slipping through the old single-pass RO.

CHEMICAL SAVINGS

100%

Eliminated the need for hazardous acid and caustic regeneration chemicals by switching from Mixed Bed DI to continuous EDI.

VERIFIED

PAYBACK PERIOD

1.5 yrs

Extremely rapid ROI driven by the protection of high-value semiconductor yields.

SYSTEM RECOVERY

85%

EDI LIFESPAN

5+ YRS

DOWNTIME

ZERO

COMPLIANCE

SEMI F63

*Includes complete P&ID, BOM excerpt, and detailed OPEX calculation model.

/ MODULE 09 — THE CROSS-BORDER STANDARD

No Matter the Industry,
Our Baseline Stays the Same.

1. Zero Civil Work

100% skid-mounted and containerized. No site construction, no foundations, no delays.

2. Factory-Direct

No middlemen. No markup chains. The lowest Total Cost of Ownership in the industry.

3. 100% FAT Tested

Video-verified Factory Acceptance Testing before shipping. What you see is what you get.

4. Lifetime Support

Zero downtime. We provide 24/7 video troubleshooting and fast-track global air-freight for 100% genuine parts.

/ MODULE 10 — VOICE OF CLIENT & TECH Q&A

Words from the men who signed the cheque.

We cannot afford a single drop in resistivity. WANDONG's Double-Pass RO and EDI system has been rock solid. The N+1 redundancy gives us peace of mind, and the vertical skid design fit perfectly into our cramped sub-fab. It's exactly what our yield engineers demanded.

CITATION

Facilities Director

8-Inch Wafer Fab · Penang, Malaysia

Q-01 / EDI VS MIXED BED

Why use EDI instead of traditional Mixed Bed DI?

EDI (Electrodeionization) uses electricity to continuously regenerate the resin, eliminating the need for hazardous acid and caustic chemicals on the fab floor. It provides more stable 18.2 MΩ·cm water, eliminates the downtime associated with resin regeneration, and drastically reduces OPEX and safety risks.

Q-02 / TOC REMOVAL

How do you achieve sub-ppb TOC levels?

We deploy a multi-barrier approach utilizing 185nm UV oxidation lamps to break down organic bonds, followed by specialized polishing resins and ultrafiltration to capture the ionized fragments. This architecture guarantees TOC < 1 ppb, preventing organic hazing on the wafers.

Q-03 / REDUNDANCY

What happens if a primary pump fails?

Our fab-grade skids are designed with N+1 or 2N redundancy for all critical rotating equipment (Grundfos pumps) and sensors. The Siemens PLC automatically switches to the standby unit in milliseconds, ensuring zero interruption to your production line.

Q-04 / BORON & SILICA

How do you guarantee Boron and Silica removal for sub-nanometer nodes?

Boron and Silica are weakly ionized and difficult to remove. We utilize a Double-Pass RO architecture with precise inter-stage pH adjustment (NaOH dosing) to fully ionize these contaminants, allowing the second-pass RO and final EDI stack to reject them to < 0.5 ppb levels.

Q-05 / CLEANROOM FOOTPRINT

Our sub-fab space is extremely limited. Can the system fit?

Yes. We utilize 3D high-density piping design to stack the RO vessels and EDI modules vertically. This "Vertical Skid" approach reduces the mechanical footprint by up to 40% compared to traditional flat-layout plants, easily fitting through standard facility double-doors.

Q-06 / FAT & VALIDATION

Do you provide full validation documentation (IQ/OQ/PQ)?

Absolutely. We provide comprehensive documentation packages to support your facility's validation process, including Installation Qualification (IQ) and Operational Qualification (OQ) protocols. We also conduct a full wet FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) before shipping to prove the 18.2 MΩ·cm output.

MODULE 11 · PROOF OF LIFE · LIVE SCADA SNAPSHOT

UPDATED 60s AGO

UPW RESISTIVITY

18.24 MΩ·cm

TOC LEVEL

0.8 ppb

DCS LINK

ACTIVE

DATA SOURCE: WANDONG NOC · Tag stream WD-SE-2023 · SHA-256 signed at minute boundary.
Available for client due-diligence walkthrough.

Core Systems Deployed in this Project:

Ultrapure Water / EDI Industrial RO Systems

// Explore Similar Environments

>20k mg/L COD

Desert Landfill Leachate

38,500 ppm TDS

Luxury Resort SWRO Plant

// MODULE 13 — INITIATE PROTOCOL

STOP ADAPTING TO EQUIPMENT.
LET IT ADAPT TO YOUR INDUSTRY.

Every sector faces unique discharge limits and spatial constraints. Don't settle for off-the-shelf compromises. Submit your exact parameters, and our engineering team will architect a custom, zero-civil-work solution guaranteed to perform.

INITIAL RESPONSE

1-ON-1

CUSTOM PROPOSAL

CONSULTATION FEE

// SECURE YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN

Request Firm Quote & 3D Layout

Receive a custom P&ID and Factory-Direct project budget within 48 hours.

WORK EMAIL *

CAPACITY *

APPLICATION

RAW WATER REPORT / FAB SPECS

DROP FILE OR CLICK

.PDF / .XLSX / .CSV / MAX 10MB

NOTES & TARGET PURITY

AVG. RESPONSE: < 4 HRS · NDA PROTECTED

Generating 1,200 m³/day of 18.2 MΩ·cm Ultrapure Water for an 8-inch Wafer Fab.

System Technical Specifications