The electronics industry is the driver of today’s technological advances both for business and consumers. At the heart of this vast revolution is the silicon chip and the microprocessor, which are becoming miniaturised ever further. Specialised ultra pure chemicals, such as peroxides and organic chemicals are essential to manufacture these wafers, in the etching and cleaning operations.

Manufacture of semiconductors
The clean room manufacture and wet-bench fabrication of semiconductors rely on high purity materials. As the demand for micro-electronics increases, so the process requirements become more stringent. Ultra pure chemicals make it possible to manufacture ever smaller and more powerful chips, leading to more powerful and miniaturised equipment.
Continuing advances in electronic circuitry require ever-greater precision in production; photochemical processes to etch structures are becoming so small that even the minutest impurity cannot be tolerated.

Electrical insulation
In the world of power plants and substations, Solvay's sulfur hexafluoride provides excellent quenching and insulating properties. This has allowed the construction of new types of compact, high-voltage circuit breakers and switchgear that can be installed in densely populated areas, where site costs would prohibit the use of traditional methods. Thanks to this product`s insensitivity to polluted air, substations can be located near chemical plants, in desert regions and in coastal areas.