The Successful Decontamination and Demolition of a North American Semiconductor IDM

Company Profile

North American-based Semiconductor Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) chip manufacturer

Business Challenges

WGNSTAR® was contracted to decontaminate, decommission, rig out and crate 160 production tools, in addition to demolishing and decontaminating the facility.

Technical Challenges

The first challenge was to remove the tools/equipment from the working fab with limited disruption to its production schedule. This was followed by the decontamination certification of the tools and affected fab areas.

The second challenge was to identify, verify, and test gas/chemical, exhaust, drain and electrical lines for subsequent removal. Contaminated materials needed to be sent offsite to WGNSTAR’s facility for final cleaning and disposal.

WGNSTAR Solution

WGNSTAR assembled a multi-faceted team comprising decommissioning, facility, decontamination engineers, and technicians to work simultaneously in both the fab and SubFab. The team methodically tested, decontaminated, and certified tools and facility areas section by section.

Benefits

Through communication, collaboration, and coordination, the project’s management team effectively facilitated the schedule. As a result, the task was completed on time and well within the required budget.

What This Means to WGNSTAR Clients

WGNSTAR is committed to working safely in any environment, offering a flexible approach to different challenges and site restrictions, whilst minimizing risk through careful planning and execution.