Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has opened an enhanced and expanded European production center in Malta as part of its semiconductor strategy to act as a global partner for growth. The company says the increased manufacturing presence and capacity in Europe will enable shorter lead times, improved business continuity, greater flexibility and faster speed to market for sealing and damping solutions used by semiconductor manufacturers. The expansion adds more than 500 square meters, or 5,382 square feet, of cleanroom space and is intended to strengthen regional manufacturing capabilities at a time when supply chains remain affected by geopolitical uncertainty.
Chris Busby, Global Segment Director Semiconductor, said: "This investment enhances our ability to offer chip manufacturers global R&D and expertise combined with the advantages of in-region manufacturing, reducing the risk faced by customers in the current climate of geopolitical uncertainty."
Busby added: "The site has added over 500 square meters/5,382 square feet of cleanroom space and will focus on fluoroelastomer (FKM) and perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) products with options to extend capabilities in the future. The investment reinforces Trelleborg’s commitment to support the ambitions of the European Chips Act."
Additional semiconductor capacity in Europe
The expanded facility in Hal Far and Marsa is Trelleborg’s third semiconductor-focused manufacturing space, alongside facilities in Tewkesbury in the UK and Yongin in South Korea. According to the company, the Malta site also includes new advanced production facilities for the fast-evolving life sciences and biopharmaceutical sector.
Trelleborg has been established in Malta since 1961. The company states that it continues to develop skills and create new jobs on the island, with its workforce expected to increase to 600 employees to meet new business demands.
Fluorosurfactant-free materials added to PureFab range
Trelleborg is also introducing a new range of fluorosurfactant-free materials. As regulators and semiconductor manufacturers increasingly focus on reducing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) due to their potential impacts on human health and the environment, the company has added three fluorosurfactant-free materials to its PureFab materials range.
Busby said: "These two new high-temperature perfluoroelastomers (FFKM) and one fluoroelastomer (FKM) materials are ‘fluorosurfactactant free’, meaning they are made without low-molecular-weight PFAS fluorosurfactants. As regulations to reduce PFAS use evolve, these new materials help future proof customers against regulatory risk and strengthen their supply chain."
The new materials extend Trelleborg’s range of semiconductor solutions designed for demanding operating conditions, including extreme temperatures and increasingly aggressive chemical precursors. The Isolast PureFab range includes materials intended for aggressive front-end processes such as deposition, etch, ash/strip, plasma cleaning and thermal processing, including atomic layer deposition.
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions supplies polymer technologies for the semiconductor industry, drawing on engineering and application experience in the design of high-precision, customized sealing solutions for critical semiconductor applications. The company states that, as artificial intelligence, 5G, machine learning, high-performance computing and miniaturization increase performance demands, its high-performance seals are designed to provide cleanliness, chemical resistance and extended uptime required to maximize yield.