Air Products locks in long-term contract to supply high-purity gases for semiconductor expansion

Air Products and Chemicals is going all in on chips. The company has secured a long-term contract to supply high-purity industrial gases for Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor fabrication facility in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, marking what the company calls its largest investment commitment to the semiconductor industry to date. Under the deal, announced in late April, Air Products will construct, own, and operate multiple production facilities along with bulk specialty gas supply infrastructure at the site. Operations are set to phase in between 2028 and 2030. A sprawling semiconductor bet across Asia The Pyeongtaek contract is just the opening act. Air Products San Fu, a subsidiary focused on the Asia-Pacific region, landed a separate agreement in July for semiconductor expansion in Taiwan. That deal involves four new air separation units, bulk gas systems, and underground pipelines designed to deliver nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and helium to new fabrication and advanced packaging facilities. The Taiwan contract is directly tied to surging demand from AI and high-performance computing technologies, which require increasingly sophisticated chip manufacturing processes. Then in Septemb...