Sullivan-Palatek Asia’s Oil-Free Technology: Safeguarding Semiconductor Manufacturing

In the precision world of semiconductor manufacturing, even the slightest oil contamination from conventional lubricated air systems can create “an invisible barrier” to high-end production. Leading semiconductor packaging equipment manufacturers demand nothing less than absolute air purity.

With advanced oil-free technology, Sullivan-Palatek Asia’s dry-type screw air compressors have broken through this barrier. They require no lubricating oil during air compression or vacuum generation, eliminating the risk of oil contamination at its source and delivering pure air to support the semiconductor processes.

Project Challenge

This project aimed to provide oil-free compressed air for the full chip packaging and testing process at the Guangdong facility of an industry leader headquartered in Singapore. The client set extremely high requirements for the compressed air system:

    1. Nominal Pressure: Adjustable within 7–10 bar to meet diverse process needs.

    2. Maximum Delivery: No less than 93 m³/min.

3. Air Quality: Compliant with ISO 8573-1 Class 0, with oil content below 0.01 mg/m³ to ensure purity.

4. Auxiliary Equipment: Adsorption dryer＋compression-heat recovery system to improve both energy efficiency and air quality.

Cleanroom

Sullivan-Palatek Asia’s Outstanding Solution

In response to the client’s four core requirements, Sullivan-Palatek Asia deployed three SVOF200-8W dry-type oil-free screw air compressors, delivering a targeted solution from both a technical and economic perspective:

I. Technical Perspective

1. Air Delivery: With peak capacities of 110 m³/min@7bar and 100 m³/min@8bar, the system provides flexible air supply.

2. Fine Pressure Adjustment: The open pressure-setting function allows the client to fine-tune pressure at both the downstream piping and end-use equipment, ensuring optimal air output and maximum efficiency.

   3. Oil-Free Design: Completely eliminates the risk of oil contamination. On-site oil mist detection recorded an exhaust oil content of just 0.007 ppm—30% stricter than the Class 0 standard—achieving truly “100% pure air.”

II. Economic Perspective

1. Extended Service Life: The non-contact design of the screw rotors minimizes wear, greatly extending equipment life.

2. Simplified Structure: With no lubricating oil, maintenance requirements are minimal, reducing overall operating costs.

3. Significant Energy Savings: Paired with an HOC regenerative adsorption dryer and a waste heat recovery system, total energy consumption is cut by over 30% compared to conventional systems.

Two Years of Proven Reliability

The three SVOF200-8W dry-type oil-free screw air compressors have now been running stably at the facility for over two years, with each unit exceeding 6,000 hours of operation. With products that are “Reliable, Durable, Efficient, and Energy-Saving,” Sullivan-Palatek Asia has once again earned high recognition and praise from the client.

From wafer fabrication to packaging and testing, Sullivan-Palatek Asia’s dry-type oil-free screw technology delivers both “pure air supply” and “benchmark energy efficiency,” redefining the backbone of semiconductor manufacturing and driving the industry toward a future of “higher yields, lower energy consumption, and greater sustainability.”