In X-FAB’s new factory in Erfurt – a so-called Microsystems Fab – innovative production processes will be used to produce microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and heterogeneously integrated systems at wafer level. These are destined to be used in applications such as the automotive industry, medical technology or in the industrial sector. PORR has been commissioned with the design and build of the new factory. The contract includes a cleanroom production area of around 3,500 m², a directly connected office wing, and the integration of the factory into the existing site.

“The growth in the market for semiconductor chips is unabated, driven not only by artificial intelligence, but also by future technologies such as autonomous driving. This in turn is generating growth for us, as demand for cleanrooms keeps rising”, says PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss. With its Chips Act, the European Commission has mobilised more than EUR 52 bn in public and private investment. According to the SEMI World Fab Forecast, global spending on Fab equipment is set to grow by 9% to USD 166 bn by 2027.

Vibration requirements and fail-safe operation 

“Cleanrooms place very particular requirements on planning and construction”, explains Strauss. On the one hand, they have to be practically vibration-free: They must be built massively so that vibrations from road traffic, for example, do not reach the production machines. On the other hand, they have to be fail-safe, as operations run 24/7 all year round. Things are often challenging in terms of scheduling as well: The individual trades are tightly timed. The requirements for occupational safety are also especially high.

“The requirements are becoming ever more demanding”, says Strauss. The structures etched onto the chips, for example, are becoming increasingly smaller and more complex. In addition, expectations regarding energy efficiency are rising. Today, for example, the reuse of waste heat with the help of heat recovery and the use of PV systems come as standard.

PORR now has decades of experience in realising cleanrooms for the semiconductor and biotech industries. It has already built several 100,000 m² of cleanrooms and established itself as a full-service provider capable of handing over cleanrooms on a turnkey basis from planning right through to the “hook-up” of the machines and commissioning. Its customers include Infineon Technologies, ams OSRAM and Bayer, among others.