Linde recently announced it has started up a new ASU plant to supply nitrogen, high purity oxygen and argon to the 12-inch wafer product line of Shanghai Huali Microelectronics Corporation (HLMC) in Shanghai. In addition, Linde will supply hydrogen and helium to HLMC.

The new plant includes on-site nitrogen generators and a compressed dry air (CDA) system.

"Recently, China's electronics industry has significantly advanced in technology, innovation and production capabilities, and the reliable supply of high-quality gases is crucial to the success of our customers. We look forward to expanding our relationship in the future as we continue to build our network density in China," said Will Li, Head of Linde Greater China.

HLMC, a subsidiary of the Huahong Group, is the leading semiconductor manufacturer in China which supports 28 to 14 nm nodes processing technology.