Semiconductors: all you need to know about Air Liquide's role in 7 questions
Published on June 27, 2025
4 minutes
Semiconductors are the tiny yet powerful components that enable nearly every piece of modern technology, from smartphones and electric vehicles to medical equipment and game consoles. They allow devices to process data, store data, and connect with the world. Without them, there would be no AI, no 5G, no smart appliances. In short: no chip means no technology. But what’s behind this booming industry, and how does Air Liquide play a key role in it? Let’s break it down in 7 questions.
The world needs more and more chips, and not just more, but smaller, faster, and more powerful ones to support innovations like Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and electric vehicles. The semiconductor market is expected to double in size by 2030, reaching $1 trillion1. To meet this demand, companies are investing over $100 billion each year to build new manufacturing plants, also known as “fabs”. Governments are also supporting local production with public subsidies. The race to innovate is global and accelerating.
Making a chip takes about three months and involves hundreds of ultra-precise steps. The process includes lithography, etching, deposition, and ion implantation, all performed at the nanometer scale, which is 7,000 times thinner than a human hair. It also requires an ultra-clean environment and extremely pure gases. Any error, even microscopic, can compromise the chip and the whole batch. Precision and control are everything.
Air Liquide is a leader in supplying the ultra-pure gases and advanced materials needed to produce chips. From oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to complex molecules, these materials are critical to every phase of manufacturing. Air Liquide also provides equipment and services to ensure safe and reliable operations. The company supports all major chip makers, with long-term partnerships built on innovation and trust. Its solutions may be invisible, but they are indispensable.
Air Liquide is active in all major semiconductor regions: Asia, the U.S., and Europe. It works with the top 10 global chip manufacturers and locates production units close to customer sites for safe and uninterrupted supply. In 2024, 91% of its Electronics revenue came from the semiconductor sector. The Group is expanding its footprint with new high-tech gas units and innovation centers worldwide.
Air Liquide gases are used at every critical stage of chip production. During oxidation, oxygen or water vapor is applied to form a protective oxide layer on the silicon wafer. During the etching phase, gases from the enScribe™ range help to sculpt ultra-thin circuits. For deposition, gases such as silane, diborane, and advanced materials from the Voltaix™, ALOHA™, and Subleem™ ranges enable the formation of ultra-thin conductive and insulating films. During ion implantation, conductive gaseous ions are injected into the wafer to impart its semiconducting properties. Throughout the process, high-purity carrier gases such as nitrogen, hydrogen, and argon are essential to maintain clean, stable, and precise manufacturing conditions.
In addition to semiconductors, Air Liquide supports the flat panel display and solar energy industries. It provides specialty materials and on-site nitrogen for next-gen screens, and ultra-pure gases like silane and ammonia for photovoltaic cells. Across all sectors, the focus remains the same: high-purity, reliable supply, and support for innovation and sustainability.
Chip manufacturing is resource-intensive, so reducing environmental impact is crucial. Air Liquide is innovating with low-carbon materials like its enScribe™ line, which reduces CO₂ emissions during etching. Thanks to the enScribe range of materials, 100,000 tons of CO₂ emissions are avoided per year. The Group is also building energy-efficient gas production units and transitioning to renewable electricity to run them. For Air Liquide, sustainability and innovation go hand in hand.
This industry moves incredibly fast. Technology evolves constantly, and chipmakers expect their partners to keep pace. The rising demand for AI and GenAI and more generally for advanced technologies, is leading to ever-increasing needs in the semiconductor industry for industrial and rare gases, and advanced molecules. Air Liquide’s teams are challenged to deliver precision, safety, innovation, and responsiveness at the highest level, as well as engineering facilities enabling ever-increasing quantities of gases to be supplied to its customers, without interruption of supply. It’s a demanding field but one that pushes our employees to grow and develop cutting-edge solutions.
