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22 min ago 2 min read
Industrial gas major Air Liquide will invest more than €170m ($192.8m) in several new production units to supply ultra high-purity gases to an undisclosed semiconductor manufacturer in Japan.
Under a long-term agreement, Air Liquide will supply ultra-pure, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and hydrogen, including significant backup storage capacity.
The supply of gases will support the expansion of the customer’s existing logic chip production facility. The gases will also ensure an ultra-clean and stable environment for chip manufacturing.
Air Liquide said the investment will be focused on the core of Japan’s southern semiconductor hub, although the company did not disclose the specific location.
Ronnie Chalmers, Vice-President at Air Liquide supervising operations in Asia-Pacific, said, “We are proud and fully prepared to support the continued growth of the Japanese semiconductor industry.”
According to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS), Japan’s semiconductor market reached $44.7bn in 2025 and is expected to grow to $57.1bn by the end of 2026, with further acceleration expected in 2027.
In April, Air Liquide announced a separate €200m ($226.8m) investment in two new plants in Hiroshima, Japan, to support the production of advanced semiconductor chips.
The two plants, likely air separation units (ASUs), will deliver ultra-pure nitrogen, oxygen, and argon once operational at the end of 2028.
Air Liquide currently has around 78 facilities dedicated to semiconductor activities in Japan.
