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10 min ago 3 min read
A large-capacity industrial chiller using nitrogen as a refrigerant has been developed for semiconductor manufacturing, with its technology now approaching commercialisation and a product launch targeted for 2027.
The system, developed by researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), uses the Turbo-Brayton cycle to deliver 15kW of cooling capacity at temperatures of -120°C or below.
Nitrogen has a global warming potential (GWP) of zero, offering an alternative to conventional vapour-compression chillers that often rely on refrigerants with high global warming potential.
The technology is designed to address cooling requirements in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly etching processes that create intricate patterns on chip surfaces and require cooling fluids at temperatures of around -100°C.
As semiconductor devices become increasingly integrated, demand for more precise etching processes is growing, placing greater demands on industrial cooling systems.
KIMM’s research team developed the system with a focus on increasing cooling capacity while avoiding high-GWP refrigerants. It uses nitrogen compression and expansion to generate the required cooling effect.
The system also uses oil-free turbomachinery supported by magnetic bearings, allowing its rotating shaft to operate without lubricating oil, which can freeze at cryogenic temperatures.
Performance testing showed that the chiller could reach temperatures of -120°C or below within 30 minutes of start-up, before operating at its target cooling load of 15kW within 60 minutes.
The technology has been transferred to Chago Engineering, a Korean semiconductor chiller manufacturer, which is targeting a product launch in 2027.
The development builds on earlier work by KIMM, which demonstrated cooling performance exceeding 10kW at -100°C in 2024.
Dr Junseok Ko, Head of KIMM’s Department of Energy Storage Systems, said the team had worked to advance the technology towards commercialisation since setting the goal of developing an industrial chiller in 2024.
KIMM is continuing research into Turbo-Brayton cooling systems capable of reaching temperatures of -250°C and -269°C, with potential applications in superconductivity, space, hydrogen, quantum technologies and nuclear fusion.
“Building on this achievement, we will continue developing industrial cryogenic cooling technologies that can be applied not only to semiconductor manufacturing but also a wide range of promising future industries,” said Dr Ko.
