Most UPW systems use some variation of a common formula with a pretreatment stage, followed by advanced membrane processes — such as reverse osmosis.

Production of ultrapure water meets the demands of semiconductor manufacturers and associated businesses

In fast-evolving high-tech industries, advanced water treatment processes provide critical quality control. Treating water to exacting standards optimizes performance and product integrity, supporting the AI and biotech revolutions, from hardware manufacturing to cooling massive data centers that operate at scale.

Fluence’s advanced water treatment solutions support the stringent requirements of semiconductor fabrication, data centers, biotechnology research, and AI infrastructure, ensuring efficiency, sustainability, and compliance. As these industries push the boundaries of innovation, reliable water treatment has become an essential foundation for sustainable growth.

Ultrapure Water in Semiconductor Fabs

Chip and semiconductor manufacturing plants — commonly known as fabs — require ultrapure water (UPW) to ensure that contaminants do not interfere with their delicate processes. At almost every stage, semiconductor and chip manufacturers rely on UPW for surface conditioning, rinsing, wafer cleaning, chemical mechanical planarization, and wet etching. Producing UPW requires a series of advanced treatment processes to achieve thousands of times the purity of drinking water.

Most UPW systems use some variation of a common formula with a pretreatment stage, followed by advanced membrane processes — such as reverse osmosis (RO), and ultrafiltration — or activated carbon filtration, and ultraviolet purification. Deionization typically follows, with processes including ion exchange (IX) or continuous electrodeionization (CEDI).

Fluence provides these and other time-tested options such as gas transfer membrane (GTM) degasification, to exceed the most exacting industry targets. For operations requiring modular, scalable solutions, Fluence’s containerized Nirobox™ system integrates ultrafiltration, RO, and CEDI within a compact footprint, delivering ultrapure water suitable for semiconductor fabs.

Fluence’s RO and CEDI approach for demineralized water surpasses traditional ion exchange resin processes in sustainability, eliminating the need for expensive regeneration chemicals and offering the most environmentally safe treatment in the industry.

Compact, reliable systems from Fluence offer unparalleled efficiency in logistics and simplified plug-and-play deployment, delivering UPW water with a resistivity of up to 16 Mohm/cm (<0.1 µS/cm) in a package that can be customized for any feedwater source and can meet any quality standard required in the high-technology industries.

Ultrapure Water for Solar Panels, Batteries, and Fuel Cells

Beyond semiconductor manufacturing, UPW plays a critical role in other high-tech applications, including the production of renewable energy technologies such as solar panels, lithium-ion batteries, and fuel cells.

During the etching and doping processes, photovoltaic (PV) solar panel manufacturers use UPW to remove unwanted materials and deposit dopant materials into the silicon wafers to modify their electrical properties. After chemical treatment, washing and rinsing with UPW removes remaining residues or contaminants. It can also be used in cooling systems in PV panel manufacturing.

Lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities use UPW to prevent contamination during electrolyte production. Production of electrolyte requires water of the highest purity to prevent any impurities from affecting the electrolyte’s performance, so cleaning and rinsing with UPW is conducted at different stages of production.

UPW also plays a similar role in fuel cell manufacturing to clean and prepare components, such as electrodes, membranes, and other critical components.

Ultrapure Water in the Biopharmaceutical Sector

Biopharmaceuticals have emerged as another growing high-tech sector, and research and production both require UPW.

In cell culture, UPW is used to prepare media and solutions for growing cells, supporting healthy cell growth and behavior. For protein purification, UPW prevents contamination that can harm the quality and functionality of proteins.

Researchers use UPW in polymerase chain reactions and other molecular biological procedures to ensure accurate results. Finally, during pharmaceutical testing and quality control, UPW is essential for preparing test solutions, rinsing equipment, and ensuring compliance with USP and EP standards, all while maintaining the purity and safety of final products.

Data Center Cooling Water

While UPW is essential in industries like pharmaceuticals, where contamination risks must be minimized, it also plays a key role in data centers—though for a different reason. Instead of purity, here, water treatment is focused on optimizing cooling efficiency and equipment longevity.

The rapid growth of cloud computing and AI services is driving increased heat generation in data centers, where water cooling remains the primary method for maintaining optimal operating temperatures.

While cooling water doesn’t have to meet the stringent quality standards of chip manufacturing, data centers often treat their cooling water to control corrosion, scaling, and microbiological growth which can reduce the efficiency and shorten the lifespan of cooling equipment. With treatment, water can be reused, cutting water costs and reducing reliance on traditional water sources such as surface and groundwater.

How can cooling water be treated and reused in data centers? A demineralization process removes calcium, magnesium, and other minerals in hard water that cause scaling on heat exchange surfaces.

Disinfection eliminates microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, and fungi, preventing biofouling in cooling systems. Filtration removes dirt, sand, debris, and chemicals that would otherwise corrode metal components.  Removing organic compounds inhibits microbiological growth before it starts.

Fluence provides a full range of solutions for data center cooling water treatment, including:

• Traditional (activated carbon) and advanced membrane filtration
• Chemical treatment
• Ion exchange
• Water softening
• Adsorption
• Sterilization
• Deionization

Regardless of the industry—whether semiconductor fabrication, battery production, or AI-driven data centers—Fluence delivers customized water treatment solutions that enhance efficiency, sustainability, and reliability. Our Water Management Services provide comprehensive solutions that eliminate upfront costs, ensuring businesses can focus on innovation while we handle water treatment. Contact Fluence to let our experts know about your operation, and explore the options with a thoughtful team that knows the needs of commercial and industrial facilities.