Overview

By the end of 2025, Northwest China’s first 8-inch semiconductor chip production line began operations in Shaanxi Province. The first phase, developed with an investment of RMB 3.2 billion, is a large-scale project with a monthly wafer production capacity of 50,000 wafers. Nippon Paint China was responsible for the coating works in the project’s core production area. This article highlights Nippon Paint China’s technical capabilities, which can meet highly demanding technical standards.

High-Level Environmental Control Supporting Semiconductor Manufacturing

In semiconductor manufacturing, a variety of factors—including cleanliness, electrostatic control, volatile emissions from materials, equipment vibration, and frequent logistics activity—can affect production quality and the stable operation of equipment. As a result, coating specifications for core production areas must deliver performance that far exceeds the requirements for general industrial applications.

Nippon Paint China’s Coating Solutions Adopted in the Core Production Area

In this project, Nippon Paint China’s systematic coating solutions were adopted for the walls, ceilings, and floors of the core production area. An anti-static self-leveling floor system was installed on the floor to help prevent the accumulation of static electricity from affecting precision components, while also withstanding long-term loads from heavy equipment and high-frequency traffic.

For the walls, columns, and main structural elements such as waffle tubes, a water-based epoxy system was applied. This solution combines dust resistance with environmental considerations. Its smooth, seamless, and easy-to-clean surface helps reduce the adhesion of fine particles and delivers quality that meets high-level cleanroom standards (※1).

In addition, given the heavy dust conditions characteristic of Northwest China and the dust-prone environment of industrial zones, Nippon Paint China’s long-life, anti-fouling, lightweight stone-like finish was adopted for the building exterior. This finish is resistant to dirt and offers strong self-cleaning performance through rainwater washing, contributing to lower long-term maintenance costs.

Industrial Coating Solutions Supporting Advanced Manufacturing

By providing comprehensive coating protection from production spaces to building exteriors, this project demonstrates the results of Nippon Paint China’s long-standing commitment to advanced manufacturing and its expansion into a wide range of semiconductor applications.

Nippon Paint China offers solutions that address more advanced coating requirements, including anti-corrosion, fire resistance, high cleanliness, and anti-static performance, and provides proposals with greater suitability for emerging needs and use cases in industrial environments.

Building on its industrial coating solutions, Nippon Paint China is further deepening collaboration with advanced manufacturing companies. It has already contributed to the construction of numerous model smart manufacturing projects and factories certified under the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network, including Guangzhou Huaxing Optoelectronics, Shenzhen Pinghu Smart Manufacturing Park, and CATL’s Ningde base. It is also part of collaborative frameworks with state-owned enterprises in the industrial engineering sector, including Jiangsu Zhongdian Development and China State Construction Technology.

Looking Ahead

With a commitment to meeting the growing demand for specialized and systematic support in advanced manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors and new energy, Nippon Paint China will continue to advance research and development in coating technologies and provide highly compatible, high-standard environmental safety solutions for advanced manufacturing projects across industries in China.