Air Liquide invests over $170M to back SK hynix’s US fab

As part of a long-term contract, France’s Air Liquide will build, own and operate two new production units in Indiana to deliver ultra-pure gases to the first US fab of SK Hynix. Through this investment exceeding USD 170 million, Air Liquide will support the growing demand for next-generation chips, according to a media release.

As next-generation memory chips such as HBM require ever-increasing quantities of high-purity gases, Air Liquide will deliver large volumes of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, hydrogen and other industrial gases to SK hynix’s new cutting-edge advanced chips packaging facility. The new units will be commissioned at the end of 2028.

 “As development begins on America’s first advanced packaging facility for HBM, we are pleased to partner with key industry leaders to build a robust semiconductor ecosystem in Indiana,” Choonhwan Kim, EVP and Head of Global Infrastructure at SK hynix, said.

“This milestone investment underscores Air Liquide’s ability to bolster the growth of our long-standing and strategic partners, and accelerate the development of AI technologies,” Matthieu Giard, Air Liquide Group Executive Committee member, in charge of supervising operations in the Americas, said. “Relying on our three-decade presence in the Electronics sector in the United States, we are proud to support SK hynix’s first landmark expansion in America and contribute concretely to the rise of the most advanced semiconductor technologies.”