Praxair China and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMI) have signed a contract for Praxair to supply industrial gases to SMIC's new FAB 8 facility in Shanghai.

"We are proud to be chosen again by SMIC as its strategic supplier for its new state-of-the-art wafer facility. We have been working with SMIC since its inception in 2000 and are pleased to have been a major supplier during its growth as the preeminent semiconductor manufacturer in China," said Minda Ho, vice president, Praxair China.

Praxair will upgrade its existing facility and pipelines in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park to supply ultra-high-purity nitrogen, oxygen, argon, hydrogen and helium to the semiconductor plant. Praxair will also build and operate the purification and gas-monitoring systems located on the site.

SMIC's FAB 8 facility is a significant expansion of its existing facilities in Shanghai and will be used for the production of 300mm wafers with 90nm technology. Praxair also supplies SMIC's existing fabs in Shanghai and its 12-inch wafer fab in Beijing. SMIC is the largest producer of semiconductor chip wafers in China and one of the leading integrated circuit manufacturers worldwide.