The powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake on April 3, 2024, caused severe damage in Hualien and affected several tech plant buildings. However, some facilities quickly resumed operations, mainly due to the assistance provided by the Department of Civil Engineering and the Disaster Prevention and Water Environment Research Center (DPWE) at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU).
Since 2016, they have assisted semiconductor factories in developing and installing seismic-resistant devices for furnace pipes and warehouse systems. With years of promotion and implementation, these measures have demonstrated seismic resilience during this earthquake, effectively reducing damage and losses.
How Vibratory-Sensitive Process Equipment in Technology Factories Confront Earthquakes
Taiwan is located in a seismic zone, making earthquakes an inevitable natural disaster. Therefore, seismic resilience is a critical issue for technology factories. The powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Meinong, Kaohsiung, on February 6, 2016, had a severe impact on the high-tech industry in southern Taiwan, causing losses exceeding one hundred billion New Taiwan Dollars.
At that time, semiconductor factories commissioned the Department of Civil Engineering and the DPWE at NYCU to develop technologies that could withstand earthquakes, including equipment such as vertical furnaces, automated warehousing systems, ceilings/floors, and carts/racks, which had suffered significant damage during previous earthquakes. The Department conducted full-scale seismic simulation tests in its large-scale structural laboratory to confirm the feasibility of these technologies. As a result, the technologies gained recognition from tech plants and insurance companies and started to be implemented in facilities.
Professor Yen-Po Wang from the Department of Civil Engineering at NYCU has pointed out that many vibration-sensitive process equipment in technology plants are at high risk of damage during earthquakes. Specifically, the protective measures for automated warehousing systems need to be revised. When the intensity of an earthquake reaches a certain threshold, fully loaded wafer boxes on the racks can fall off.
“During the strong earthquake in 2016, the proportion of items falling was very high. It is estimated that sixty to seventy percent of the losses were due to items falling from the automated warehousing system,” mentioned Prof. Wang.
However, installing energy dissipation and vibration control systems in automated warehousing systems can significantly reduce vibration responses, effectively preventing wafer boxes from falling off. This damping effect was fully validated during the earthquake on April 3.
In fact, after the earthquake in 2016, many manufacturers strengthened the seismic resilience of their factories. For example, the factory of Innolux Display Corp. is constructed with earthquake-resistant architecture, and once the shaking exceeds magnitude 3 to 4, the machines will automatically shut down. TSMC has also been gradually installing dampers. However, in addition to earthquake-resistant buildings, falling ceilings can also cause damage to equipment.
The Vulnerability and Seismic Improvement of Cleanroom Ceilings in Technology Factories
Prof. Wang stated that wafer fabs rely on these enclosed systems for cleanliness. The ceilings of cleanrooms are part of a suspended system, swinging independently during earthquakes without synchronizing with the structural deformations of the building. This can lead to collisions and compressions around the perimeter, causing the displacement and deformation of the overhead crane rails and equipment. In severe cases, it may even collapse, contaminating the cleanroom. This not only delays the resumption of operations but also adds to the losses incurred due to operational interruptions.
In response to the seismic demands of cleanroom ceilings, the NYCU team assisted technology factories in installing energy dissipation and vibration control devices. They also completed seismic reinforcement projects for the cleanroom ceilings of a 12-inch wafer fab in the Hsinchu Science Park. These efforts demonstrated excellent seismic performance during the recent earthquake.
In hindsight, the seismic damage patterns of technology factories in Taiwan have shown remarkable similarities over the years. Vibration reduction technologies related to this issue have matured and been rigorously tested by earthquakes. Profe. Wang stated that by strategically planning industrial insurance coverage and focusing on controlling significant sources of seismic damage, it is possible to significantly reduce the seismic risk of tech plants and enhance their seismic resilience.
The semiconductor industry has established Taiwan as a globally renowned tech island. NYCU customizes earthquake-resistant techniques to local conditions and specific needs, to enhance seismic engineering in high-tech factories and provide the most reliable support for safeguarding the semiconductor industry.
