What is FFU?

FFU, the full name in English is Fan Filter Unit, and in Chinese it is fan filter unit. It is a modular terminal air supply device with its own power that combines a fan and a high-efficiency (or ultra-high-efficiency) air filter. Its working principle is that the fan inhales air from the top, and after two-stage filtration by the primary and high-efficiency filters, a uniform laminar flow of clean air is formed and sent downwards.

FFU has the characteristics of modular design, flexible installation, adjustable wind speed, low noise, energy saving, etc. It is a key equipment to constitute a clean environment. It can be used alone or can be modularly connected to form a clean air supply system. It is widely used in various production and scientific research places that have strict requirements for air cleanliness.

So, in which industries is FFU specifically used? How do different industries have different needs for FFU? This article will sort it out one by one.

1. Semiconductor and microelectronics industry

Semiconductor manufacturing is the core and most demanding field of FFU applications.

In the wafer manufacturing process, photolithography, deposition, etching and other process links have extremely high requirements for the control of particulate matter in the air. If a submicron dust particle falls on a wafer, it may cause a short circuit or open circuit in the chip circuit, directly lowering the product yield. Therefore, semiconductor clean rooms usually need to reach ISO class 1-5 or even higher cleanliness levels.

The main application scenarios of FFU in the semiconductor industry include:

• Wafer manufacturing clean room : FFUs are densely arranged in a large area on the clean room ceiling to form vertical unidirectional laminar flow, which continuously removes sub-micron particles in the air and protects the precise chip production process -

• Photolithography and etching areas : These core processes have the most stringent cleanliness requirements and are usually equipped with ULPA ultra-high-efficiency filters (filtration efficiency for 0.12μm particles ≥99.9995%) to ensure an extremely clean environment

• Equipment machine side : Install EFU (equipment side filter unit) above core equipment such as photolithography machines and etching machines to create an exclusive micro-environment for the machine

In addition to logic chip and memory chip manufacturing, FFU is also widely used in emerging fields such as power semiconductors and compound semiconductors (such as gallium nitride, silicon carbide).

From the perspective of market size, semiconductor integrated circuits have the highest requirements for cleanliness. The electronic information clean room market size will reach 130.5 billion yuan in 2022, accounting for 54.2%-. As the core equipment of clean rooms, FFU occupies an important position in this market.

2. Panel display industry

Panel display manufacturing is another important application area of ​​FFU.

The manufacturing process of TFT-LCD (liquid crystal display), AMOLED (flexible organic light-emitting diode), Mini/Micro LED and other panels is extremely precise. Core processes such as array, color film, box forming, and module are extremely sensitive to dust and chemical contaminants (AMC) - a single dust particle may cause pixel defects (bright spots or dark spots) -.

Typical applications of FFU in the panel display industry include:

• Array and color film process clean room : deploy FFU over a large area to maintain a clean environment of Class 100 (ISO Class 5)

• Evaporation and packaging area : The AMOLED evaporation process requires extremely high purity of organic materials and metal electrodes. FFU is used with ULPA filters and chemical filters.

• Module assembly line : Provide a local clean environment in the assembly and inspection area

In addition, as new display technologies such as Mini LED and Micro LED continue to develop into smaller sizes and the requirements for cleanliness continue to increase, the application of FFU in the panel display industry is further expanding.

3. Pharmaceutical and biomedical industry

The pharmaceutical industry is another core area for FFU applications.

The production of sterile drugs, biologics, vaccines, and medical devices is strictly governed by GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). Clean rooms not only need to control particulate matter, but also microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, etc.) -. FFU can effectively remove microbial carriers - dust particles in the air through HEPA high-efficiency filters (filtration efficiency for 0.3μm particles ≥99.97%), thereby indirectly controlling microbial pollution.

The main application scenarios of FFU in the pharmaceutical industry include:

• Sterile production workshop (level A/level B area) : Deploy FFU in key areas such as filling, freeze-drying, and aseptic preparation to maintain a local clean environment of level 100

• Biological products and vaccine production : In scenarios with dual requirements for air cleanliness and biosafety, FFU is used in conjunction with biosafety cabinets

• Medical device production : The production of implants, disposable consumables and other products has strict requirements on cleanliness

• Raw material weighing room : The weighing room equipped with FFU can effectively prevent dust diffusion and cross-contamination.

The pharmaceutical industry's requirements for FFU are not limited to filtration efficiency, but also include material (usually requiring a stainless steel box to facilitate cleaning and disinfection), low noise (to reduce the impact on operators), and compliance with international standards such as GMP and ISO 14644.

4. Food and Beverage Industry

Food processing and beverage production are also inseparable from a clean environment.

Microorganisms and dust particles in the air not only affect the taste and shelf life of food, but are also directly related to food safety. Production processes such as dairy products, meat products, baked goods, and beverage filling all require a certain level of clean environment.

Typical applications of FFU in the food industry include:

• Filling and packaging workshop : Install FFU above the filling line and packaging line to provide local clean air to prevent product contamination during the filling and packaging process

• Sterile processing area : For special foods that require aseptic operation (such as infant formula), FFU cooperates with HEPA filters to provide a sterile environment

• Cooling and temporary storage area : During the cooling and temporary storage process of food, clean air can effectively reduce the risk of microbial growth-

Similar to the pharmaceutical industry, FFU in the food industry usually requires stainless steel to facilitate cleaning and disinfection.

5. Medical and hospital industry

Medical facilities also have very strict requirements for air cleanliness and microbial concentration.

In medical places such as operating rooms, ICU wards, sterile wards, and catheterization laboratories, bacteria and viruses suspended in the air are the main transmission routes for postoperative infections. FFU can effectively reduce the concentration of microorganisms in the air through high-efficiency filtration, providing a safer medical environment for patients and medical staff.

Application scenarios of FFU in the medical industry include:

• Clean operating room : Install FFU on the ceiling of the operating room (usually used with a clean screen) to form a laminar flow clean area and reduce the risk of surgical infection.

• ICU and Sterile Ward : Provide clean air environment for patients with low immunity

• Dispensing center and intravenous drug preparation : Provide a local level 100 clean environment in the sterile dispensing operation area -

• Laboratory departments and laboratories : Provide clean operating environments in areas such as microbial testing and pathological testing.

During the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic, FFU was also used for air purification in wards, which can reduce PM2.5 in a 50m³ space to less than 10 within 1 minute, effectively filtering viruses in the air and reducing the risk of infection for medical staff.

6. Data center and computer room industry

With the development of the digital economy, the demand for FFU in data centers is growing rapidly.

The densely deployed servers in data center rooms are extremely sensitive to the air environment. Dust particles in the air will clog server cooling fans and heat sinks, causing cooling efficiency to decrease and equipment overheating; submicron particles may enter the gap between the hard disk read and write heads, causing read and write errors and even physical damage.

Applications of FFU in data centers include:

• Fresh air inlet filtration : Install FFU or high-efficiency air supply vents at the fresh air inlet of the computer room to intercept dust and pollutants in the outdoor air.

• Indoor circulation purification of the computer room : Install FFU or high-efficiency air supply vents on the ceiling of the computer room or the top of the cold aisle to continuously filter the indoor circulating air

• Core cabinet area : For scenarios with higher cleanliness requirements such as finance, government affairs, and AI computing power centers, FFU is deployed on the top of the cabinet area to achieve a local high-clean environment -

According to industry analysis, manufacturing clean rooms account for the largest share of FFU demand (about 52%), while the healthcare and life sciences sector accounts for 30-35%. Demand in emerging areas such as data centers is continuing to grow.

7. Other application industries

In addition to the above major industries, FFU is also widely used in the following fields:

• Precision instrument and optical manufacturing : The production and assembly of optical lenses and precision instruments are extremely sensitive to dust-

• Aerospace : Manufacturing and assembly of aerospace components requires high cleanliness environments -

• Laboratories and scientific research institutions : biological laboratories, materials laboratories, electronic laboratories, etc. require clean operating environments

• New energy (lithium battery/photovoltaic) : The production of lithium batteries and photovoltaic cells has strict requirements on temperature, humidity and cleanliness--

• Printing and spraying : High-precision printing and spraying processes are sensitive to airborne particles

• Fine chemicals : The production of fine chemical products has high requirements for cleanliness -

FFU application industry overview

Summarize

The application fields of FFU are extremely wide, covering almost all production and scientific research places where air cleanliness needs to be controlled. From the ISO Class 1 ultra-clean environment of semiconductor wafer fabs to the ISO Class 8 clean areas of food workshops, FFU is the core equipment for maintaining a clean environment.

Different industries have different needs for FFU:

• Semiconductors and panel displays pursue ultimate cleanliness and AMC control

• Pharmaceutical and medical emphasize microbial control and GMP compliance

• The food industry pays attention to food safety and hygiene

• Data centers focus on equipment protection and energy-saving operation and maintenance

With the continuous advancement of advanced semiconductor processes, iterative upgrades of new display technologies, the vigorous development of the biomedical industry, and the rapid expansion of data centers, the market demand for FFU is expected to continue to grow. Choosing the appropriate FFU product requires comprehensive consideration of industry characteristics, cleanliness levels, installation space, energy consumption requirements and other factors.

Aili Industry—Full industry chain FFU manufacturer

Aili Industrial has been deeply involved in the field of clean room equipment for nearly two decades. From motor winding, box processing to control system development, the entire industry chain independently manufactures FFU fan filter units. The products cover a full range of standard, ultra-thin, energy-saving (EC motor), group control, and stainless steel types, supporting full-dimensional customization in size, material, motor, control method, filtration level, etc., and adapting to the different cleaning needs of 13 major industries including semiconductors, panel displays, pharmaceuticals, food, and data centers.

If you need FFU selection suggestions or customized solutions, please contact the professional technical team of Aili Industry.