Securing the Future of Chips: Building a Domestic Supply of Semiconductor‑Grade Solvents

Background

The semiconductor industry is one of the most demanding markets for chemical suppliers, requiring solvents with ultra‑high purity.
Traditionally, this market has been dominated by Asian suppliers (Japan, Korea, China), who built strong reputations for quality but also created supply chain vulnerabilities for U.S. and European fabs.
Meanwhile, fabs are under constant pressure to reduce cost while meeting increasingly stringent quality and sustainability requirements. With the CHIPS Act and other regional incentives driving new fab construction in the U.S. and Europe, customers began seeking secure, domestic sources of high‑purity solvents to reduce reliance on overseas suppliers and mitigate geopolitical risk.

Monument Chemical, with its expertise in chemical process and production, saw an opportunity to position itself as a trusted Western partner.
As a Product Lead, my goal is to help the company to deliver consistent quality product with competitive cost and secure supply to semiconductor customers —addressing the three most critical pain points voiced by fabs and procurement leaders.

James O’Connor – VP of Operations, Texas Instruments “The CHIPS Act is pushing us to localize our supply chain. Having a domestic solvent partner is no longer optional—it’s a requirement.”
Dr. Emily Zhang – Senior Process Engineer, Intel Corporation “For advanced lithography, even a few parts per billion of metal contamination can ruin an entire wafer lot. We need solvents with absolute consistency—no variability, no surprises.”
Michael Torres – Procurement Manager, GlobalFoundries “Solvents are a significant line item in our consumables budget. We need a supplier who can deliver high‑purity grades without charging a premium just because it’s for semiconductors.”
Sarah Kim – Director of Supply Chain, Micron Technology “Our biggest risk is relying on overseas suppliers. Geopolitical tensions and shipping delays put our production at risk. We need a reliable U.S.‑based source.”

The product developed in this project was a line of ultra‑high‑purity solvents tailored for semiconductor customers.
The key enabler is the innovative reactive and separation processes that improve the production efficiency, while maintain the quality.
Our products were certified as “Tier 1” domestic supplier by several semiconductor customers.

Annual Margin Margin Increase Efficiency Improvement Industrial leading purity

VoC Capture: Engaged with semiconductor fabs, procurement managers, and supply chain leaders to understand their top priorities.
Product Definition & Roadmap: Translated customer pain points into clear product requirements, balancing stringent purity specs with manufacturability and cost targets.
Product Development: Coordinated R&D, operations, and quality teams to develop novel processes, validate product performance, and ensure compliance with fab‑level standards.
Stakeholder Alignment: Acted as the bridge between customer needs, internal technical teams, and executive leadership, ensuring alignment on both short‑term deliverables and long‑term growth strategy.