ExxonMobil’s high-purity solvent to support next generation of tech manufacturing

The antiseptic you use for cuts or surfaces also cleans microchips – just in a much purer form. With the growing demand for U.S.-made semiconductors and stricter purity requirements for the latest chips, we’re expanding our isopropyl alcohol (IPA) portfolio in 2027 to begin production of 99.999% ultra-pure IPA in Baton Rouge. Our entire supply chain for IPA, from raw materials to the synthesis of the finished product, will be based in the U.S., boosting high-purity IPA production and strengthening our domestic supply chain to support American industry.

Why do isopropyl alcohol purity levels matter for microchips?

While 99.9% purity IPA is great for hand sanitizers and household cleaning solutions, next generation semiconductors need 99.999% pure IPA to avoid damaging delicate microchips. As chips evolve into smaller devices—sometimes as small as 2 nanometers, meaning 150,000 chips can fit across a grain of salt—higher IPA purity becomes essential. These chip nodes, or information hubs compressed into small devices, require ultra-pure IPA for drying wafer surfaces, reducing impurities and preventing damage. Advanced chip makers rely on this high-purity IPA to minimize defects in their sensitive circuitry. 

What’s our history in supplying the isopropyl alcohol market?

From household cleaning to high tech, we’ve evolved IPA production in many ways over the past century. We started commercial production of IPA in 1920 and we have been serving semiconductor applications since 1992. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we were the largest producer of IPA in the United States for hand sanitizers. 

How will we support U.S. chip manufacturing with high-purity isopropyl alcohol?

Producing 99.999% purity IPA is our next step to evolve with this market. The semiconductor chip manufacturing industry needs a reliable domestic supply of ultra-pure IPA, and we are committed to providing it. We’re doing that by upgrading our Baton Rouge plant, the world’s largest plant for isopropyl alcohol¹, to meet this growing demand by 2027. Our experience and expertise at our Baton Rouge manufacturing complex uniquely position us to provide an end-to-end American supply chain for IPA to U.S.-based chip manufacturers.

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FOOTNOTES:

1. NexantECA’s Nov 2024 report, “Market Analytics: Isopropanol 2024. Markets and Profitability,” and S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Feb 2024 “Chemical Economics Handbook: Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA)”