ExxonMobil to Begin Production of Ultra-Pure Isopropyl Alcohol for Semiconductor Industry

ExxonMobil Advances Semiconductor Chemical Production

ExxonMobil has announced that it will start producing an ultra-pure chemical called Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) with a purity level of 99.999%. Also, this development is mainly aimed at supporting the semiconductor manufacturing industry, which is used for making advanced computer chips. Moreover, the company plans to begin this production by the year 2027. The production will take place at ExxonMobil’s facility in Baton Rouge. The company is upgrading this plant so that it can make this extremely high-purity chemical.

Furthermore, this ultra-pure IPA is important because it is used in the cleaning and drying process during semiconductor (chip) manufacturing. Modern chips are extremely small and sensitive. Even very tiny impurities can damage them or reduce their performance. Because of this, the chip industry needs IPA that is much purer than normal cleaning alcohol. Also, the normal IPA, which is around 99.9% pure, is commonly used in products like hand sanitizers and general cleaning. However, for semiconductor manufacturing, a much higher purity level of 99.999% is required. This ensures that no unwanted particles remain on the chip surfaces during production.

According to Towards Chemicals And Materials Analytics and Consulting, the isopropyl alcohol market size accounted for USD 4.75 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 5.03 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 8.39 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 5.85% from 2026 to 2035, due to increased demand for electronics globally.

Also, the company also highlighted that it has long experience in producing Isopropyl Alcohol. Moreover, it started producing IPA many years ago and has been supplying it for different uses, including industrial and cleaning purposes. Over time, it has expanded its production to meet new technological needs.