How Polar Semiconductor Modernized a Live Semiconductor Fab
Article Summary
Renovating an active semiconductor fabrication campus requires construction teams to work around continuous production, sensitive cleanroom conditions, complex utilities, and equipment installations. At Polar Semiconductor, detailed shutdown planning, temporary infrastructure, and close alignment with facility operations helped major upgrades move forward while limiting disruption to manufacturing.
Key Takeaways
- Nearly every space across the campus was impacted, requiring planning as a campus-wide operational initiative rather than a standalone expansion.
- Utility shutdowns must be planned around total production impacts, including equipment ramp-down and restart requirements.
- Construction and semiconductor tool installation can proceed simultaneously when sequencing, access routes, and utility demands are planned together.
- Detailed communication, contingency planning, and temporary infrastructure strategies can help reduce disruption during live-facility construction.
Planning Utility Shutdowns
Successful shutdowns in a live semiconductor facility require understanding the operational impact beyond the outage itself. While a utility interruption may last only a few hours, production tools often require significant ramp-down and ramp-up time before returning to full operation.
"An 8-hour shutdown doesn’t mean only an 8-hour impact for operations as the impact is usually much more significant," said Project Manager Alex Borton.
At Polar Semiconductor, the challenge was not whether utility shutdowns would occur, but how to plan and execute them with minimal disruption. Every shutdown required careful coordination to protect production, maintain cleanrooms, support movement, and align with operational priorities. The project team worked closely with Polar's facilities, operations, and production teams to evaluate impacts, establish shutdown procedures, and adapt plans as conditions evolved.
The coordination included:
- Early identification of affected systems
- Detailed methods of procedure for each shutdown
- Shared outage calendars visible to all stakeholders
- Contingency planning for aging infrastructure
- Alignment of shutdown windows with maintenance activities and operational needs
A key example was using detailed calendar invitations for stakeholders for specific procedures, impacts and responsibilities instead of traditional matrices. Project Executive Jason Walter said the result “made it easier to look at what is happening this week,” and it improved visibility and preparedness across the facility.
Through extensive planning, contingency development, and close collaboration with Polar's operations and facilities teams, the team focused on minimizing the impacts of necessary outages. Coordinated shutdown windows also allowed Polar to perform maintenance and operational work at the same time, turning unavoidable disruptions into productive opportunities. One notable achievement was the significant P1 substation transfer, which was successfully reduced from an anticipated 30-hour outage to approximately 12 hours.
Coordinating Construction and Tool Installation
Unlike a traditional construction project, the expansion required construction and semiconductor tool installation to occur simultaneously. As Polar relocated and installed manufacturing tools, our construction teams were renovating spaces, upgrading utilities, and adapting infrastructure to support changing production needs.
This required constant coordination. Tool moves frequently altered electrical loads and utility demands, requiring the team to continually reassess power strategies and adjust plans. Construction sequencing was also planned around future tool installations, with access routes preserved and some spaces left unfinished longer to accommodate equipment deliveries.
“We knew that there were specific production tools that Polar needed to relocate into spaces before the area was fully complete,” said Borton. ”We worked with Polar to leave areas open for these relocation efforts and ensured the area the tools were being installed were ready for installation.”
This flexibility allowed construction and tool installation to progress together, creating a smoother transition to manufacturing startup. Construction and tool installation were not treated as separate efforts but as interconnected activities that had to support one another to keep the overall project moving forward.
What It Takes to Modernize a Live Fab
Modernizing a live fab requires managing construction, operations, maintenance, and tool installation as one system. At Polar Semiconductor, Mortenson continuously coordinated outages, adapted temporary infrastructure, aligned with operational and maintenance priorities, and adjusted to evolving tool installation requirements, all while protecting the active manufacturing environment. This approach enabled critical renovations and infrastructure upgrades to advance with minimal disruption to ongoing production and facility operations.
The project reinforced that successful semiconductor modernization requires construction, operations, maintenance, and tool installation to be planned and managed as one integrated system.
What Should Owners Consider Before Modernizing a Live Fab?
- Determine the full production impact of each shutdown, including equipment ramp-down and restart requirements.
- Integrate construction planning with facilities operations, production schedules, maintenance activities, and tool installations.
- Document existing conditions before finalizing installation sequences in congested spaces.
- Establish temporary utility strategies that can adapt as operational needs change.
- Use a shared communication method that clearly identifies timing, impacts, procedures, and stakeholder responsibilities.