In the high-stakes world of semiconductor manufacturing, where precision is everything, a quiet revolution is underway—one that could reshape how ultrapure water is produced and maintained. Zheng Wei, a leading expert at the China Electronics Engineering Design Institute Co., Ltd. in Beijing, has helped draft a new technical standard that promises to tighten control over organic contaminants in the water used to clean and process advanced chips. The release of the group standard *Technical Specification for Total Organic Carbon Ultraviolet Degradation System in Ultrapure Water for Electronics Industry* (T/CECS 2010—2025) in September 2025 marks a pivotal moment for China’s semiconductor sector, offering a domestically developed framework to guide the design, operation, and maintenance of UV-based TOC degradation systems.
For years, the industry has relied on outdated national standards (GB 50685—2011 and GB/T 11446—2013) that struggled to keep pace with the demands of cutting-edge chip production. “The old standards were like using a roadmap from the 1990s to navigate a Formula 1 race,” Zheng noted. “They didn’t account for the scale, purity requirements, or cost pressures of today’s semiconductor fabs.” Ultrapure water is the lifeblood of semiconductor manufacturing, and even trace amounts of organic contaminants can disrupt delicate fabrication processes. UV oxidation has emerged as a clean, efficient solution, but its implementation has been hampered by a lack of standardized guidance—until now.
The new standard addresses a critical gap: how to deploy UV systems effectively while minimizing secondary contamination risks, such as trace hydrogen peroxide byproducts. Zheng emphasized that the specification bridges a long-standing divide in domestic capabilities. “High-performance VUV/UV lamps and radiation dose calculation tools have been dominated by foreign suppliers, creating bottlenecks for Chinese manufacturers,” he said. “This standard not only levels the playing field but also accelerates the adoption of locally produced equipment in high-end applications.”
The commercial implications are significant. For energy-intensive industries like semiconductor manufacturing, where water treatment accounts for a substantial portion of operational costs, standardized UV systems could reduce reliance on imported technologies and streamline compliance with increasingly stringent environmental and quality regulations. Moreover, as China ramps up its semiconductor production to meet global demand, the ability to control microcontaminants at trace levels could enhance yield rates and reduce waste—directly impacting profitability.
Published in *Gongye shui chuli* (*Industrial Water Treatment*), the standard is poised to influence not just semiconductor fabs but also adjacent sectors like pharmaceuticals and power generation, where ultrapure water is equally critical. By providing a clear, actionable roadmap for UV oxidation system design and operation, it could spur innovation in water treatment technologies tailored to China’s industrial landscape.
The question now is how quickly the industry will adopt these new guidelines—and whether they will catalyze a wave of domestic innovation in UV reactor design and manufacturing. One thing is certain: in an era where every nanometer counts, the stakes couldn’t be higher.