Nanya Technology Corporation

In 2021, copper electrochemical sensors were adopted by Nanya Technology Corporation, a famous semiconductor manufacturer, to monitor the copper concentration in the waste water produced from their factories.

Company Background

Nanya Technology is the world's fourth-largest DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) company, dedicated to the research, design, manufacturing, and sales of DRAM products. In addition to independently developing 10nm-class technologies and products, the company is also investing in the construction of new wafer fabs to implement multiple generations of 10nm-class technology. With a commitment to sustainability, Nanya has built a resilient corporate structure. In 2021, it was included for the first time in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), ranking first among global memory companies. It has also been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index, repeatedly achieved CDP’s highest "A List" rating in the Water Security category, and earned numerous honors such as the Top 10 Taiwan Sustainable Model Companies Award, the GCSA Sustainability Report Award, the Platinum Award for Corporate Sustainability Reports, the National Environmental Protection Award, and the Green Factory Certification. Furthermore, Nanya has ranked in the top 5% in corporate governance evaluations three times, received the CommonWealth CSR Award for the first time, and has been selected for three consecutive years as one of the Top 50 CommonWealth Sustainable Citizens.

Challenges

Nanya Technology has long been committed to ESG development, actively integrating green management into its operations. One of the key areas of focus is wastewater treatment, making efficient use of every drop of water through a comprehensive wastewater recycling system. Historically, the company used European and American optical instruments to internally monitor copper ions in wastewater. However, the matrix of the samples interfered with the reagents used in the tests, requiring dilution of the matrix and adding complexity and difficulty to the analysis process.

Solution

Copper is a primary heavy metal of concern for Nanya. Since Ruisun’s instrument uses an electrochemical detection method, the wastewater matrix does not interfere with copper ion measurement. This eliminates the need for dilution before testing, making the process much simpler and more convenient. Moreover, the treated effluent at Nanya consistently shows copper concentrations far below regulatory limits, necessitating a device with the sensitivity and resolution of the M Series to ensure copper levels remain extremely low and stable. Therefore, the MAS G1 system, combined with M Series test strips, was chosen to monitor copper ions in the plant’s effluent. Its ease of use allows facility personnel to regularly sample and monitor the effluent. Additionally, since some parts of the wastewater treatment process require high-concentration copper ion detection, Ruisun has provided a high-concentration linear expansion module for the original instrument. This enables Nanya to use a single main unit to detect water samples with concentration differences up to 50,000 times.

Results

The MAS G1 Series paired with M Series sensors has proven highly valuable in water quality monitoring due to its simple operation and high correlation with results from more sophisticated instruments. It can detect copper at ppb levels in treated effluent and handle samples with concentrations in the thousands of ppm without dilution—requiring just a single drop for testing. The MAS G1 delivers fast and reliable data on metal concentrations in water, serving as an effective validation tool during wastewater system adjustments. This has made Nanya's water quality management significantly simpler and more efficient.