# Semiconductor Fabrication Facility: Building Code Definition

> How the IFC 2009 define semiconductor fabrication facility, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/semiconductor-fabrication-facility/
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Data source: Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Defined in | IFC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) |
| Primary source | IFC 2009 Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) |
| Chapters using the term | 3 (counted across the codes hosted here) |
| Wording identical across codes | Single code (compare before citing one code's wording under another) |

## Direct answer

Semiconductor fabrication facility is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities. The code's own words are: “A building or a portion of a building in which electrical circuits or devices are created on solid crystalline substances having electrical conductivity greater than insulators but less than conductors. These circuits or devices are commonly known as semiconductors.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 3 chapters of this corpus, most often in Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities (IFC 2009), Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009), Definitions (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

*Content and cited inputs reviewed by [Scott Barrington](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.*

## What does this term mean?

**Semiconductor Fabrication Facility** — IFC 2009, Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities:

> A building or a portion of a building in which electrical circuits or devices are created on solid crystalline substances having electrical conductivity greater than insulators but less than conductors. These circuits or devices are commonly known as semiconductors.

![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Semiconductor Fabrication Facility: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/semiconductor-fabrication-facility/diagram-1344.webp)

*How the IFC 2009 define semiconductor fabrication facility, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.*

## What must be verified before using this guidance?

**Semiconductor Fabrication Facility** is defined once in this corpus, in the [Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/semiconductor-fabrication-facilities.md) chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:

> A building or a portion of a building in which electrical circuits or devices are created on solid crystalline substances having electrical conductivity greater than insulators but less than conductors. These circuits or devices are commonly known as semiconductors.

## Where semiconductor fabrication facility is used in the code

The term appears in 3 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/semiconductor-fabrication-facilities.md) | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| [Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/special-detailed-requirements-based-on-use-and-occupancy.md) | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/definitions.md) | IFC 2009 | 1 |

## The terms semiconductor fabrication facility is built out of

The definition above leans on 2 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what semiconductor fabrication facility covers:

- **[Building](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/building.md)** — IBC 2009: Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
- **[Solid](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/solid.md)** — IBC 2009: A material that has a melting point, decomposes or sublimes at a temperature greater than 68°F (20°C).

## Semiconductor Fabrication Facility: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows.

| Check | Where | Confirmed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Building | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Solid | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list | |

**A research aid, not a code determination.** The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

## Where can you explore related guidance?

- [Explore all glossary guidance](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md)
- [Building: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/building.md)
- [Solid: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/solid.md)

## Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

### Source links

- [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes)

- [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the code definition of semiconductor fabrication facility?

The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities as: “A building or a portion of a building in which electrical circuits or devices are created on solid crystalline substances having electrical conductivity greater than insulators but less than conductors. These circuits or devices are commonly known as semiconductors.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

### Which parts of the code depend on semiconductor fabrication facility?

In this corpus the term is used across 3 chapters, led by Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities in the IFC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

### What is a semiconductor fabrication facility?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities: “A building or a portion of a building in which electrical circuits or devices are created on solid crystalline substances having electrical conductivity greater than insulators but less than conductors. These circuits or devices are commonly known as semiconductors.” It is defined in IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.

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