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Air Products and Showa Denko Extend Relationship


WEBWIRE

Air Products (NYSE:APD) and Showa Denko will extend their 10-year production joint venture (Showa Denko Air Products Co. Ltd.) for etch and chamber cleaning products such as tetrafluoromethane (CF4) and hexafluoroethane (C2F6) by building a new production facility to manufacture hexafluoride butadiene (C4F6) in Kawasaki, Japan. The new C4F6 plant is expected to be completed in the first half year of 2009.

CF4 and C2F6 remain reliable and cost competitive etch and chamber cleaning gases. Additionally, as logic and memory device manufacturing transitions to smaller geometries, higher aspect ratio dielectric etching will utilize more C4F6 because of the unique performance properties it exhibits within state-of-the-art high-density plasma etching processes. C4F6 typically provides higher selectivity and better etch profiles compared to other dielectric etch gases.

“Air Products is pleased to extend our relationship with Showa Denko for these important cleaning and etch gases,” said Corning Painter, vice president and general manager of Electronics for Air Products. “In addition, Showa Denko Air Products recognizes the increased importance of materials like C4F6 for critical dimension etch and is excited to be building capacity to meet that demand. This investment, along with our existing patented purification and transfill investments, will help Air Products increase our security of supply and meet anticipated increases in end customer demand.”

“I am very pleased with the opportunity to develop this new business using the foundation of our amicable relationship with APD which began more than 10 years ago,” said Hisao Takamatsu, senior corporate fellow and general manager, chemicals division, Showa Denko. “I believe the result will be a stable foundation of our operating base and satisfied customers.”

Showa Denko Air Products (SDAP) was formed in 1996 to capitalize on Air Products’ fluorine handling capabilities and Showa Denko’s technical and operating expertise in large-scale perfluorocarbon production facilities. In 1997, SDAP built a production facility for CF4 and C2F6 in Kawasaki, Japan. Since that time, SDAP has undertaken three expansions to more than double capacity at the plant. Air Products and Showa Denko recently agreed to extend their production joint venture for another five years.



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