Company Draws on Gas and Chemical Expertise to Fill Market Void

Air Products (NYSE:APD) announced today the rollout of a new liquid valve manifold box (VMB) for use with chemical delivery equipment, providing a higher level of safety and more economical multi-point liquid chemical distribution throughout a semiconductor fab. The new liquid VMB has applications as either a standalone unit, or as an integrated offering in GASGUARD® or CHEMGUARD® fab-wide delivery systems. In either application, customers will realize savings from Air Products' global volume-manufacturing structure, independent component selection and testing, as well as extensive experience in ultrahigh purity delivery equipment design and operation.

The liquid VMB, produced mainly at the Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturing Center (SEMC) in Allentown, Pa., was designed to offer the same quality and flexibility found in Air Products' popular gas VMB. In fact, the liquid VMB was built using many of the same design principles as the company's gas VMB product and, as a result, required minimal time before achieving successful manufacturing and installation. The basic platform chassis has a common purge and vent header VMB, which is designed to save cost while providing full functionality and safety.

The design includes several automation features such as header and point of use shutoff, as well as the purge operation. Other key features include liquid spill sump with monitor, door exhaust intake, and optional coaxial lines. The liquid VMB accommodates designs with up to eight different use points, or sticks, with flexibility to populate as few as two sticks. Unpopulated sticks save initial capital and installation expense, but afford the flexibility of future expansion. And, just like the gas version, the liquid VMB offers GASGUARD AP2 and AP3 controllers for monitoring and control, as well as the ability to monitor from a central location.

"The liquid VMB, while a new product offering to our overall portfolio for our customers, was designed and built using a similar process that launched what became our popular gas VMB," said Joe Stockunas, General Manager, Electronics Equipment Solutions. "We saw this as an opportunity to combine our best practices and know-how of gas and chemical delivery to solve a problem for our customers. The liquid VMB is a great fit for newly constructed delivery systems or when retrofitting an existing system," he added.

The liquid VMB is the latest product offering from Air Products' Electronics Equipment Solutions business unit, unveiled in March as part of the company's vision to be the premier materials solution and service provider to the electronics industry throughout the world. The business unit has manufacturing and customer support centers in the United States, Europe, and the Pacific Rim, and includes eight distinct product lines offering customers from around the globe flexible and cost-effective ultrahigh purity materials delivery.

Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in technology, energy, healthcare and industrial markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of products, services and solutions, providing atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials and chemical intermediates. The company is the largest global supplier of electronic materials, hydrogen, helium and select performance chemicals. Founded in 1940, Air Products is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment. With annual revenues of $5.4 billion and operations in over 30 countries, the company's 17,200 employees build lasting relationships with their customers and communities based on understanding, integrity and passion. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations.