News Release
Dupont iTechnologies And Air Products Announce Joint Venture To Produce Polishing Materials For The Semiconductor Industry
Dupont iTechnologies And Air Products Announce Joint Venture To Produce Polishing Materials For The Semiconductor Industry
January 9, 2001 at 10:01 AM EST
DuPont (NYSE:DD) and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) today announced that they have formed a joint venture—DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials L.L.C.—to develop, manufacture and market colloidal silica based slurries for electronic precision polishing or planarization applications such as silicon wafer polishing and chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) processes used in the manufacture of semiconductors. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The 50/50 joint venture, which began operations this month, will serve an estimated $500 million per year market that is growing at a rate of 25 percent per year. DuPont and Air Products have been working together on the CMP market opportunity for more than one year under the terms of a sales and distribution agreement and joint development agreement. DuPont already is a major supplier of colloidal silica slurries for silicon wafer polishing.
DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials L.L.C. (to be known as DA NanoMaterials in the trade) will be headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif. The venture will operate a state-of-the-art applications and formulation laboratory in Tempe, Arizona, as well as an existing DuPont manufacturing and formulation facility in Ruabon, U.K., which has been acquired by the venture.
In conjunction with the announcement, the new venture's web site, nanoslurry.com, will be online beginning today.
"We are pleased with this new venture between our two companies," said John C. Hodgson, group vice president and general manager–DuPont iTechnologies. "DuPont has had a very successful ongoing relationship with Air Products and we feel that our mutual focus on the semiconductor market, coupled with DuPont's expertise in polishing slurries, will be best served when we combine our efforts and invest in research and development, manufacturing and global distribution to maximize our customer offering and growth potential."
Gerald G. Ermentrout, vice president and general manager of Air Products' Electronics Division, noted that the venture will further broaden the scope of electronic chemical products the company supplies to global customers. "In DuPont, we have found a strong partner with dedicated manufacturing capability and strong technology in one of the fastest growing segments in semiconductor manufacturing," he said.
DuPont has a long history of developing and manufacturing colloidal silica sols and particles for various industrial applications. Air Products complements DuPont's manufacturing and technical leadership with on-site capabilities, sales and marketing infrastructure and logistics expertise. Air Products is a leader in providing the electronic gases and chemicals that surround a process tool, as well as related equipment and on-site gas and chemical management services via its MEGASYS® program.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (www.airproducts.com) is the world's only combined gases and chemicals company. Founded nearly 60 years ago, the business has annual revenues of more than $5 billion and operations in over 30 countries. Through the understanding of its 17,000 employees around the world, the company has developed lasting relationships with over 100,000 customers and has ensured market leadership in global industry sectors.
DuPont (www.dupont.com) is a science company, delivering science-based solutions that make a difference in people's lives in food and nutrition; health care; apparel; home and construction; electronics; and transportation. Founded in 1802, the company operates in 70 countries and has 94,000 employees.
Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the joint venture company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates, " and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in DuPont's and Air Products' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly their latest annual reports on Form 10-K, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated. These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions of countries in which the companies do business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; and research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance.
The 50/50 joint venture, which began operations this month, will serve an estimated $500 million per year market that is growing at a rate of 25 percent per year. DuPont and Air Products have been working together on the CMP market opportunity for more than one year under the terms of a sales and distribution agreement and joint development agreement. DuPont already is a major supplier of colloidal silica slurries for silicon wafer polishing.
DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials L.L.C. (to be known as DA NanoMaterials in the trade) will be headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif. The venture will operate a state-of-the-art applications and formulation laboratory in Tempe, Arizona, as well as an existing DuPont manufacturing and formulation facility in Ruabon, U.K., which has been acquired by the venture.
In conjunction with the announcement, the new venture's web site, nanoslurry.com, will be online beginning today.
"We are pleased with this new venture between our two companies," said John C. Hodgson, group vice president and general manager–DuPont iTechnologies. "DuPont has had a very successful ongoing relationship with Air Products and we feel that our mutual focus on the semiconductor market, coupled with DuPont's expertise in polishing slurries, will be best served when we combine our efforts and invest in research and development, manufacturing and global distribution to maximize our customer offering and growth potential."
Gerald G. Ermentrout, vice president and general manager of Air Products' Electronics Division, noted that the venture will further broaden the scope of electronic chemical products the company supplies to global customers. "In DuPont, we have found a strong partner with dedicated manufacturing capability and strong technology in one of the fastest growing segments in semiconductor manufacturing," he said.
DuPont has a long history of developing and manufacturing colloidal silica sols and particles for various industrial applications. Air Products complements DuPont's manufacturing and technical leadership with on-site capabilities, sales and marketing infrastructure and logistics expertise. Air Products is a leader in providing the electronic gases and chemicals that surround a process tool, as well as related equipment and on-site gas and chemical management services via its MEGASYS® program.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (www.airproducts.com) is the world's only combined gases and chemicals company. Founded nearly 60 years ago, the business has annual revenues of more than $5 billion and operations in over 30 countries. Through the understanding of its 17,000 employees around the world, the company has developed lasting relationships with over 100,000 customers and has ensured market leadership in global industry sectors.
DuPont (www.dupont.com) is a science company, delivering science-based solutions that make a difference in people's lives in food and nutrition; health care; apparel; home and construction; electronics; and transportation. Founded in 1802, the company operates in 70 countries and has 94,000 employees.
Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the joint venture company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates, " and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in DuPont's and Air Products' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly their latest annual reports on Form 10-K, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated. These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions of countries in which the companies do business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; and research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance.