A significant nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) capacity expansion has been completed on time at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.'s (NYSE:APD) Hometown, Pa. electronic specialty gas manufacturing facility—the largest production facility of its kind in the world.

The plant is now producing 1.35 million pounds per year of NF₃, with all product going directly to contracted semiconductor manufacturing customers in North America, Asia and Europe. As the world's leading producer of NF₃, this latest production milestone is in line with Air Products' previously-announced Hometown capacity expansion plan to bring on-stream 1.75 million pounds per year of product by spring 2001, 2.0 million pounds per year by summer 2001, 2.4 million pounds per year by fall 2001 and 2.775 million pounds per year by spring 2002.

NF₃ is the chamber cleaning specialty gas of choice for integrated circuit and thin film transistor liquid crystal display production because of its unique ability to boost productivity by greater than 30 percent while decreasing effluent emissions by 90 percent. "The ongoing capacity expansions at Hometown reflect our commitment to reliably meet our semiconductor manufacturing customers' NF₃ supply requirements and support the global perfluoro compounds emissions reduction effort," remarked Richard C. Kenner, general manager of Electronic Specialty Gases within Air Products' Electronics Division.

Air Products is a leading supplier of gases, chemicals, equipment and services to the worldwide electronics industry. With total sales of $800 million in fiscal 2000, the Electronics Division and its subsidiaries expect to generate sales revenues of $1 billion this fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (www.airproducts.com) is the world's only combined gases and chemicals company. Founded more than 60 years ago, the business has annual revenues of $5.5 billion and operations in 30 countries. Air Products is a market leader in the global electronics and chemical processing industries, and a longstanding innovator in many industrial markets, including coatings, adhesives and polyurethanes. The company distinguishes itself through its 17,500 employees around the world, who build lasting relationships with their customers and communities based on understanding, integrity and passion.

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

EDITOR'S NOTE: A photo of the completed portion of Air Products' ongoing NF₃ capacity expansion at Hometown, Pa. is available at the company's on-line Press Room at www.airproducts.com/pressroom . From the Press Room homepage, click on "Multimedia Gallery," "Photo Library" and then on " Electronics ."