Air Products Brings On-Stream World's Largest Ultra High Purity Nitrogen Plant to Taiwan

Investment Fits With Air Products' Strategy To Enhance Its Asian Electronics Leadership Position

06-Nov-2002

Air Products announced today that it has brought on-stream the world's largest ultra high purity bulk gas production facility, pipeline bulk gas distribution network and a related state-of-the-art electronics specialty materials production center to serve electronics customers in the Tainan Science Based Industrial Park which is located in southern Taiwan. The total investment by Air Products is in excess of $50 million.

The plant is capable of producing 50,000 normal cubic meters per hour of ultra high purity gaseous nitrogen and 400 metric tons per day of ultra high purity liquid nitrogen and ultra high purity liquid oxygen.

The accompanying ultra high purity pipeline network runs throughout the Science Park. Several leading semiconductor foundry customers, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and United Microelectronics Corporation, have built world-class semiconductor fabrication facilities in and around the park and have committed their bulk gas business to Air Products. Air Products serves its customers in Taiwan through San Fu Gas Co., Ltd., a joint venture in which Air Products increased its ownership to a controlling 70% interest this past July.

Air Products' electronics specialty materials production center is capable of purifying and transfilling products such as nitrogen trifluoride, nitrous oxide and hexafluoroethane. Serving the Tainan Science Based Industrial Park, this center is capable of supplying customers throughout the country including the Hsinchu Science Based Industrial Park in the north of Taiwan. Due in part to these major plant investments, Air Products has already been awarded the majority of electronics specialty materials business in the Tainan Science Based Industrial Park.

"These facilities spearhead our growth in serving the Asian electronics manufacturing industry," said Gerald G. Ermentrout, vice president and general manager of Air Products' Electronics Division. "Today, about two-thirds of all Air Products/San Fu sales in Taiwan are to the electronics market. Taiwan has one of the most vibrant and advanced electronics industries in the world, and our ability to successfully serve and grow with our customers has allowed Air Products to become the leading industrial gas company in Taiwan."

Taiwan has the largest percentage of operational 300mm integrated circuit fabs in the world. In addition to being a major market for integrated circuit and thin film transistor liquid crystal displays, Taiwan produced almost 40% of the world's flat panel displays in 2002 and is expected to approach 45% in the next three years.

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