LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. (March 27, 2000)—Solkatronic Chemicals, a business unit of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD), has completed several electronic specialty gas capacity expansions at its two manufacturing facilities in Morrisville, Pa. and Catoosa, Okla.
A leading manufacturer and supplier of dopants and high purity specialty process gases to the semiconductor industry, Solkatronic carried out the product ramp-ups during the last quarter of 1999. At its Morrisville facility, the business unit has doubled capacity of three ammonia products. These include Solkatronic's Blue Ammonia®—a proprietary product specifically developed for use in ultra-sensitive gallium nitride processes in the production of blue lasers and light emitting diodes (LEDs)—and its Megabit® and VLSI Ammonia grades, used for silicon nitride production and in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
1999 was a year of dynamic growth for lasers and LEDs, and the trend is expected to continue, with market growth projected to be in excess of 30 percent over the next several years. The LCD market continues to grow at approximately 15 to 20 percent per year.
Solkatronic has also doubled its silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) manufacturing and purification capability at Morrisville. An important dielectric material used in the manufacture of next generation semiconductor devices—particularly as line widths continue to decrease in size—SiF4 is also an essential component in the manufacture of fiber optic cables.
Additionally, the business unit has doubled arsine (AsH3) capacity at its Catoosa production facility. AsH3 is a critical raw material used in the production of gallium arsenide devices which support wireless communication, solar cells manufacturing and telecommunication applications. These markets are projected to grow more than 30 percent over the next five years.
Brian J. Mertz, product manager for Solkatronic, noted that the expansions reflect the business unit's ability to react quickly in meeting the developing and changing needs of its customers. "We'll continue to position ourselves to serve the compound and silicon-based markets through strategic investments in our product lines," he said.
Air Products acquired Solkatronic Chemicals from Solvay America, Inc. in May 1998, adding new electronic specialty gases to its product portfolio. In addition to its production facilities in Morrisville and Catoosa, Solkatronic has stocking locations in Phoenix, Ariz.; Birmingham, UK; Busan, Korea; Taipei, Taiwan; and Kulim, Malaysia. In October 1999, Solkatronic completed an expansion of its administration building at Morrisville, relocating its corporate offices from Fairfield, NJ and housing marketing and product management, customer service, administrative services and operations under one roof.
Air Products is a leading supplier of specialty gases to the electronics industry worldwide. The company produces many of these products at its ISO 9002-certified facilities in Morrisville, Catoosa and Hometown, Pa.—the largest, global electronics specialty gas manufacturing center and the only domestic producer of fluorine. Air Products' specialty gas sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 30 percent over the last eight years.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is an international supplier of industrial gases and related equipment, and selected chemicals. With corporate headquarters in eastern Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, near Allentown, the company has annual revenues of $5 billion, operations in over 30 countries, and 17,000 employees around the globe |
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