|
With rapid advances in technology and the need to continually push the performance
boundaries of their products, Electronics and Performance Materials customers rely on us for solutions.
 Whether it’s for the surface of a semiconductor wafer or a high-end automobile, our materials take our customers’ product performance to the next level. More than half of our total company R&D spending is devoted to our Electronics and Performance Materials business, reflecting our focus on technology to move new materials quickly and cost-effectively from the lab into world-scale production. We have more than 30 years’ experience developing products
that have made electronic devices smaller and more powerful, and coatings, inks and adhesives formulations better-performing
and more environmentally friendly. And we continue to invest in process technology at our global manufacturing sites to improve yields and reduce costs for our customers. Our long-term relationships, innovation, and supply chain capabilities have made us
a leader and driven substantial growth.
In the years ahead, more than 60% of new integrated circuits for electronics are expected to be manufactured in Korea, Taiwan and China—countries where we have built leading supply positions. Our scale and expertise as the world’s largest electronic specialty materials provider are helping us pursue growth in logic and expanding applications in memory for semiconductors. For example, we’ve developed a series of high-k dielectric materials that combat technological hurdles while using considerably less power, and our patented low-k dielectric material is the leading product being implemented at 45-nanometer
geometries today. Flat-panel displays require even greater quantities of our materials than silicon fabs, and we are seeing
growth around 20% per year in that market. We also are winning opportunities to serve emerging areas such as photovoltaics.
 In Performance Materials, we continue to grow our technology and market positions, supplying epoxy curing agents, polyurethane additives, specialty surfactants and a new generation of advanced materials to a variety of industries. While these products typically are a small part of customers’ formulations, the unique performance advantages they deliver are significant and provide differentiation in use that is difficult to duplicate. Our materials make shoe soles lighter-weight and more supportive; wall foam insulation more consistent and easier to manufacture; coatings more environmentally
friendly and easier to apply; and cosmetics and personal care products longer-lasting, to name a few. We also continue to develop and commercialize new offerings, which today represent 15% of our product portfolio and growing—a focus for our success going forward.
|
|
> Merchant Gases
|
