Air Liquide Electronics Materials Center China Officially Opened

Air Liquide China announces the official opening of its Electronics Materials Center China (EMCC) on July 28th, 2008. Located in Yangtze River International Chemical Park of Zhangjiagang in Jiangsu Province, the new center will focus on Electronics Specialty Gases (ESG) activities, particularly for the purification and transfilling of materials used by semiconductor, Flat Panel Display (TFT-LCD) and solar cells producers.

ESGs are key materials in the manufacturing of semi-conductor, TFT-LCD and solar cells. In order to meet the increasing demand from these industries in China, Air Liquide started to build the EMCC in August 2007 with a first phase investment corresponding to an annual logistics, transfilling, analysis and service capacity of 100 tons of ultra-pure silane. Air Liquide will invest about 10 million US dollars.

Commenting on this new development, Mr. Christophe Fontaine, Vice-President Electronics of Air Liquide said, "Air Liquide Electronics is a leader worldwide on its market, and particularly on a key specialty gas, called Silane. With our production plants in Japan, and our partnership with REC in the USA, this EMCC is completing perfectly our supply chain, and will allow Air Liquide Electronics in China to develop further his leadership on Silane. This center adds to the one in Europe, in France, in the USA (Pennsylvania), in Singapore, in Taiwan, and the three ones in Japan. The opening of the EMCC will further enhance our business in electronics specialty gases, thus marks another strategic step for Air Liquide in China. We are certain that EMCC will contribute strongly to China in standing at the forefront of IC, TFT LCD and Photovoltaic industries in the world and to the sustainable development of the Chinese economy.”