Electronics: a record year in Asia for Air Liquide with new major contracts in 2017

In 2017 Air Liquide signed several new long-term contracts with major electronics manufacturers in China, as well as Japan and Singapore. Air Liquide will invest more than 150 million euros in the region to supply ultra-pure carrier gases to its customers' new fabs which manufacture integrated circuits, memory, imaging sensors and flat panel displays for consumer electronics and mobile devices.

Carrier gases such as ultra-pure nitrogen are critical to the high tech semiconductor industry. These gases are used directly in the chip and display manufacturing processes as well as to maintain an ultra-clean atmosphere to protect manufacturing tools. Air Liquide will invest in new world class efficiency ultra-high purity onsite nitrogen generation systems representing a total production capacity of 170,000 Nm³/h.

In addition, the demand for Air Liquide's  Advanced Materials continued to grow in the Asia-Pacific region notably in China, South Korea and Japan. Advanced Materials are used in the first layers of the nano transistors at the heart of the processors and memories found in consumer electronics and mobile devices.

Today' s continuing evolution in technology from Artificial Intelligence, mobile and connected devices, Big Data, electric and autonomous vehicles are driving significant demand for semiconductor chips, sensors and high resolution displays. Air Liquide is supporting customers that manufacture cutting-edge memory devices for improved data access speeds and last generation smartphones.

Michael J. Graff, Executive Vice President and member of the Air Liquide Group' s Executive Committee supervising Electronics, said, "Air Liquide continues to demonstrate its leadership in Electronics in Asia. The new contracts illustrate Air Liquide' s ability to supply electronics customers with products and services that meet the highest standards in the fast-growing semiconductor and flat panel industry.”