LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air
Products (NYSE: APD) today announced it has initiated a joint
research and development (R&D) project with the Sustainable
Energy Laboratory of the China
University of Geosciences Wuhan to accelerate the development of
materials for the microelectronics industry.
By utilizing computational modeling, the project will enable
better understanding of the chemical mechanisms responsible for the
deposition of thin films. The knowledge gained from such
studies will help guide the selection of new chemical precursors
that address a wide variety of needs for next generation logic and
memory devices.
"Air Products has been cooperating with leading universities in
China to accelerate the
introduction of innovation to the marketplace. By leveraging the
computational modeling capabilities of the China University of Geosciences, we are
accelerating new product development to fulfill the requests we are
receiving for electronics materials from our industry partners and
customers in China and
Asia," said Ed Shober, director for Advanced Integration
Materials at Air Products.
Since 2006, Air Products has established a longstanding research
collaboration program with the Sustainable Energy Laboratory of the
China University of Geosciences
Wuhan. The two organizations have previously signed several R&D
agreements and the collaboration has been highly successful in
developing young talent, improving research facilities at the
university and enabling Air Products to accelerate the development
of multiple advanced technologies and industrial gas applications.
In the past five years, several U.S. patents and patent
applications were filed and a number of research articles were
published in high-profile scientific journals as a result of this
collaboration.
Professor Yanxin Wang, president
of the China University of
Geosciences, said, "We are delighted to form a partnership with
leading international technology companies like Air Products.
Our collaborations in the past five years have proven to be
extremely fruitful. Our faculty members and students have benefited
by gaining global industrial perspectives. I am confident that the
newly initiated projects will be successfully executed. We look
forward to further strengthening our relationships with Air
Products."
Professor Zhenyu Bao, dean of
School of Chemistry and Materials Sciences of the China University of Geosciences, is also
pleased with the partnership, commenting, "Air Products is
recognized as a highly innovative global industrial gases and
performance materials company. The collaboration will
facilitate technology transfer from academic research to industrial
gas applications. We are very excited about this partnership."
Air Products was the first global industrial gas company to
establish an internal R&D capability in China when it set up its Asia Technology
Center in 2005, which today serves high growth market segments in
China and the rest of Asia, including performance materials,
electronics and merchant industries.
About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE: APD) serves customers in industrial, energy,
technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio
of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance
materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940,
Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets
such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare
services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and
adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture,
operational excellence and commitment to safety and the
environment. In fiscal 2010, Air Products had revenues of
$9 billion, operations in over 40
countries, and 18,300 employees around the globe. For more
information, visit www.airproducts.com.
About Sustainable Energy Laboratory of China University of Geosciences
Established in January, 2010, the Sustainable Energy Laboratory
of China University of Geosciences
is a platform with a strong emphasis on materials research and
development related to renewable energies and energy efficiencies.
The organization was founded from the former Institute of
Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Materials Science and by
faculty members engaged in energy related research. Since its
inception, the Sustainable Energy Laboratory has established itself
as a center of excellence in research on hydrogen storage, fuel
cell catalysis, and molecular and materials simulations, design and
synthesis.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements
within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of
the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual
performance and financial results may differ materially from
projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking
statements because of many factors not anticipated by management,
including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its
fiscal year ended September 30,
2010.
SOURCE Air Products