APD Air Products and Chemicals Inc

Air Products to Exclusively Offer Akzo Nobel Trimethylaluminum to Silicon Semiconductor Industry LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE:APD) and Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals, L.L.C. have signed a long-term global distribution contract to supply high-purity Trimethylaluminum (TMAl) to customers in North America, Europe and Asia. The arrangement enhances Air Products' Electronic Specialty Materials (ESM) portfolio by adding another high-k dielectric precursor. Under the contract signed on June 14, 2004, Air Products will leverage its global distribution channels to exclusively market and deliver the product to the silicon-based memory and logic applications industry. Akzo Nobel will continue to manufacture TMAl from its Houston, Texas facility and began supplying Air Products with the material effective June 14. With the exception of Japan, TMAl will be globally offered as part of Air Products' Schumacher brand product lines. "As the silicon semiconductor industry and its technology roadmap evolves, Air Products continues to explore opportunities to broaden our electronics portfolio," said Dan O'Connell, manager of ESM New Product Development. "The addition of Akzo Nobel's TMAl product is a nice fit with our current ESM package. It's a material our customers have been asking for and aligns with our goal to be a complete materials and solutions supplier." TMAl is used as a precursor for aluminum oxide deposition, a high-k dielectric film required for advanced memory and logic devices. The specialty material will be the latest addition to an Electronics portfolio that covers the entire silicon semiconductor manufacturing process. "This new distribution partnership allows us to leverage Akzo Nobel's expertise in manufacturing high-purity TMAl with Air Products' broad portfolio," added Robert Viehweger, vice president of Research and Business Development for Akzo Nobel. "Together we're now better positioned to successfully offer complete high-k dielectric solutions." Further details about the contract were not disclosed. NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations. DATASOURCE: Air Products CONTACT: media, Tom Yencho, +1-610-481-1192, or , or investors, Alex Masetti, +1-610-481-7461, or , both of Air Products Web site: http://www.airproducts.com/

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