Air Products to Highlight Advances in Electron Attachment for Soldering Applications at IPC APEX Expo

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Feb. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) will highlight advances in its proprietary electron attachment (EA) technology for soldering applications at the IPC APEX Expo in San Diego, Calif., from February 19-21. IPC APEX attendees can stop by Air Products Booth #2708 to learn about the advantages of EA activated hydrogen over plasma-based and flux-based processes for cleaning soldering surfaces during electronics assembly and packaging. These advantages include improved solder wetting, lower reflow temperature, decreased overall voiding tendency, and no flux residue-related problems.

In addition, Dr. Christine Dong, lead research scientist for merchant gases technology at Air Products, will present the results of a study on EA technology titled "Fluxless Die Attach by Activated Forming Gas." The study demonstrates that it is possible to achieve a high-quality die attach with zero or near-zero voids by using EA. Dr. Dong's presentation is part of the Novel Attachment Technologies and Processes (S34) conference paper session to be held on Thursday, February 21, from 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM. IPC APEX attendees can register to learn how EA-activated forming gas can effectively clean soldering surfaces during fluxless die attach, bringing numerous advantages compared with conventional flux-based processes.

Air Products representatives will be available at the booth to speak with IPC APEX attendees about the company's complete range of application technologies and solutions that can help electronics packaging and assembly customers improve productivity and optimize their total cost of ownership. Among these solutions are the use of nitrogen reflow for Head-in-Pillow defect reduction and Air Products Inert Wave Soldering technology, which has helped an electronics contract assembly company reduce wave solder defects by 90%, enabling them to achieve improved production efficiencies and cost savings.

Air Products is a leading supplier of specialty gases and chemicals, bulk gases, and delivery equipment and services to the global electronics industry. For more than 25 years, the company has been providing the electronics packaging, assembly and test industry with technology, gases, and know-how for wave, reflow, and selective soldering. In addition to printed circuit assembly processes, Air Products' global technology team can support several areas of integrated circuit packaging assembly. With a complete portfolio of reliable gas supply options―from liquid/bulk gases to a host of on-site production technologies―Air Products can meet the purity requirement, volume, or usage pattern of any customer, anywhere around the world. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com/electronics_assembly.

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE: APD) provides atmospheric, process and specialty gases; performance materials; equipment; and technology. For over 70 years, the company has enabled customers to become more productive, energy efficient and sustainable. More than 20,000 employees in over 50 countries supply innovative solutions to the energy, environment and emerging markets. These include semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, coal gasification, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. In fiscal 2012, Air Products had sales approaching $10 billion. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

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, 2012.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Air Products will unveil additional information about the company's electron attachment technology at www.airproducts.com/noflux on February 19^th in conjunction with the IPC APEX Expo.

SOURCE Air Products