Electronics: Voltaix and Air Liquide to Boost Trisilylamine (TSA) Production Capacity in USA and Korea

BRANCHBURG, N.J., April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Voltaix, LLC, a leading manufacturer of specialty materials for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries, and Air Liquide, a world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment today announced the signing of an agreement to expand Trisilylamine (TSA) capacity with the construction of two new plants.

The two new TSA production facilities will be located at Voltaix's recently constructed state-of-the-art manufacturing sites in Upper Mount Bethel Township, PA (USA) and in Yeongi-gun, Choongchung, Nam Do, South Korea, to meet global market demand and enable strong supply contingencies.

TSA is a versatile silicon precursor molecule used in a variety of disruptive front-end Semiconductor applications.  It is used in the production of advanced memory and microprocessor chips, where TSA usage is scheduled to grow sharply as device size shrinks to the 20nm technology node generations and below.

Capitalizing on ten years of TSA synthesis, purification and handling experience, Voltaix will integrate their innovative chemistry and process engineering expertise into these new state-of-the-art plants, expected to be in operation over the next 12 to 18 months.   Air Liquide will increase its ultra-high purification capacity at its ALOHA™ manufacturing centers as well as set-up the necessary handling, quality control and logistics infrastructure to support this growth.

Commenting on the announcement, Peter Smith, Voltaix Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Through years of dedicated research, Voltaix is able to successfully scale TSA manufacturing to meet the increasing demands of the semiconductor industry. TSA is a highly versatile chemical that is finding numerous applications owing to its unique properties. We are fortunate to have a high caliber partner in Air Liquide with experience and expertise in the development of CVD and ALD processes and precursors."

Air Liquide's Vice President of Electronics World Business Line, Francisco Martins, commented, "The Semiconductor industry's most advanced customers will be pleased to hear about the expanded cooperation between Voltaix and Air Liquide Electronics, which provides them with a reliable TSA supply chain solution globally for the years to come.  TSA has undergone a fascinating journey, from the inception of the molecule, its early process development efforts, collaborations with OEMs and eventually its market introduction.  Voltaix has been our long-standing and valued partner to bring TSA to market, and this agreement seals the continuation of our successful venture for this enabling molecule."

About Voltaix
Voltaix manufactures specialty materials that enhance the performance and manufacturability of semiconductors and photovoltaics. Utilizing exceptional expertise in silicon, germanium and boron chemistry, our products are custom designed for the most demanding applications, including:

• Advanced DRAM computer memory
• Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) transistors for wireless communications chips
• Strained silicon for high speed logic computer chips (CPUs)
• Copper-enabling low-K dielectrics for computer chips
• High efficiency thin film silicon solar cells

Voltaix materials enable logic chips to compute more quickly and solar cells to absorb a broader portion of the solar spectrum, and they improve manufacturability by minimizing defect formation and increasing machine throughput.

Voltaix is the world leader in the manufacture of a number of electronics products, including germane, diborane, trisilane, and trimethyl boron. We use proprietary synthesis, purification, and packaging technology developed in-house. We also design and build our own equipment for use in our manufacturing operations. The company, founded in 1986, employs more than 100 people at its sites in North Branch, NJ, High Springs, FL, Portland, PA and South Korea.  Intel Capital, Novus Energy Partners, and Mission Point Capital Partners are investors in Voltaix.

SOURCE Voltaix, LLC