Air Products Wins Contract to Supply UMC's New Fab in Taiwan

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Sep 25, 2012, 11:00 ET

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE:APD) today announced that its subsidiary in Taiwan, Air Products San Fu Co. Ltd., has been awarded a long-term contract with United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) to provide nitrogen and other bulk gases to four new phases of UMC's Fab 12A complex in the Tainan Science Industrial Park (TSIP).

Air Products San Fu will build an air separation unit, pipelines and a bulk gas system to supply ultra-high purity (UHP) nitrogen and other bulk gases including oxygen, argon, helium and hydrogen to UMC's Phase Five to Phase Eight of their new 300mm wafer fab in one of Taiwan's largest science parks. The air separation unit is scheduled to be onstream in the second half of 2013.

The contract further strengthens Air Products' leading market position in TSIP where Air Products San Fu serves its customers through UHP bulk gas facilities and a pipeline that is fed by three of the world's largest UHP nitrogen facilities. Air Products San Fu has been supplying bulk gases to UMC's first four phases of Fab 12A via pipelines in the park.

"UMC is our long-standing strategic customer. We are very pleased to further expand our business relationship and support the continuous growth of its most advanced fab," said Wayne Mitchell, vice president and general manager of Electronics Division at Air Products. "The investment will reinforce our market position in the park and allow us to serve customers with increased reliability and flexibility to meet new volume demand in a quick and cost-effective way."

"We are happy to extend our relationship with Air Products for the next development stage of our Fab 12A complex. Air Products is a leading global industrial gas supplier with proven reliability and safety records. We look forward to the same success we now enjoy in our future cooperation," said Louis Hsieh, Director of UMC's Operations Support Division.

Air Products' customers in TSIP include major semiconductor and TFT-LCD manufacturers. UMC is the world's second largest foundry company and a leading 300mm wafer manufacturer.

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 2011, Air Products had sales of approximately $10 billion. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

About Air Products San Fu Co. Ltd.

Air Products San Fu Co. Ltd. is a leading industrial gases supplier in Taiwan. It provides atmospheric gases, electronic specialty gases, chemical products and equipment to industries. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.tw.

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, 2011.

SOURCE Air Products