Good news from ATMI and Praxair. Note big return on investment anticipated for semicon manufacturers who install this new system.
Monday July 14 12:30 PM EDT
Company Press Release
Praxair Receives Second Patent for Recycling of
Perfluorinated Compounds
DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 14, 1997--
Readies First Installation for Evaluation at Texas Instruments
Praxair, Inc. (NYSE:PX) has been awarded a second U.S. patent for systems that recycle the class
of chemical compounds known as PFCs (perfluorinated compounds).
At the same time, Praxair and EcoSys, Inc. are preparing for evaluation the industry's first such
system at Texas Instruments Incorporated's semiconductor manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas.
The evaluation will be carried out in conjunction with SEMATECH, the U.S. semiconductor
manufacturing consortium based in Austin, Texas.
U.S. Patent No. 5,626,023 is Praxair's second patent in the last year to be awarded for this
technology that captures, recovers and purifies more than 99 percent of PFCs from a semiconductor
manufacturing effluent stream. The gases are purified to their original specifications and then recycled
for reuse in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Although not proven, PFCs are among a
group of chemicals that are suspected contributors to the phenomenon known as global warming.
``Until now, semiconductor manufacturers have had two choices: exhaust PFCs into the atmosphere,
or burn them,'' said Ted Trumpp, vice president and general manager of Praxair's electronics
business segment. ``Our PFC recycling technology, which can pay for itself within the first year of
operation, offers a complete, cost-effective solution for dealing with this potential environmental
issue.''
Semiconductor Process Gases (atmospherics, dopants, silicon precursors, corrosives and etchant
gases) are key to the production of semiconductors and integrated circuits. Praxair provides these
gases, as well as site services and gas handling equipment, to the microelectronics industry
worldwide.
EcoSys, a subsidiary of Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATMI), is a leading
point-of-use effluent abatement company for the semiconductor industry.
Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest
worldwide, with 1996 sales of $4.4 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes
atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair is a
recognized leader in the commercialization of new technologies that bring productivity and
environmental benefits to a diverse group of industries. |
