ATMI Announces New Business Unit
Emosyn Division to Focus on Smart Card Devices
DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 1998--ATMI Inc. (NASDAQ: ATMI - news), today announced its
newly formed Emosyn division. Emosyn, a ''fabless'' venture, will initially target devices for the fast-growing smart card
market. The name Emosyn is derived from Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of memory.
Previously known by its ''NovaChip'' code name, Emosyn is actively building upon a world-leading ferroelectric materials and
process integration technology. ATMI developed this technology in a three-year consortium with IBM, Texas Instruments and
Micron Technology.
Recently, ATMI and Texas Instruments announced the formation of a new, joint development program to demonstrate an
embedded, high-density, non-volatile ferroelectric memory technology. Emosyn intends to use this technology in developing
smart card devices. To significantly enhance the way smart card applications are brought to market. Emosyn has also defined
and developed a new generation of software and hardware tools intended to help customers develop products around its
devices.
Gene Banucci, ATMI CEO, said, ''ATMI continues to aggressively look for commercial outlets for its unique semiconductor
materials technologies. We believe the smart card market is very receptive to both our new materials developments and a
fabless business model. This business model calls for Emosyn to begin making financial contributions to ATMI in the year
2000.''
Heading up this new division, Nicholas Wood, Emosyn vice president and general manager, said, ''We selected the smart
card market because of our belief that ferroelectric thin film technology will be the driver for-next-generation devices and
because of its projected high rate of growth. Over the long term, we intend to continue to use these leap frog materials
technologies to drive growth, while using ATMI's partnering philosophy to help Emosyn quickly reach critical market mass.''
Grahame Lucas, director of sales, said, ''Emosyn is market-driven. Over the past two years we have enfranchised our
customers who have defined our development tools and devices to help drive their own businesses forward. These are the
products that we expect to bring to market in 1998.''
A smart card is a computer on a credit card. Incorporating similar logic, memory, and programming circuitry, these integrated
circuits are able to compute, process, store, and recognize information in a secure, highly portable package.
ATMI is a leading provider of advanced semiconductor materials and environmental equipment. It is also developing
next-generation semiconductor devices based on its new materials technologies.
Statements which are not historical information are forward looking, and involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not
limited to: changes in semiconductor industry growth or ATMI's markets; competition, problems, or delays developing and
commercializing new products, and other factors discussed in ATMI's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
atmi.com
Contact:
ATMI, Danbury
Dean Hamilton, 203/794-1100
dhamilton@atmi.com |
