DA NanoMaterials opens Taiwan tech centre

DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials LLC (DA NanoMaterials), announced the opening of its new Asia headquarters in Taiwan's Jhudong Township, just outside Hsinchu Science Park. The facility includes a 300mm-capable Advanced Technology Centre (ATEC). DA NanoMaterials, a 50/50 joint venture of DuPont and Air Products, is a supplier of chemical mechanical planarisation (CMP) slurries to the semiconductor fabrication industry.

"We made the decision to base our Asia Headquarters and Advanced Technology Centre in Taiwan, due to our desire to be closer to our customers in the region," said Ed Shober, CEO of DA NanoMaterials. "Despite the current difficult economic environment, we view Asia, and especially Taiwan, as strong growth markets for CMP slurries. We wish to better position DA NanoMaterials for closer collaboration with our Asian customers, so we are very pleased to be making this significant investment in Taiwan."

The ATEC, which is now operational, is a 300mm-capable laboratory and technical centre which is dedicated to developing and optimising advanced CMP processes and consumable sets, and providing timely technical support to customers. This facility houses a laboratory featuring 300mm CMP and defect metrology equipment, as well as an advanced chemical formulation laboratory to support product development and optimisation.

"For a long time, CMP slurry users have sought increased technical support to help them reduce costs," said Saifi Usmani, VP of marketing, business development and technology of DA NanoMaterials. "With its advanced capabilities, we believe ATEC will become the first choice for technical support of CMP slurries in the Asia region. DA NanoMaterials is continuously evaluating ways to meet its customers' needs better and faster as we look to the future, and this new facility is specifically designed to add value for them."