ATMI Announces Commercial Sales of Improved 2-Inch Gallium Nitride Substrates

ATMI Announces Commercial Sales of Improved 2-Inch Gallium Nitride Substrates
Uniformly Low Dislocation Density and Semi-Insulating GaN Wafers Available 


DANBURY, Conn., Nov. 25  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ATMI, Inc. , a supplier of
materials to the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers, today announced
commercial sales of improved two-inch diameter and smaller gallium nitride (GaN)
substrates. The new free-standing GaN substrate products have a uniform
dislocation density of 10^6 cm^-2, in contrast to other GaN wafer products that
have a low dislocation density only in select regions, which restricts device
size and placement. ATMI is also offering engineering samples of semi-insulating
GaN substrates for high frequency, high power electronics.

"We expect the introduction of uniformly low dislocation density GaN substrates
to set a new standard in Gallium Nitride substrates. We've delivered our GaN
wafers to major consumer electronics companies and into every major
semiconductor region in the world, and the early feedback is very good, with
customers obtaining improved device performance on our GaN substrates," said
George Brandes, Director of ATMI's GaN venture.

Brandes continued, "We are confident GaN wafers will help to allow full
realization of the enormous benefits of blue laser capabilities. Because of the
novelty of our work, we've made significant efforts to protect our intellectual
property, and already have more than 20 patents filed or issued around ATMI's
GaN processes and substrate growth and fabrication."

"We are producing free-standing two-inch GaN wafers in large volumes with
reasonable lead times," said Bob Vaudo, Manager of ATMI GaN Substrates. "We have
improved our growth process to enable a reduction in dislocation density by an
order of magnitude. ATMI's GaN wafers now meet the critical parameters needed to
extend laser lifetime and performance. In high performance electronics, we have
developed semi-insulating GaN wafers and are beginning to offer them to select
R&D customers in engineering quantities."

As a solid-state blue light emitter, gallium nitride (GaN) is the ideal material
for blue laser diodes. Blue lasers can potentially quadruple data storage on
DVDs and print resolution in laser printers, make biomedical laser surgery safer
and more "invisible," and could ultimately lead to solid-state lighting that
could make incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs obsolete.

For high-performance electronics, GaN offers the potential to handle much higher
powers and frequencies than conventional materials, potentially doubling the
effective range for radar and satellites while increasing bandwidth. GaN-based
devices should ultimately lead to increased system efficiency, reduced system
costs, and new market applications.

ATMI's Gallium Nitride (GaN) venture business supplies GaN substrates and
III-nitride epiwafers to the electronic device community.

ATMI provides specialty materials and materials packaging to the worldwide
semiconductor industry. As the Source of Semiconductor Process Efficiency, ATMI
helps customers improve wafer yields and lower operating costs. For more
information, please visit atmi.com.

Statements contained herein that relate to ATMI's future performance, including,
without limitation, statements with respect to ATMI's anticipated results of
operations or level of business for 2003 or any other future period, are
forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current
expectations only and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and
assumptions, including, but not limited to: changes in semiconductor industry
growth or ATMI's markets; competition, problems, or delays developing and
commercializing new products; problems or delays in integrating acquired
operations and businesses into ATMI; problems or delays associated with any
restructuring activity; and other factors discussed in ATMI's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks and uncertainties could cause
actual results to differ from those projected. ATMI undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new
information, future events or otherwise. 

DATASOURCE: ATMI, Inc.



CONTACT: Dean Hamilton of ATMI, Inc., [phone], or

[phone], ext. 4202, or  



Web site:  http://www.atmi.com/

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