AlliedSignal Reinforces Leadership In Low K Arena With Latest Low Organic Siloxane Polymer For Sub-0.25 Micron Applications.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.---(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 1998--

Superior Non-etchback Capability, Improved Planarization And Greater Stability Enable AlliedSignal Customers To Surpass Limitations Of Current Market Offerings

AlliedSignal Inc. (NYSE:ALD), a leading supplier of semiconductor interconnect technology solutions to the global IC industry, demonstrated continued leadership in the low k dielectric materials arena today by introducing the Accuspin(R) T-23 LOSP (Low Organic Siloxane Polymer) for use in next-generation sub-0.25 micron semiconductor manufacturing. In comparison to competitive products already on the market, the new non-etchback organic polymer promises superior gap-fill, improved planarization results and greater thermal stability for use in processing multiple levels of metal.

As device geometries continue to shrink in size, interest and demand in low k materials continue to increase. Low k materials, with k values of less than 3.0, offer reduced capacitance and permit the shrinking of spaces between metal lines to less than 0.25 micron. These tighter geometries not only provide faster circuits, but also allow high-performance chips to be manufactured with minimal increases in chip size.

The Accuspin T-23 flowable polymer joins AlliedSignal's FLARE(tm) 2.0 product, introduced last December, to expand the company's offerings in low k dielectric materials and further establish AlliedSignal's leadership in this fast-emerging market.

"The introduction of this product is indicative of our strategy to provide IC customers worldwide with the broadest range of advanced low k solutions," commented Jack Bolick, vice president and general manager for AlliedSignal's Advanced Microelectronics Materials business unit based in Sunnyvale. "Even with a general downturn in the industry, companies that are doing well are having to scale back on their capital equipment investments. These companies are still looking for a competitive advantage as they work on process development for the next generation of chips. Low k materials may well be the most cost-effective solution."

Recent advances in polymer chemistry have allowed the development of new materials with k values in the range of 2.5 to 3.0 through changes in the polymer's structure. AlliedSignal's new Accuspin T-23 is a hydrido organo siloxane polymer, designed as a non-etchback inorganic material for gap-fill applications, and with the goal of retaining low k values over a wider process window than cage HSQ. For temperatures between 380 and 450 degrees centigrade, the k values for Accuspin T-23 range between 2.8 and 3.0. In contrast, k values for HSQ have been reported between 3.0 and 4.0 over the same temperature range.

AlliedSignal's new material offers both excellent planarization results and a long shelf life as well. When deposited on a 1.0-micron line and space pattern, the Accuspin T-23 showed greater than 90 percent degree of planarization for a 0.4-micron thick film on 1.0-micron high features with linewidths of 0.25- 2.0 micron. When left exposed to laboratory atmospheres, the Accuspin T-23 retained its k value stability for up to eight months, versus four months for the HSQ materials.

AlliedSignal Electronic Materials, a strategic business unit of AlliedSignal Inc., provides materials solutions to the global semiconductor and electronics industries, and employs 3,000 people worldwide. Based in Los Gatos, California, it has sales, marketing and manufacturing facilities in California, Wisconsin, Arizona, New York, South Carolina, Indiana, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Germany and India. Its businesses include Advanced Microelectronic Materials (AMM), AlliedSignal Substrate Technology & Interconnects (ASTI), Amorphous Metals, Laminate Systems, Oak-Mitsui and Optical Devices.

With corporate headquarters in Morris Township, New Jersey, AlliedSignal Inc. is a $14.5 billion advanced technology and manufacturing company with 70,500 employees at more than 300 facilities in 40 countries. It serves customers worldwide with advanced materials, aerospace and automotive parts, chemicals, fibers and plastics. It is among the largest 100 companies on the Fortune 500 and is one of 30 companies included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements about future business operations, financial performance and market conditions. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties inherent in business forecasts.

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