BOC Edwards Announces TGCM Contract for Major Taiwan Foundry.

Business Editors

TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2004

Wide scope of gas and chemical operations supports multiple sites

BOC Edwards, a major supplier of materials, equipment and services to the semiconductor industry, announced today that it has been awarded a contract to provide total gas and chemical management (TGCM) site services for a major Taiwan semiconductor chip manufacturer. The terms of the contract are being carried out at multiple fab locations by a team of approximately 60 gas and chemical operations specialists from BOC Edwards and BOC Lienhwa Industrial Gases Company, Ltd., joint venture partners in Taiwan. The on-site teams work in tandem with the customer's facilities organization to provide a wide scope of services including inventory management and control as well as delivery of all gas and chemical to the point of use.

"A site service of this type is preferred by our customers because it allows them to reallocate existing resources to other areas and focus on their core competencies," said Neels Kriek, managing director of materials and services for BOC Edwards. "Our gas and chemical expertise, developed over many years at semiconductor fabs around the world, results in overall cost of ownership reduction and improved productivity for our clients."

"As with other recent successes in Asia, the award of this business was a result of our history with this customer as well as our solid working relationship we have developed with a chemical partner in the region to deliver the ultimate solution for our customer", said Kriek. "In this case, skilled specialists and on-site training--all conforming to BOC Edwards' operations protocol--will be provided."

TGCM contracts vary depending on the specific needs at each chip manufacturing location. The chemical management services to be provided under the terms of this contract include high-purity chemical and slurry analysis, system operation, drum changes, data collection and recording through statistical process control (SPC) techniques and preventative maintenance, as well as operation of the waste collection system. The scope of gas management services includes system operation, troubleshooting and maintenance, supply chain management, monitoring, inventory management and emergency response team support.

"Our customers rely on our industry experience and support infrastructure," said Alex Tong, vice president of BOC Lienhwa. "We are working together to identify solutions for today's process challenges, and are investing in facilities, trained personnel and new programs that will support chip industry growth in Taiwan well into the future."

Editor Background

BOC Lienhwa Industrial Gases Co., Ltd., is jointly owned by Lienhwa Industrial Group, Taiwan, and the BOC Group, UK. Formed in 1985, the company has become a leading supplier of gases to virtually every sector of Taiwan industry including electronics, engineering, chemicals, petroleum, marine, aerospace, metallurgical, hospitals, food and beverages. BOC Lienhwa is also a manufacturer and marketer of industrial and specialty gases, gas handling equipment, purification systems, and support services to the semiconductor, electronics, industrial and research markets in Taiwan. As well as satisfying the needs of industrial gas users, BOC Lienhwa provides world-class quality gases and facilities to the semiconductor industry and was the first production facility in Taiwan to be accredited to QS9000. In Taiwan, contact Edwards Technologies Limited, Tel: [phone].

BOC Edwards, part of The BOC Group plc, is a leading supplier of materials, process-enabling subsystems and services to fabs and OEMs involved in the manufacture of microelectronics devices. Serving two million customers in more than 50 countries, The BOC Group is one of the largest and most global of the world's leading gases companies, with annual sales of over GBP 4.3 billion (more than US $7 billion) in 2003. Information on the BOC Group can be accessed by visiting the Group web site, www.boc.com. Specific information on BOC Edwards can be accessed directly on www.bocedwards.com or e-mail: [e-mail].