Isonics to Work With ATMI On Isotopically Pure Silicon and Silicon Carbide.

Business Editors

GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 2000

Isonics Corporation (OTCBB:ISON) announced that it will supply silicon-28 silane to ATMI, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATMI) to produce isotopically pure silicon and silicon carbide. ATMI is the prime contractor for the Office of Naval Research contract entitled &uot;Isotopically Pure Silicon Carbide and Silicon Epitaxial Layer Growth and Characterization.&uot;

The contract award is for 12 months and is worth $307,574 with an option to perform additional work for $515,638. Isonics will also work with ATMI to measure the basic properties of these isotopically pure materials.

Dr. Stephen Burden, Isonics' Vice President for Semiconductor Materials, remarked, &uot;We are pleased that the Office of Naval Research has recognized isotopically pure semiconductors as a new class of materials worthy of an investment in R&. Silicon carbide is a next generation semiconductor material which is being developed for high temperature electronic applications and we believe that this will be the world's first production of isotopically pure silicon carbide.

&uot;This contract will allow us to determine if the thermal conductivity improvements discovered with isotopically pure silicon, germanium and diamond will also hold true for compound semiconductors, such as silicon carbide. This experimental work will complement our other research projects to fully characterize the properties of isotopically pure semiconductor materials.&uot;

ATMI will grow epitaxial layers of silicon carbide on silicon carbide substrates using isotopically pure silane from Isonics. In addition, epitaxial layers of silicon doped with various levels of common electrical dopants will be grown at ATMI's Epitronics Silicon Division in Mesa, AZ. The thermal conductivity of these layers will be characterized using several techniques, including scanning thermal microscopy performed at Brooklyn College, CUNY.

ATMI provides products and services for semiconductor device manufacture through its Materials and Technologies units. ATMI Materials includes thin film materials and delivery systems, sub-atmospheric gas delivery systems, high-purity materials packaging systems and photolithography and chemical-mechanical polishing materials. ATMI Technologies includes process and environmental solutions, thin film deposition services, smart card solutions, and other ATMI ventures. Additional information may be obtained at www.atmi.com.

Isonics is a world leader in isotopically engineered materials and produces isotopically pure silicon-28 chemicals and wafers for the semiconductor industry. Isonics also markets and sells stable isotopes for the health care industry such as carbon-13 for diagnostic breath tests and drug design, and oxygen-18 for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Stable isotopes can be thought of as ultra pure materials. This high degree of purification provides enhanced properties as compared to natural materials. Additional information may be obtained at www.isonics.com.

Except for historical information contained herein, this document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause ATMI's or Isonics' actual results or outcomes to be materially different from those anticipated and discussed herein. Further, ATMI and Isonics operate in industries where securities values may be volatile and may be influenced by regulatory and other factors beyond ATMI's or Isonics' control. Other important factors that ATMI and Isonics believe might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: changes in semiconductor industry growth or ATMI's or Isonics' markets; competition, problems, or delays developing and commercializing new products; and other factors discussed in ATMI's and Isonics' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ from those projected. In assessing forward-looking statements contained herein, readers are urged to carefully read all cautionary statements contained in ATMI's and Isonics' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.