Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley to Speak at San Francisco Chip Conference Next Week on Energy Challenges Facing World; Chip Companies to Announce Technical Breakthroughs at Conference.

SAN FRANCISCO -- IEDM:

Speaker:        Dr. Richard Smalley

   Dr. Smalley is Rice University Professor and winner of the 1996
Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in the discovery of "buckyballs"
and other fullerine carbon molecules. These have led to carbon
nanotubes, a hot area of research in the nanoelectronics field.

Topic:          Our Energy Challenge

   To maintain living standards, somehow within the next few decades
we must find a new energy source that can provide at least 10
terawatts of clean power on a sustainable basis, and do it cheaply.
(This is the equivalent of 10,000 breeder reactors.) Where is this
energy going to come from? Can we find it in time to avoid the hard
times, terrorism, war and suffering that will otherwise occur as we
fight over dwindling oil and gas reserves? Energy may well be the
single most critical challenge facing humanity in this century.

Date & Time:    Tues., Dec. 14, approx. 1 p.m.

Place:          Grand Ballroom B, San Francisco Hilton & Towers
                333 O'Farrell St.

Q&A:            Following his talk, in the Union Square Room #14

The Conference:

   Dr. Smalley will be the luncheon speaker at the 50th annual IEEE
International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), the world's premier
forum for leading semiconductor companies, universities and government
laboratories to first disclose their research breakthroughs in
computer chips, nanoelectronics and related technologies.
   The IEDM begins Monday, Dec. 13 and runs through Wednesday, Dec.
15. There will be a luncheon press briefing to preview the technical
highlights the day prior to Dr. Smalley's talk. That press briefing
will begin at noon on Monday, Dec. 13 in the Yosemite B Room at the
Hilton.
   The IEDM web site is www.ieee.org/conferences/iedm.