OREANDA-NEWS. October 14, 2015. Air Liquide has signed an agreement to acquire Voltaix Inc., a U.S. based electronics materials company. The acquisition is expected to close later this summer, pending applicable regulatory approvals.

Founded in 1986, Voltaix is a manufacturer of materials used in the production of semiconductor devices and advanced solar cells, with expertise and global stewardship in silicon, germanium, and boron chemistries. It operates manufacturing facilities in the U.S. in Branchburg (New Jersey), High Springs (Florida) and Portland (Pennsylvania) and in South Korea in Sejong-si (South Chungcheong Province). The company employs 185 employees.

Air Liquide, with its ALOHA™ product line, is recognized as an industry leader in advanced precursors for semiconductor manufacturing. Precursors are molecules with specific physical and chemical properties that are used for depositing critical layers during fabrication of microelectronic devices. Air Liquide utilizes a comprehensive process for designing, screening and industrializing advanced precursors in close cooperation with semiconductor industry leaders and process tool makers.

The acquisition of Voltaix complements the ALOHA™ offer and brings together synergies in molecule discovery and scale up, contributing to accelerate the introduction of a broader portfolio of new high-tech materials to semiconductor manufacturers and therefore enabling the increase in computing power and connectivity.

Michael J. Graff, Senior Vice-President Americas and a member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, commented: “Air Liquide and Voltaix share a culture of innovation. Joining the resources and expertise of our two companies will expand our product offering for semiconductor manufacturers around the world. Our continuous innovation on new molecules allows us to timely meet the growing consumer demand for increasingly powerful flat screens, tablets and smart phones.”