More powerful, multi-functional devices drive Dow’s development activities

MIDLAND, Mich. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — December 3, 2012 — Dow Electronic Materials, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), today announced two key commercial-ready technologies for leading-edge semiconductor and printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. The company also unveiled new advances in its extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography development efforts:

• Dow introduces the first two polishing pad families under its new IKONIC™ chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad platform.
• Dow brings to market two new MICROFILL™ copper plating products that enhance the performance of high density interconnect (HDI) and IC substrate PCBs.
• Dow unveils critical performance advances for its EUV photoresists and ancillary lithography materials.

“Dow is committed to delivering innovative solutions for the electronics industry. Our technologies are critical to extending Moore’s law, allowing for improved processing power as well as memory capacity enabling our customers to manufacture the most advanced components that can differentiate consumer mobile electronic devices,” said Dominic Yang, president, Dow Electronic Materials. “Dow is committed to supporting our customers with advanced materials for semiconductor, chip-to-circuit board packaging solutions and PCB manufacturing. Electronic Materials’ IKONIC polishing pad platform, MICROFILL Electrolytic Copper and EUV technologies are at the leading edge of development. Our research, development and manufacturing capabilities, as well as our global footprint, allow us to address our customers’ requirements with timely solutions,” said Yang.

IKONIC CMP Polishing Pad Platform

The IKONIC CMP polishing pad platform is setting a new benchmark in performance, enabling customers to manufacture advanced semiconductors and memory devices. A breakthrough in CMP polishing pad technology, the IKONIC platform delivers the highest performance levels for the broadest range of CMP applications at or below the 28 nm technology node. IKONIC polishing pads are formulated with a unique chemistry in a range of hardness and porosity leading to increased wafer yields and lower cost of ownership. This new platform and Dow’s expertise in manufacturing ensure Dow’s ability to deliver product when and where needed.

The first two families of the IKONIC polishing pad series are slated to launch in early 2013. IKONIC 2000 polishing pads will target copper barrier polishing and other processes requiring soft and ultra-soft pads. The 2000 series is designed to deliver step-out reduction in wafer defects, tunable removal rate with selectivity, and longer pad lifetime. IKONIC 3000 polishing pads will target bulk copper polishing and other processes requiring medium hardness pads. The 3000 series is designed to reduce wafer defects, improve topography, and lower customer’s cost of ownership. Samples are currently available and in beta testing with multiple key customers.

MICROFILL Electrolytic Copper for HDI and IC Substrate PCBs

Smartphones and tablets have become the primary driver for the ever-increasing circuit density of today’s PCB designs, and MICROFILL plating products deliver critical technologies to enable miniaturization of next generation devices. Dow has brought to market its MICROFILL THF-100 Electrolytic Copper for through-hole fill of substrate core layers, and is set to launch its MICROFILL LVF Via Fill Electrolytic Copper for enhanced microvia filling in early 2013. MICROFILL products can help meet customers’ needs for high density interconnect products, improved performance and reliability, and reduced cost of ownership.

EUV Materials Portfolio

As manufacturers work to increase the number of chips on a wafer in order to meet the size and performance requirements of next-generation mobile devices, current approaches to photolithography are becoming complex and expensive, necessitating the development of new patterning technologies. EUV represents an opportunity to further advance electronics and drive Moore’s Law. Dow is actively pursuing the development of its EUV photoresists and ancillary materials to meet these emerging requirements. Dow has recently demonstrated an improvement of the resolution, line-width roughness and sensitivity of its EUV chemically amplified resists. The company expects its EUV portfolio to be market-ready for the adoption of EUV in high volume manufacturing.

“EUV lithography is widely viewed as an enabling technology for next-generation devices to come to market,” said Cathie Markham, global director, research & development, Dow Electronic Materials. “Dow has invested strongly in this technology, working in close collaboration with leading chip manufacturers and industry development centers. Based on our strong imaging background and our dominant R&D capabilities, our portfolio of EUV materials is already demonstrating industry-leading performance,” said Markham.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com .