International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM) and Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., have signed a unique, four-year agreement to jointly develop new manufacturing materials and processes that will enable the next generation of semiconductor technology for 32nm and beyond. The agreement marks the first time Matheson Tri-Gas/Taiyo Nippon Sanso and IBM have collaborated on semiconductor technology.

As the semiconductor industry transitions from one technology generation to the next, manufacturers must rapidly develop new approaches to manage shrinking device circuitry. In order to continue to innovate at the transistor level in successive technology generations, IBM will collaborate with Matheson Tri-Gas/Taiyo Nippon Sanso to research and develop new high purity gas molecules and new delivery systems for the manufacturing of atomic-scale semiconductors. Engineers from the two companies and Matheson Tri-Gas' parent company, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, will conduct joint research and development at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's Albany NanoTech Complex.

Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. is a single source for industrial, medical, specialty and electronic gases, gas handling equipment, high performance purification systems, engineering and gas management services, and on-site gas generation with a mission to deliver innovative solutions for global customer requirements.