BUFFALO, N.Y., Dec 15, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Williams Advanced Materials Inc. (WAM) announced today that it has been notified by the European Patent Office (EPO) that the EPO intends to grant WAM a patent for WAM's silver-based alloy, commonly known as Sil-X(TM). This is significant for WAM and its customers as it validates WAM's belief that Sil-X(TM) is unique in its chemistry and properties as a key raw material widely used for the production of DVD's and other optical media applications. Coverage under the European patent potentially may extend to more than 25 nations.
In making this announcement, WAM's President, Richard Sager, commented, "We are extremely pleased to receive notification that the Sil-X(TM) patent is about to be granted in Europe. Our introduction of this new and innovative material early in 2003 helped many replicators and the DVD industry as a whole achieve significant cost savings. Sil-X(TM) eliminated license fees and more costly precious metal constituents commonly associated with competitors' products. Moreover, we are encouraged by recent test results that the Sil-X(TM)-based family of products will continue as a low cost material of choice for next generation technology such as Blue Disc (BD)."
Sil-X(TM) has been used by nearly all of the world's leading DVD manufacturers as a raw material critical to minimizing Cost per Disc (CPD) and enhancing performance characteristics of DVD's. WAM's leadership position as a raw material supplier, its extensive experience in precious metals, its collaborative research and development efforts with key customers and its commitment to customer support led to the discovery and refinement of this alloy.
Headquartered in Buffalo, New York, WAM manufactures precious, non-precious and specialty metal products at facilities in New York, California and Asia, and provides precision cleaning and reconditioning services for physical vapor deposition customers at facilities in the U.S. and Ireland. Major markets for WAM's products include magnetic and optical data storage, the wireless, semiconductor, photonic and hybrid segments of the microelectronics markets.
WAM's parent company, Brush Engineered Materials Inc. (NYSE:BW) is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, supplies worldwide markets with beryllium products, alloy products, electronic products, precious metal products, and engineered material systems.
SOURCE: Williams Advanced Materials Inc.
Media:
Williams Advanced Materials
Scott Haluska, 716-837-1000
or
Investors:
Brush Engineered Materials Inc.
Michael C. Hasychak, 216-383-6823
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