Dow Electronic Materials Introduces New Autocatalytic Silver Immersion Gold Final Finish Products for Printed Circuit Board Industry

Excellent Lead Free Solderability, Wire Bond and RF Performance
LITTAU, Switzerland–(Business Wire)–
Dow Electronic Materials (NYSE:DOW) introduces Silveron MF 100 autocatalytic
silver and Aurolectroless SMT immersion gold for ASIG (autocatalytic silver
immersion gold) final finish process for the PCB (printed circuit board)
industry. The company has signed an agreement with Polymer Kompositer AB to
become the global distributor for the ASIG final finish process, excluding UK
and Nordic countries. Silveron MF 100 autocatalytic silver and Aurolectroless
SMT immersion gold offer board fabricators, assemblers and OEMs improvements in
solderability, shelf life, wire bonding and reliability due to the unique,
dense, pore free silver deposit.

SilveronTM MF 100 autocatalytic silver can be used for reflow or wave solder
assembly, and with Aurolectroless SMT gold for wire bonding. It offers many
advantages over current solderable finish alternatives.

* Outstanding shelf life and solderability: Due to the autocatalytic nature of
the silver bath, any thickness of silver can be achieved with a dense,
crystalline, pore free deposit, showing excellent shelf life and solderability
due to prevention of copper migration to the surface through pores.
* Improved reliability: The fast intermetallic formation during soldering brings
improved reliability due to lower soldering temperatures and time compared to
nickel based final finishes, as well as avoiding potentially brittle
intermetallic compounds formed with nickel based finishes when used with lead
free solders.
* Excellent conductivity: The excellent conductivity of the silver makes this
the logical choice for high frequency applications, whilst gold or aluminium
wire bonding shows exceptional bond strengths when using the complete ASIG
process.

“Driven by changes to board design, component design and pitch, lead free
assembly and many other evolving variables, the demand for improved
multifunctional, high reliability finishes is very real,” said Bob Ferguson,
global general manager for Dow Electronic Materials. “The introduction of
Silveron MF 100 satisfies this demand. Innovative silver technology created by
Polymer Kompositer, coupled with the global reach and market position of Dow
Electronic Materials, creates exciting opportunities in the evolving PCB final
finishes market.”

About Dow

Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and
technology with the “Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to
human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to
customers in approximately 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation
with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh
water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products.
In 2008, Dow had annual sales of $57.5 billion and employed approximately 46,000
people worldwide. The Company has 150 manufacturing sites in 35 countries and
produces approximately 3,300 products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and
Haas Company, a global specialty materials company with sales of $10 billion in
2008, 98 manufacturing sites in 30 countries and approximately 15,000 employees
worldwide. 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.

About Dow Electronic Materials

Dow Electronic Materials develops and markets highly sophisticated materials
used in the electronic materials segment of the global electronics value chain.
The business, with a significant presence and operations throughout Asia,
delivers cutting edge technology, provides strong technical support, and closely
partners with industry leading customers to develop next generation materials.
Its key end-use applications include a broad range of consumer electronics from
personal computers, to television monitors, cellular phones, global positioning
systems, automobile safety systems, and avionics.

Trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow.
Media Contact:
Dow Electronic Materials
Elysia Hsieh, +886-37-539158
elysiahsieh@rohmhaas.com

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