Desert Silicon Announces New Board Advisor, Gene Banucci, Ph.D., Founder of ATMI, Inc.

TEMPE, Ariz., April 05, 2018 -- Desert Silicon, Inc., a leading, global supplier of spin-on glass (SOG) and other materials, today announced that Gene Banucci, Ph.D. is now an advisor to the company’s Board of Directors.

Banucci founded ATMI, Inc. and served as its CEO and Chairman/Director from 1986 to 2014. The company went public in 1993 with approximately $7 million in annual revenues, and grew to more than $400 million before it was acquired in 2014 by Entegris Corporation for approximately $1.2B.

Prior to founding ATMI, Banucci served as Vice President for American Cyanamid’s Chemical Research Division, where he directed more than 900 scientists and engineers in product research and development for the $1.4 billion business unit. Previously, he was with General Electric Company for more than 10 years in a variety of management positions at the Corporate R&D Center and GE Plastics. He was a key contributor to the invention of Ultem® thermoplastics, which is now a major product for the successor to GE Plastics.

“I am thrilled to have Gene Banucci as an advisor to Desert Silicon’s Board of Directors at such an exciting time in our company’s growth and development,” said Kent Ridgeway, founder and chief executive officer.  “With a deep knowledge of our industry and years of experience leading companies that are undergoing massive expansion and transformation, Gene has the vision and expertise to help Desert Silicon maximize its potential in this dynamic business environment. We look forward to leveraging his invaluable expertise as we continue to expand our presence in key geographies, support an ever-growing number of applications for our products, and develop strategic partnerships around the world.”

Gene believes strongly in promoting technology and education and has served as a member of the Board of the Program on Innovation and Technology of the National Academy of Sciences, and as a member of the Board of Trustees of Beloit College. Since stepping down as CEO of ATMI in 2005, he has served as a Director of over a dozen organizations, primarily leading edge technology corporations. Presently he is Lead Director of Clean Harbors, a $3B environmental services company. He is also a Director and Governance Chair for Cognex Corporation, a supplier of machine visions tools.

He received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Wayne State University, and his BA in Chemistry from Beloit College. Gene holds 22 issued U.S. patents and is the author of numerous published articles. Gene was awarded the Connecticut Medal of Technology in October of 2006 and was inducted into the Connecticut Academy of Sciences in 2007.

About Spin-on Glass
Spin-on glass (SOG) is a silicate-based liquid compound, primarily used by the semiconductor industry in the manufacturing of integrated circuits and discrete components. This critical electronic material component is often leveraged in the early stages of product development for semiconductor and electronic device manufacturers. Research and development labs also use SOG for the development of new or improving existing manufactured products, such as integrated circuits, solar cells, MEMS, and discrete components.

About Desert Silicon, Inc.
Desert Silicon, Inc. is a global supplier of spin-on glass (SOG) and other materials and services used by the semiconductor, compound semiconductor, LED, solar and optics industries. Its wide breadth of superior and customized liquid dopant products, coupled with extensive technical expertise, helps customers and partners to achieve higher yields and cost savings, positioning them with advantages for success. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.desertsilicon.com/

Contact:
Leslie Green
Green Communications Consulting, LLC
650-312-9060
[email protected]