America’s Leading Manufacturer of Rare Earth and Advanced Material Products

        U.S. SALES & ADMINISTRATION: 10884 WEYBURN AVE. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA  90024

December 7 , 2005

PRESS RELEASE

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMERICAN ELEMENTS ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF ITS SPUTTERING TARGET PRODUCTION FACILITY TO SUPPORT INCREASED DEMAND FOR TARGET AND FOIL PRODUCTS

[ December 7, 2005, Los Angeles , CA ] American Elements announced today it has nearly tripled its production capacity for vacuum melted high purity sputtering targets.

The expansion involves both the addition of new vacuum furnaces and additional analytical capacity. All target products will continue to be sold under the tradename Vaccuumelt™. The process was developed to provide a next generation option to hot pressed sputtering targets for certain high purity materials that have up until now only been available in such form. For example, the new process produces a 99.99% ruthenium target with superior performance to hot pressed ruthenium.

For further technical and pricing information on American Elements’ full line of advanced ceramic, electronic, glass and structural advanced materials products, please contact your local American Elements distributor or American Elements U.S. corporate headquarters at (1)310-208-0551, FAX (1)310-208-0351 or customerservice@americanelements.com . American Elements is America’s leading manufacturer and supplier of rare earth and other advanced material products with distribution offices in Europe, Asia and South America.