San Francisco, Calif., July 14, 2004 ― Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: RTEC), a leading provider of process control equipment for thin film measurement and macrodefect inspection during integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, announced today at Semicon/West 2004 that Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL), Tokyo, Japan, has selected Rudolph as a supplier for next-generation integrated macrodefect inspection solutions. Rudolph's i-MOD ADI™ (after develop inspection) module is designed to be integrated into TEL CLEAN TRACK™ photolithography coater/developer systems. A member of Rudolph's WaferView® Team™, the i-MOD ADI enables real-time macrodefect inspection of the entire surface of 300 mm wafers at production throughputs.
"This is the second time that Rudolph has earned supplier status for integrated equipment from TEL. We are extremely pleased that our i-MOD ADI has met the stringent requirements necessary to become an integrated solution for TEL. The CLEAN TRACK ACT® and next-generation LITHIUS™ are industry-proven, advanced coater/developers that are unsurpassed in the marketplace," said Rob Loiterman, senior vice president of technology, Rudolph Technologies, Inc. "By incorporating macrodefect inspection directly onto these lithography track tools, manufacturers can minimize the number of misprocessed wafers and accelerate process development and ramp with virtually instantaneous defect detection", he added.
Rudolph announced the formation of its Integrated Metrology business unit in April 2002 and first exhibited the i-MOD at Semicon/West 2002. In December of 2002, the i-MOD AF (All Film) achieved the first Class 1 certification from TEL for use in their TELFORMULA® Thermal Processing System. Since then, Rudolph has unveiled the new i-MOD ADI for macrodefect inspection as part of the WaferView Team (April 2004). The WaferView Team makes 100% inspection of the entire surface of every wafer at each critical process step economically viable ― it includes stand-alone inspection/defect review tools (models 320, 320 Turbo, and 325), i-MOD ADI modules that integrate directly into TEL's lithography track equipment, and the YieldView® server that coordinates the team. Please visit Rudolph's web site at www.rudolphtech.com for more information.
About Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
Rudolph Technologies is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of high-performance process control metrology and defect inspection systems used by semiconductor device manufacturers. The Company's products provide a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary systems, which are used throughout the device manufacturing process. Rudolph's product development has successfully anticipated and addressed many emerging trends that are driving the semiconductor industry's growth in order to enhance the competitiveness of its products in the marketplace. The Company's success in creating complementary metrology and inspection applications through aggressive research and development is key to Rudolph's strategy for continued technological and market leadership.
About TEL
TEL, established in 1963, is a leading supplier of innovative semiconductor and FPD production equipment worldwide. Product lines include coater/developers, thermal processing systems, dry etchers, CVD systems, sputtering systems (PVD), wet cleaning systems, and test systems. In Japan, TEL distributes other leading-edge semiconductor equipment tools, such as metrology tools or process control systems. In addition, TEL distributes high quality computer systems, semiconductor devices and electronic components of other leading suppliers, as well as computer network related products from around the world. To support this diverse product base, TEL has strategically located research & development, manufacturing, sales, and service locations all over the world. TEL is a publicly held company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. http://www.tel.co.jp
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected due to a number of risks, including, but not limited to, the impact of the slowdown in the overall economy, the uncertainty of the current global political environment, the potential for terrorist attacks, the potential for business disruptions due to infectious diseases, changes in customer demands for our existing and new products, the timing, cancellation or delay of customer orders and shipments, the timing of revenue recognition of shipments, new product offerings from our competitors, changes in or an inability to execute Rudolph Technologies' business strategy, unanticipated manufacturing or supply problems and changes in tax rules. Rudolph Technologies cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties summarized under the heading "Factors that May Affect Future Results" in Rudolph Technologies' Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2003. These factors are updated from time to time through the filing of reports and registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rudolph Technologies does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.