MATTSON TECHNOLOGY RECEIVES REPEAT ORDERS FOR RTP TOOLS

Hitachi-Nippon Steel Joint Venture selects novel heating technology

FREMONT, Calif. — March 15, 1999 — Mattson Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTSN) a leading supplier of advanced process equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, today announced that Hitachi Nippon Steel Semiconductor Singapore Pte. Ltd. (HNS), a joint venture between Hitachi, Nippon Steel and the Government of Singapore, has placed a follow on order for multiple Aspen RTP (rapid thermal processing) systems for use at its Singapore fabrication facility. HNS plans to use the systems in advanced processing on 200mm semiconductor wafers.

"Rapid thermal processing is a major growth opportunity for Mattson Technology, particularly in Asia, where some of our customers are developing key processes for next-generation enabling rapid thermal technology," said Ralph Martin, president of Mattson Technology’s HTP product group. "We are planning to use the same strategy we used in the introduction of our strip equipment, which has since become one of the leading strip products in the global marketplace."

In a bold move to gain market share and competitive advantage in the computer memory market, HNS will use the RTP systems for cost efficient manufacturing of 0.25 micron design rules on 64 Megabyte DRAM devices.

Atsuyoshi Koike, general manager of Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology Division at Hitachi’s Semiconductor & Integrated Circuits Group, stated, "We chose the Aspen RTP system because it has great potential for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. We believe this tool could help shorten cycle times, boost our productivity and lower costs in this competitive market."

ABOUT RTP PROCESSING

As microdevice features continue to shrink, optimized thermal budget management (wafer processing time at temperature) and improved temperature uniformity (temperature within the wafer and wafer-to-wafer) is required during fabrication. At the same time, cycle times (the length of time the wafer is held at processing temperature) have a direct influence in the process flow of the fab’s production.

Silicon wafers are heated to between 500 and 1200 degrees Celsius during semiconductor manufacturing to anneal implants, deposit conducting and dielectric films and to improve their properties. Processing multiple wafers simultaneously in a conventional furnace has the advantage of high wafer throughput and good temperature uniformity, but requires long processing times and very slow heating of the wafer stack to avoid excessive thermal stresses. Treating one wafer at a time in typical RTP systems reduces processing times, but requires high-intensity lamps for rapid wafer heating. These lamp systems have not been able to produce the desired temperature uniformity economically and across the full range of temperatures, despite ongoing development of increasingly complex optical pyrometry sensing and control systems.

ABOUT ASPEN RTP

Mattson’s Aspen RTP system offers the best features of traditional batch and single-wafer processors by combining the temperature uniformity and simple resistance heating of the batch furnace with the speed of a single-wafer processor (while processing two wafers at a time). The susceptor based system is designed for classical RTP applications (Titanium silicide), and enabling technologies (Cobalt silicide, Hi-k dielectrics, shallow junction formation), as well as traditional furnace applications (SOG curing, BPSG reflow and implant anneal).

About Mattson Technology

Mattson Technology Inc., is a leading supplier of thermal, plasma and wet semiconductor processing equipment. The company's products combine advanced process technology on a high productivity platform, backed by industry-leading support. Since beginning operations in 1989, the company's core vision has been to help bring technology leadership and productivity gains to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. Headquartered in Fremont, Calif., the company maintains sales and support centers throughout the United States, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Japan. For more information, please contact Mattson Technology Inc., 2800 Bayview Drive, Fremont, Calif. 94538. Telephone: (800) MATTSON. Fax: (510) 657-0165. Internet:www.mattson.com