| MATTSON SOLIDIFIES NUMBER 1 POSITION IN ASIAN STRIP MARKET
Mattson Receives Several Multimillion Dollar Strip System Orders from Leading Foundries
FREMONT, Calif., — August 9, 1999 — Mattson
Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTSN), a global supplier of advanced
process equipment used to manufacture semiconductors today
announced it has received several multi-million dollar orders
for its Aspen Strip systems from major foundries in Taiwan
and the United States.
The first order, worth almost $4 million, is from United
Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) for photoresist strip
systems for use on 0.25 micron logic devices at its new Fab
5 location in Hsinchu, Taiwan. UMC also placed an order for
an Aspen LiteEtch system for isotropic etch applications.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) placed
the other orders, worth $3.4 million, for strip systems for
its Fab 3 and brand new Fab 6 facilities. Fab 6 is the first
semiconductor manufacturing facility to be built in Tainan,
Taiwan. Also, a "pure play" foundry in the United
States has placed a repeat order for additional capacity.
Chris Chi, senior vice president of UMC, stated, "UMC
chose Mattson over its competitors because of its excellent
throughput and flexibility in meeting multiple applications
which are critical to the foundry business environment."
"Manufacturing excellence is a must in the foundry
business. With Mattson’s strength in the foundry business
and the foundry business' strength in the global semiconductor
market, Mattson is well positioned to meet or exceed the
industry growth over the next few years," said Brad
Mattson, CEO of Mattson Technology.
According to Dataquest estimates, since 1994 Mattson Technology
has increased its strip market share from 9 percent to 26.5
percent, and is now within 2 percentage points of capturing
the world’s leading market share for dry strip products.
Dataquest predicts double-digit growth for the Taiwan foundry
market, in spite of a rather flat year predicted for the
overall semiconductor industry.
In a few short years, Mattson has become the number one
dry strip supplier in the Pacific Rim. The Aspen Strip has
become dominant in the foundry business, and is used by the
top three companies in this sector. With Mattson's increased
market share over the last few years, 17 out of the world's
top 20 semiconductor manufacturers have installed Aspen Strip
systems.
Semiconductor foundries use advanced manufacturing technology
to make the highest quality chips for semiconductor companies,
allowing them to focus on new designs and markets, instead
of manufacturing concerns. Both UMC and TSMC will use the
Aspen Strip systems for photoresist strip and residue removal
on 200mm semiconductor wafers.
The move to smaller geometries requires that photoresist
stripping achieve complete residue removal with no damage
to thin gate oxides. This has become a key process issue
in photoresist strip, which is used in as many as 25 steps
during IC production. Mattson's strip technology provides
lower contamination and higher wafer throughput than conventional
photoresist strip processing. Complete residue removal is
accomplished in one chamber in situ, eliminating the need
for organic solvents, thereby reducing process costs and
alleviating environmental concerns.
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
|
