15.02.2001 17:00:00 CET

ASM qualifies ebare technologies inc. to supply vacuum pumps for its epsilon™ epitaxial tools

BILTHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS, February 15, 2001 – ASM INTERNATIONAL N.V. (Nasdaq: ASMI and Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) a leading supplier of advanced semiconductor manufacturing tools, announced today that its subsidiary, ASM America Inc., has qualified Ebara Technologies Inc. as a supplier of vacuum pumps, for the ASM Epsilon™ series of single wafer epitaxial tools.

The Ebara Technologies' pumps are used to achieve the reduced pressure atmospheres required for advanced silicon epitaxy processes. ASM’s epitaxial tools provide a critical process solution for customers utilizing, for example, Silicon Germanium or Selective Epitaxy in their most advanced semiconductor device products. ASM collaborated with Ebara Technologies to define the requirements for a dry vacuum pump that could support the demanding requirements of epitaxial deposition at reduced pressures in a production environment. The Ebara pumps are now qualified on all Epsilon epitaxial reactors, including the new 300mm E3000™.

Dr. Armand P. Ferro, Vice President and Epitaxial Business Unit Manager commented, "Rapid growth in wireless, communication, and other electronic markets is driving the need for higher performance semiconductor devices. Fabrication of these state-of-the-art devices is dependent on advanced-processing tools such as the Epsilon series of single-wafer epitaxial tools. Likewise, the Epsilon tools are dependent on reliable, high-performance support equipment. Ebara dry-pumps enable us to seamlessly integrate reduced-pressure capability while maintaining the process flexibility, advanced performance, and extreme reliability required in the Epsilon tools.”

Mark A. Perry, Vice President Field Operations for Ebara Technologies Inc. commented, “Our pursuit in maintaining a world-class direct product and support network has been enhanced through working with ASM on the Epsilon product line, we are very encouraged by the increased utilization and performance of our dry pumps in the epitaxial deposition tool market. Ebara is a global innovator and local provider for component products that lead the industry in cost of ownership, mean time to repair, direct service and support. Through this enhanced partnership Ebara will continue to support ASM in providing solutions for tough applications”.

ASM is a world-class supplier of single-wafer epitaxial tools and related semiconductor process equipment. ASM has been building and selling epitaxial reactors since 1987 and its Epsilon reactors are used in mass production by all major semiconductor device manufacturers and wafer suppliers worldwide.

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