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Mattson Technology, Inc.: Mattson Technology Strengthens RTP Market Leadership

^{Published on 2008-12-16 05:52:36 - Market Wire}
 

FREMONT, CA--(Marketwire - December 16, 2008) - Mattson Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ MTSN ]), a leading supplier of advanced process equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, today announced that it has shipped the Company's most advanced dual-chamber 300 millimeter rapid thermal processing (RTP) system to "R3," Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.'s advanced memory R&D facility in Korea. Mattson's latest system, which is at the customer site undergoing installation, is designed to meet the increased process requirements for high-volume chip manufacturing through the 45-nanometer technology node and beyond. The third generation of 300-millimeter RTP tools strengthens Mattson's RTP market leadership for advanced chip manufacturing in the memory and logic device segment.

"The enabling technology of Mattson's RTP products, along with the advantages in reliability and throughput, and the low cost of ownership (CoO), is the foundation of our latest decision in selecting their most advanced RTP system," noted SK Park, Vice President of Hynix's advanced R&D facility. "We constantly seek to increase our competitive edge in the market, and on-wafer results are of the utmost importance. Mattson's next generation RTP system has the requisite advanced capability and further improved productivity for the development of our future technology nodes."

Andreas Toennis, senior vice president and general manager of Mattson Technology's Thermal Division, said, "We have enjoyed a long relationship with Hynix, and their selection of our advanced RTP system is further validation of their continued confidence in Mattson's technology and its capabilities in meeting their advanced process requirements and next-generation nanometer flash memory devices development. We are pleased to continue our partnership with Hynix and look forward to further supporting their future technology node development."

Toennis continued, "Mattson's latest advancement in RTP technology has resulted in a highly efficient, reliable single-wafer thermal solution that supports a full array of RTP applications for the most advanced annealing processes. The latest system features low-temperature processing capabilities enabling steady-state operation at temperatures down to 220 degrees Celsius, and technology that suppresses the pattern related temperature effect. In addition, it addresses the stringent process requirement of logic and memory customers for sub-45 nanometer technology node development. To enable these extremely critical applications and new device structures, our system delivers essential improvements in temperature and ambient control for exceptional within-wafer uniformity and wafer-to-wafer repeatability."

"Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding the Company's future prospects, including, but not limited to: anticipated bookings, revenue, margins, earnings per share, market share, tax rate and fully diluted shares outstanding for future periods. Forward-looking statements address matters that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: end-user demand for semiconductors; customer demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment; the timing of significant customer orders for the Company's products; customer acceptance of delivered products and the Company's ability to collect amounts due upon shipment and upon acceptance; the Company's ability to timely manufacture, deliver and support ordered products; the Company's ability to bring new products to market and to gain market share with such products; customer rate of adoption of new technologies; risks inherent in the development of complex technology; the timing and competitiveness of new product releases by the Company's competitors; the Company's ability to align its cost structure with market conditions; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Forms 10-K, 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Results for the current quarter are preliminary and subject to adjustment. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information provided in this news release.

About Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

Hynix Semiconductor Inc. (HSI) of Icheon, Korea, is the world's top tier memory semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips ("DRAMs") and Flash memory chips to a wide range of established international customers. The Company's shares are traded on the Korea Stock Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. Further information about Hynix is available at [ www.hynix.com ].

About Mattson Technology, Inc.

Mattson Technology, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets semiconductor wafer processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The Company is a leading supplier of dry strip and rapid thermal processing equipment to the global semiconductor industry. Its strip and RTP equipment utilize innovative technology to deliver advanced processing performance and productivity gains to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide for the fabrication of current- and next-generation devices. Mattson is expanding into the etch market with innovative products targeting high volume dielectric etch applications, and is also expanding into the millisecond annealing and thermal oxidation markets. The Company expects that entry into these new markets will enhance its technical leadership and deliver revenue and profitability gains. Mattson was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Fremont, California. For more information, please contact Mattson Technology, Inc., 47131 Bayside Parkway, Fremont, Calif. 94538. Telephone: (800) MATTSON/(510) 657-5900. Fax: (510) 492-5911. Internet: [ www.mattson.com ].