FLANDERS, NJ, Feb. 24, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:RTEC) today announced a multi-million dollar, multiple tool order from a repeat customer for the Company's industry-leading line of copper film measurement tools. The customer will use the tools in production in both the thin films and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) areas of a logic chip facility in Europe. The tools are scheduled for shipment in the second and third quarters of this year.
Rudolph's MetaPULSE family of copper tools simultaneously measures five or more metal layers on 200 mm and 300 mm product wafers. The exclusive technology uses a non-contact, non-destructive measurement technique based on laser-induced ultrasound. This enables semiconductor manufacturers to improve their yields and control the process challenges of copper metallization. The Company also has developed a family of MetaPULSE aluminum tools.
With this announcement, the Company's sales and orders of MetaPULSE tools, which are priced between $900,000 and $1,600,000, now total more than 50. Since launching production of the tool family in 1998, the Company has completed delivery of multiple tools in North America, Europe, and Asia.
"In just four months as a public company, Rudolph's order visibility for MetaPULSE tools has improved dramatically, from about one quarter to in excess of two quarters," said Paul F. McLaughlin, Rudolph's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This clearly demonstrates Rudolph's success in anticipating the emerging trend toward copper and remaining ahead of the curve as semiconductor manufacturers' needs evolve. We are very pleased with our market penetration to date and believe we are strongly positioned for continued growth on all three continents where our customers have operations."
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of high-performance process control metrology systems used in semiconductor device manufacturing. The Company provides a full-fab metrology solution by offering families of proprietary systems for both transparent and opaque thin film measurement in various applications across the semiconductor fabrication process. Rudolph Technologies' customers and end users include most major semiconductor device manufacturers worldwide.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements related to anticipated growth rates, manufacturing capacity and tax rate. Actual results may differ materially from those projected due to a number of risks, including changes in customer demands for our products, new product offerings from our competitors, changes in or an inability to execute Rudolph Technologies' business strategy, unanticipated manufacturing or supply problems, or changes in tax requirements. 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 "Risk Factors" in Rudolph Technologies' Prospectus dated November 12, 1999. 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.