FLANDERS, N.J., April 4, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:RTEC) today announced that as of Monday, April 3, 2000, it is included in the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) Index. To qualify for inclusion in the Index, the Company met several criteria for eligibility: it has maintained a market capitalization of $50 million for three consecutive months, is followed by the sector analysts and generates 50% or more of its revenue in the semiconductor industry.
Created on January 4, 1999, the Index has the following objectives: to provide a global index for the semiconductor sector; to demonstrate the long-term potential of the sector; and to provide a rapid comparison between the sector performance and market performance.
"Rudolph's listing on the SEMIndex offers further validation that our business model is strong and our strategy for continued market growth is on target," said Paul F. McLaughlin, Chairman and CEO. "We are pleased to join the ranks of other industry-leading companies on the Index."
The SEMIndex closed the first quarter of 2000 on March 31 at 375.11, up more than 23 percent since the close of the fourth quarter of 1999 and up more than 275 percent since its inception at 100. In comparison, the Nasdaq Composite rose 12 percent during the first quarter of 2000. Since its inception, some $179 billion in new investment dollars have been added to the sector bringing the market capitalization of the SEMIndex from $65 billion to $244 billion at the March 31 close. The SEMIndex can be consulted on the SEMI Web site at www.semindex.org. It is updated every 4 to 6 minutes during each US trading day.
Rudolph is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of high-performance process control metrology systems used by semiconductor device manufacturers. The Company provides a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary systems for both transparent and opaque thin film measurement. Rudolph's product development has successfully anticipated and addressed many emerging trends that are driving the semiconductor industry's growth. The Company's success in creating complementary metrology applications through aggressive research and development is key to Rudolph's strategy for continued technological and market leadership.