ADDING MULTIMEDIA Metron's New Marathon 8600 Delivers Industry's Highest Abatement Efficiency at Lowest Cost.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Metron Technology, Inc. today introduced its Marathon(TM) 8600, the only combustion-wet abatement technology capable of supporting two 3-chamber process tools with a single unit. Featuring a proprietary six-inlet design and high flow capacity, the system enables customers to reduce operating costs by more than 60% over competitive systems. The Marathon 8600 delivers the highest achievable efficiency rate for the abatement of perfluorocompound (PFC) emissions, allowing semiconductor, flat panel display and solar cell manufacturers to meet the most stringent environmental emission targets.

"The Marathon 8600 is a high-capacity, cost-efficient abatement solution that greatly surpasses existing combustion-wet abatement methods," said Mark Stark, general manager of Metron. "The system's advanced particulate management capabilities are critically important to customers, who are faced with ever-tightening emissions regulations. When integrated with our energy-saving pumps, Metron offers the most competitive abatement solution on the market today."

Fundamental to the Marathon 8600 cost-efficient performance is its unique six-inlet design that enables PFC abatement of multiple process tools from a single unit. A proprietary oxygen-enriched air module allows customers to substitute clean dry air for more costly oxygen Co while achieving greater than 99% destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of PFC gases. The Marathon 8600's proprietary N2 sleeved inlet assembly and continuous inward-flow chamber design deliver superior particulate management to extend preventive maintenance cycles and further reduce operating costs.

The Marathon 8600 is pre-qualified for Applied Materials' CVD, diffusion, etch, epi, and flat panel display systems. Combining the Marathon with Applied's process systems and energy-saving Toyota pumps provides customers an optimized, cost-efficient process tool and sub-fab exhaust solution.

Metron will exhibit at Semicon Japan in the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Center in Tokyo on December 6-8, in Booth 3B-807, Hall 3.

Metron Technology, Inc. is an independent supplier of fab-wide support services to the semiconductor and related industries providing custom integrated solutions for optimizing operations and improving manufacturing efficiency. Metron is headquartered in San Jose, California, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT). Metron can be found on the web at www.metrontech.com.