ADE Receives Another Award for Technological Leadership; X9 Magnetic Properties Analysis System Named R&D Magazine Top 100 Product.

Business/Technology Editors

WESTWOOD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2002

ADE Corporation (Nasdaq: ADEX), a leading supplier of wafer measurement and inspection systems for the silicon wafer and computer disk manufacturing industries, announced today that its X9 Magnetic Properties Analysis System has been awarded one of this year's Top 100 Products by R&D Magazine. This award, established in 1963, recognizes products that demonstrate "technological significance" compared with competing products and technologies from entries submitted worldwide.

X9, developed by the Company's ADE Technologies subsidiary, is a computer-controlled measurement system for the precise determination of critical magnetic properties of advanced Giant Magneto-Resistive (GMR) and Tunnel Magneto-Resistive (TMR) style magnetic heads and MRAM materials. X9 offers the ability to repeatably measure the thickness of magnetic layers to less than 0.2 NiFe equivalent Angstroms. In addition, X9 is fully automated, allowing manufacturers to replace a number of operator-intensive manual tools with an all-in-one, non-operator-controlled solution.

ADE President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Chris L. Koliopoulos explained that X9 was developed to fill a metrology gap between the advancement of GMR and TMR style wafers and the process metrology available to measure them. "This is the second R&D Magazine award that ADE has earned for a product launch in the last three years," he said. "X9's ability to quickly and accurately measure magnetic heads and MRAM materials has leapfrogged the market's other metrology tools. It allows manufacturers to accommodate ever-thinner magnetic layers and higher fields, and we believe it will enable ADE to continue capitalizing on opportunities in the data storage industry and the emerging MRAM market. We are proud to have been recognized yet again for our technological leadership."

The award-winning X9 Magnetic Properties Analysis System will be showcased in the September 2002 issue of Research & Development Magazine and during a multimedia presentation at the October 16th awards gala in Chicago.

About ADE Corporation, Inc.

ADE Corporation is a leading supplier of metrology and inspection systems for the silicon wafer and computer disk manufacturing industries. The Company's systems analyze and report product quality at critical manufacturing process steps for yield enhancement, providing quality certification data that is relied upon by semiconductor and computer disk manufacturers. The Company's systems also are used for production measurements in the semiconductor chip fabrication process. To learn more about ADE, visit the Company's Web site at http://www.ade.com.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Those statements that make reference to the Company's expectations, predictions and anticipations should be considered forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, those associated with X9's impact on the data storage market and the Company's ability to capitalize on the MRAM market. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including those associated with the strength of the data storage market and the success of ADE's product offerings to meet customer needs within the timeframes required by customers in these markets. Further information on potential factors that could affect ADE Corporation's business is described in the Company's reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2002.