ADE Receives Large Multi-Million Dollar Order From Major Japanese Silicon Wafer Supplier; Inline Wafer Metrology Systems to Support 300mm Capacity Expansion.

WESTWOOD, Mass. -- ADE Corporation (NASDAQ: ADEX) announced today that it has received a large multi-million dollar order for WaferSight(TM) wafer quality certification systems from a major Japanese silicon wafer supplier. Delivery of these tools is scheduled to support this customer's 300mm silicon wafer capacity expansions in the last half of 2006 and first half of 2007.

Gartner Dataquest has estimated that 300mm wafer demand will grow by 41% in 2006, 18% in 2007 and 40% in 2008. Silicon wafer manufacturers have announced significant capacity expansions in 300mm wafer production in Japan, Taiwan and the United States. The ADE WaferSight wafer geometry metrology system is the tool of choice for 65nm node silicon wafer production and is extendable to the 45nm technology node for advanced 300mm process development.

"To support this latest round of 300mm wafer capacity expansion, we are seeing new construction of wafer fabs by the silicon suppliers along with orders for ADE's wafer dimensional and inspection tools," said Dr. Chris L. Koliopoulos, ADE's president and chief executive officer. "Device yield and performance begin with the quality of the bare wafer. Wafer suppliers and device manufacturers worldwide rely on ADE metrology and inspection systems to provide the highest quality of product certification and process control results."

ADE will be demonstrating the WaferSight wafer flatness, shape and edge roll-off metrology system, as well as its full line of silicon wafer production and semiconductor process control systems, at Semicon West, July 11 -13, Moscone Center, South Hall, Booth 1302, in San Francisco. For more information, contact ADE at www.ade.com.

About ADE Corporation

ADE Corporation is a leading supplier of metrology and inspection systems for the semiconductor wafer, semiconductor device, magnetic data storage and optics manufacturing industries. The Company's systems analyze and report product quality at critical manufacturing steps for yield enhancement, providing quality certification data that is relied upon by semiconductor wafer, device 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 www.ade.com.

Safe Harbor 

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, beliefs, assumptions and anticipations should be considered forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, those associated with the shipment of product to the aforementioned silicon wafer supplier, the effect of ADE products on customer product quality and production rates, and expected 300mm silicon wafer demand. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including those associated with wafer pricing and wafer demand; the results of its product development efforts; 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, 2005.