ADE Receives Multiple System Order for Wafer Inspection Tools For Semiconductor DRAM Production.

Business Editors

SEMICON West 2004

WESTWOOD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 2004

Film Inspection Tool(TM) Systems to Support New 300mm Production Line at Major Korean DRAM Supplier

ADE Corporation (NASDAQ: ADEX), a leading supplier of wafer inspection and measurement systems, announced today that it has received a multiple system order for its Film Inspection Tool from a leading Korean DRAM manufacturer. Delivery of these systems, which will support the manufacturer's 300mm DRAM production, will be completed by the second quarter of ADE's FY 2005.

ADE's Film Inspection Tool is a high-speed, fully automatic surface inspection and micro-defect classification system for unpatterned semiconductor wafers with blanket films. The FIT(TM) system identifies and classifies process-induced defects such as particles, area defects, scratches, pits and other film anomalies in real time, providing quick feedback for process control. Gartner Dataquest projects the unpatterned wafer inspection equipment segment of the process control market to grow 42% in 2004 to over $150 million.

"This latest order for our Film Inspection Tool comes in the midst of an increase in overall worldwide demand for ADE's particle and defect inspection systems," said Dr. Chris L. Koliopoulos, ADE's president and chief executive officer. "Both bare wafer and semiconductor device customers are recognizing the high value of not only detection, but also identifying and classifying process defects during inline particle inspection, saving both time and money."

ADE's Film Inspection Tool supports advanced technology with high sensitivity surface inspection and defect detection on non-patterned dielectric and metal films, including SiO2, silicon nitride, poly, aluminum, tungsten, copper, and SOI. ADE patented laser scanning ARS (Angle Resolved Scatter) architecture allows single-scan discrimination between particles on the film surface and underlying crystal originated particles (COP's). Advanced algorithms provide superior micro-scratch detection for critical CMP processes thereby improving device yield. The Film Inspection Tool combines accurate particle detection with superior defect discrimination to reduce the cost of test wafers and shorten the feedback loop in process control.

ADE is exhibiting its film defect inspection tools, as well as its full line of metrology, inspection and process control systems, at the SEMICON West 2004, Wafer Processing Segment, July 12-14, in South Hall, booth #1302, in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. As part of the exhibition, ADE will present a technical paper on the application of Angle-Resolved Scatter technology titled "Challenges in SOI and Strained Silicon Defect Inspection," at the SEMI Technology Symposium on Innovations in Semiconductor Manufacturing, on July 13 at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel.

About ADE Corporation

ADE Corporation is a leading supplier of metrology and inspection systems required for production in the silicon wafer, semiconductor device, magnetic data storage and optics 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 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 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, assumptions and anticipations should be considered forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, those associated with the on-time shipment of FIT systems to the manufacturer. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including those associated with the strength of the semiconductor and device markets, wafer pricing and wafer demand, the results of its product development efforts, 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, 2003 and its subsequent 10-Q filing.