ATDF to Process 5,000 AMD Wafers to Assist Tool Qualifications in Dresden Fab.

AUSTIN, Texas -- ATDF will process approximately five thousand 300 mm wafers for AMD to support the startup of the giant chip-maker's new, $2.4B Fab 36 in Dresden, Germany, officials said today.

Under an agreement highlighting ATDF's recent emergence as a for-profit service company for the semiconductor industry, ATDF will run AMD wafers through a series of primarily interconnect process steps, using chemical vapor deposition, barrier/seed and copper plating tools. This qualification work will be used by AMD to help bring its newly installed Fab 36 tools to production readiness.

"Typically, semiconductor companies ask their equipment suppliers to conduct this sort of qualification processing, but in this case AMD found our services to be competitive," said Juergen Woehl, ATDF General Manager. "ATDF is delighted to be playing a key role in the development of this important new facility."

Fab 36, slated to begin equipment installation in late 2004, will produce chips on 300 mm wafers with initial capacity planned at 13,000 wafer outs per month.

"AMD has decided to rely on ATDF to meet the aggressive test wafer delivery schedule required for bring-up of our first and flagship 300 mm factory," said David Bennett, Director of Strategic Equipment Technology and Alliances at AMD. "This is of mutual benefit for both of us. AMD receives simplified logistics and cost savings, and the ATDF gets the strategic benefit of supporting AMD, a founding SEMATECH member."

ATDF was launched on July 1 as an independent company, specializing in services involving technology development, wafer processing, and analytical and electrical testing. Its customers include chip-makers, equipment and materials suppliers, and university R&D labs.

About ATDF

ATDF is a leading technology R&D center where semiconductor manufacturers, equipment and materials suppliers, and others outsource their R&D. ATDF customers can confidentially test new designs, integration methodologies, and prototype systems while protecting their own intellectual property, and development partners can work closely with one another in a custom manufacturing environment. ATDF also develops baseline processes, accepted industry-wide, that bring new tools and materials to manufacturing faster, at lower cost. More information can be found at www.atdf.com.