Applied Materials Expands Leadership in Copper Barrier/Seed Technology with 250 Systems Shipped.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2004

Applied Materials, Inc. expanded its copper leadership position with the shipment of its 250th Applied Endura(R) Cu Barrier/Seed system. A critical part of the copper interconnect process flow, the Endura Cu Barrier/Seed system is used by virtually all chipmakers engaged in copper production, including those using low k dielectric films in their devices.

"The combination of process excellence and legendary Endura PVD reliability made the Applied Endura Cu Barrier/Seed system the market leader from the beginning of copper chipmaking in the late 1990s," noted Dr. Fusen Chen, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Copper, PVD and Integrated Systems Product Group. "Our continuous process development delivers the industry's most advanced barrier/seed deposition technology. We've expanded this successful system to include ALD (atomic layer deposition) barriers for sub-65nm devices and a modified Endura2 platform that pushes manufacturing productivity to new heights as our customers move into widespread 90nm production."

The Endura Cu Barrier/Seed system deposits the tantalum nitride (TaN) barrier film and the copper seed layer needed for copper circuits. Fully integrated with today's advanced PVD technology, the Applied Endura iCuB/S(TM) system's ALD technology ensures extendibility to the 45nm device generation and beyond. The latest generation of the Endura platform, the Endura2, is the most flexible Endura configuration ever offered. The system uses two high-speed XP robots to support up to seven process chambers and deliver industry standard-setting productivity. Endura systems have processed over 1 billion wafers at chipmakers around the globe.

According to Dean Freeman, principal analyst at Gartner Dataquest, "The Applied Endura Cu Barrier/Seed system has been a market-leading product for Applied Materials since it was introduced in 1997, with a steady stream of technology and productivity advances enabling it to stay ahead of the fast-moving copper interconnect market. We expect the copper interconnect process technologies to outpace the overall market for equipment technology over the next few years with the combined segments of barrier/seed deposition, electrochemical deposition, low k deposition, CMP and dielectric etch growing at a CAGR of greater than 18.5% percent from 2003-2007."

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the largest supplier of equipment and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials' web site is www.appliedmaterials.com.