Applied Materials Introduces AdvantEdge Metal Etch System for Advanced Flash, DRAM Chips.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Applied Materials, Inc. today announced the Applied Centura(R) AdvantEdge(TM) Metal Etch, the most advanced system in the industry to meet the aluminum interconnect etching requirements of sub-70nm Flash and DRAM memory chip manufacturing. Delivering world-class etch performance, the system provides more than 50% better critical dimension (CD) uniformity, twice the strip rate with enhanced corrosion resistance, and at least 20% higher throughput than any other advanced metal etch system on the market.

"The AdvantEdge Metal system helps customers extend aluminum interconnect technology below today's 90nm dimensions, with dramatically improved etching precision and higher productivity," said Tom St. Dennis, senior vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Etch and Front End Products Groups. "The AdvantEdge technology, for both silicon and metal applications, is a key part of our accelerating momentum in the etch marketplace, where we have highly differentiated systems in every segment."

The Applied Centura(R) AdvantEdge Metal Etch system features a fully-integrated, optimized combination of etch and strip process chambers on its multi-chamber Centura platform. Utilizing specialized etch chemistry and a tunable RF source, the AdvantEdge Metal Etch chamber features unique process controls that deliver less than 5nm, (3 sigma) CD uniformity. In addition to dramatically reducing strip time, the system's new Axiom(TM) strip chamber offers greater than 2x better corrosion performance than competitive systems.

The superior technology of the first Applied Centura AdvantEdge Etch system, designed for silicon etching, generated strong customer acceptance, with more than 50 chambers in the field since its introduction in July 2005. Applied has included many of the significant technological advances made with the AdvantEdge Silicon Etch system in the new AdvantEdge Metal Etch system. Customers are already using the AdvantEdge Metal system production and additional orders are scheduled for delivery in late calendar 2005 and early 2006.

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