Asylum Research Files Opposition to Veeco Patent in Europe.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- In the second graph, the second sentence of Dr. Roger Proksch's quote in the release dated May 16, 2004 should read: "These reasons parallel those that led us to contend Veeco practiced fraud on the U.S. Patent Office" (sted "These include the contention that Veeco practiced fraud on the U.S. and European Patent Offices").

The corrected release reads:

ASYLUM RESEARCH FILES OPPOSITION TO VEECO PATENT IN EUROPE

Asylum Research, a manufacturer of atomic force microscopes (AFMs), filed its opposition to a Veeco Instruments (Nasdaq:VECO) patent in Europe last week. The patent is the European version of one of the patents involved in the lawsuit initiated by Veeco against Asylum Research last September. Because of European patent procedures, the patent at issue, titled Tapping AFMs with Phase Detection, has only recently been exposed for opposition.

"We believe this patent is invalid, not only for the reasons we have already given to Veeco in the U.S., but also for a number of other reasons important under European law," said Dr. Roger Proksch, Asylum Research's President. "These reasons parallel those that led us to contend Veeco practiced fraud on the U.S. Patent Office."

"We continue to believe the Veeco lawsuit is an attempt to stop competition and deprive the AFM market of leading edge products," added Dr. Proksch, "and, as with this opposition in Europe, we will respond in every appropriate manner at our disposal."

Asylum Research manufactures advanced scientific instrumentation, including AFMs/ Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPMs), for nanoscale science and technology. (An AFM/SPM is one of the premier instruments used for measuring surfaces and surface properties at the nanometer level). For additional information, please contact Terry Mehr, Director of Marketing, Asylum Research, 341 Bollay, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, 805-685-7077, [e-mail].