August Technology Broadens Non-Traditional Semiconductor Applications to Inspect Lasers.

Business Editors & Technology Writers

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2001

August Technology Corporation (Nasdaq:AUGT) today announced the sale of NSX Series systems to manufacturers of Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs).

"The flexibility of the NSX has allowed us to pursue applications in new and emerging market segments, such as VCSELs, and successfully implement the systems into non-silicon production environments," stated Mayson Brooks, August Technology's vice president of sales and marketing. "These compound semiconductor companies are able to achieve higher yields by using the NSX to identify defective devices which assist in determining the upstream root cause of the defect. Additionally, the NSX allows companies to continue to process and inspect partial wafers of these expensive substrates."

According to market research firm ElectroniCast Corporation, VCSELs, which are used in high-speed data and telecommunications applications to convert electronic signals into optical signals, are the fastest growing segment of the optoelectronics market and are expected to triple in the next three years reaching $3.4 billion by 2004.

August Technology Corporation, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, is a leading supplier of automated visual defect inspection equipment for the microelectronics industry and has established service and sales representation in all major microelectronics markets worldwide. The inspection solutions designed, manufactured and marketed by August Technology, provide manufacturers of microelectronic devices with cost-saving quality and process information. Additional information can be found by visiting August Technology's web site at www.augusttech.com.