Axcelis Installs 300mm Asher At Lithography Process Demo Lab; FusionES3 Will be Used in Litho Vendor's 300mm Process Development Program.

Business/Technology Editors

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 2001

Axcelis Technologies, Inc., (NASDAQ: ACLS), today announced that an industry-leading lithography equipment supplier has purchased a FusionES3 dry photoresist removal system for its 300mm process characterization lab. The FusionES3, installed at the customer's site in May, will be used in 300mm lithography process development, wafer reclaim and customer demonstrations.

"Axcelis' FusionES3 offers our customer the flexibility it needs in order to carry out the widest range of resist and polymer removal tasks at its 300mm process characterization lab," said Michael Dreyer, vice president and general manager of Axcelis' Photoresist Processing Division. "With production-proven reliability, the FusionES3 has repeatedly demonstrated itself as the dry strip tool of choice at 300mm facilities. The system was one of the earliest 300mm dry strip tools to enter the market, and has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable and mature dry strip tools available. With well over three million production wafers processed on the FusionES3 platform, Axcelis has seen wide market acceptance in the 300mm dry strip arena."

Developed for advanced technology nodes, the FusionES3 combines flexible process architecture with comprehensive, damage-free dry resist and residue removal. The FusionES3's dual process chambers use a non-contact, radiant-heating system that provides excellent temperature uniformity while enabling multi-temperature steps within a single process recipe. The system also features enhanced residue removal capabilities to reduce or eliminate the need for potentially hazardous and expensive wet cleaning processes.

About Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

Axcelis Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, provides innovative, high-productivity manufacturing solutions for the semiconductor industry. Axcelis is dedicated to the design and manufacture of high current, medium current and high energy ion implantation equipment; rapid thermal processing systems; and photostabilization and photoresist stripping equipment. Axcelis Technologies has manufacturing facilities in Beverly and Rockville, Maryland, as well as in Toyo, Japan through its joint venture Sumitomo Eaton Nova. The Company's Internet address is http://www.axcelis.com.