Axcelis Wins Competitive Evaluation for Low-Energy Implant; Multiple Orders Placed for GSD Ultra High Current, Low-Energy Implanters.

Business/Technology Editors

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 23, 2002

Axcelis Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ACLS), today announced a major competitive win for its GSD Ultra high current, low-energy ion implanters. Following a head-to-head competitive evaluation, Axcelis' GSD Ultra was selected for a major DRAM manufacturer's volume-production low-energy implant applications at facilities located worldwide.

Tool installations will begin in the second quarter of 2002. The GSD Ultra implanters incorporate Axcelis' new Ultra low-energy beamline, which offers more increased low-energy beam currents to shorten implant times and boost throughput and productivity. In the head-to-head evaluation, Axcelis' GSD Ultra demonstrated over a 20 percent productivity advantage with unmatched process results. The new Ultra product line, available for both 200mm & 300mm, is the first low energy offering to provide a dramatic throughput advantage coupled with advanced process control capabilities thereby ensuring low energy production worthiness.

"The selection of the GSD Ultra truly reflects the leadership position Axcelis' high current implant technology holds in the market, particularly for ultra shallow junction formation and other advanced low-energy implant applications," said Mike Luttati, COO of Axcelis. "Axcelis is maintaining this lead with new productivity and process innovations like the Ultra low-energy beamline, which gives manufacturers the ability to produce advanced device structures on a volume scale."

With Axcelis' multi-wafer GSD platform as its foundation, the GSD Ultra meets the industry's productivity, reliability and process control demands. The addition of the Ultra low-energy beamline means chipmakers have access to reliable high current processing with increased beam currents for mass production of ultra shallow junctions and other low-energy implant applications down to 70nm and beyond.

About Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

Axcelis Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, provides innovative, high-productivity solutions for the semiconductor industry. Axcelis is dedicated to developing enabling process applications through the design, manufacture and complete life cycle support of ion implantation, rapid thermal processing, and cleaning and curing systems. Axcelis Technologies has key technology centers in Beverly, Massachusetts, and Rockville, Maryland as well as in Toyo, Japan through its joint venture, SEN. The company's Internet address is: www.axcelis.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements, known as "forward-looking statements," which express the current expectations of Axcelis management. Certain risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated as expressed in this press release. Among other factors, such risks and uncertainties include the continuing demand for semiconductor equipment, relative market growth, continuity of business relationships with major customers, competitive pressure on sales and pricing, increases in material and other production costs that cannot be recouped in product pricing and global economic and financial conditions. These risks and other risk factors relating to Axcelis are described more fully in the most recent Form 10-K filed by Axcelis and in other filings from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.