Electroglas Announces Support for Third-Party System Developers With Open Data Format; Developers Can Interface Their Products With SORTnet.

Business Editors/Technology Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-April 6, 2000--Electroglas, Inc. (NASDAQ:EGLS), a leading supplier of wafer probers, bump inspection equipment and software process management tools for the semiconductor industry, today announces that it will support third-party developers of sort-floor and assembly control systems to enable them to interface their products with SORTnet, a comprehensive sort-floor network environment. Such systems would exchange data with SORTnet via SNI, the SORTnet Interchange format. Both Salland Engineering and Kinesys Software have agreed to support wafer maps formatted in SNI.

Beyond providing a common interface for the networking of probers and assembly equipment of mixed age and manufacture, SORTnet incorporates powerful software tools for monitoring, analyzing and sharing wafer test data, thereby enabling such production improvements as off-line inking and inkless assembly. Through a high-speed NT server on the network, wafer test data from the different probers can also share data with yield-management applications and, in turn, control other process tool excursions in the fab.

"We are dedicated to ensuring that our customers have a choice of applications and products that will add more value to the systems we have sold them in the past," said Howard Ignatius, information products manager at Electroglas. "As part of that customer support, we are assisting those vendors whose work compliments ours. For instance, Salland Engineering has added value to our installed base of EG 2000 Series probers by enabling them to input wafer maps to SORTnet. While Kinesys uses these same maps to drive inkless assembly."

Under the arrangement, Electroglas will work closely with Salland Engineering and Kinesys Software in keeping with its mission of providing customers complete sort-floor solutions. Salland Engineering specializes in engineering related to semiconductor test, including ATE product upgrades, ATE test software development and data analysis tools. Kinesys Software provides products for industrial automation applications; in particular, the processing of wafer maps for inkless control of die bonders.

"We are pleased to work directly with Electroglas," said Paul van Ulsen, Managing Director at Salland Engineering (Europe). "The synergy of our two firms will result in excellent productivity improvements for our customer base." Salland Engineering is headquartered in Zwolle, The Netherlands, with offices in Singapore and Austin (Texas).

"The engineering alliance with Electroglas is most welcome. It will expand the solutions we provide for the sort floor," said Henk Barreveld, General Manager of Kinesys Software in Europe. Kinesys is headquartered in Utrecht, The Netherlands, with offices in Petaluma, California.

For additional information about Electroglas support for third-party developers, contact Howard Ignatius at [phone], Henk Barreveld at [phone], or Paul van Ulsen at [phone].

About Electroglas, Inc.

Electroglas delivers essential tools for process management designed to enhance semiconductor companies' profitability. The company's wafer probers, inspection systems and software solutions serve as data collection, management and analysis tools that semiconductor manufacturers depend on to improve their productivity and process control by optimizing sort-floor efficiency. Electroglas has been a leading supplier of wafer probers for over 35 years and has an installed base of more than 10,000 systems. The company's stock trades on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol "EGLS". The company's World Wide Web site is located at www.electroglas.com.

About Kinesys Software:

Kinesys Software ( www.kinesysinc.com ) provides products for the automation of semiconductor manufacturing, in particular the ALPS product. ALPS enables inkless device assembly operations from wafer maps and provides an extensive library of wafer-map format converters for a unified solution across a wide range of equipment. ALPS has an installed base of nearly 1,000 systems.

About Salland Engineering

Salland Engineering ( www.salland.com ) offers test application support, data analysis tools and ATE products and tools for the semiconductor market. The ATE products optimize testing by speed & efficiency enhancements and networking of test floor equipment, in addition to its own SE-PROBE wafer-mapping and control systems for older probers. Salland Engineering has an installed base of more than 600 upgrade products.