Electroglas Introduces 300-MM Wafer Prober With Unprecedented +/-1.0-MICRON Stepping Accuracy.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

The Probe-to-Pad Positioning Accuracy of the EG5|300 ARGOS 

Extends Circuit Design Limits Allowing Smaller Die and Pad

Dimensions, Thereby Lowering Manufacturing Costs

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2001

Electroglas, Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLS), a leading supplier of process management tools for the semiconductor industry, today at SEMICON West introduces the first 300-mm wafer prober capable of +/- 1.0-micron stepping accuracy. This very precise stepping accuracy, together with the integrated alignment system of the EG5|300 ARGOS, delivers probe-to-pad positioning accuracy of +/- 2.5-microns for extremely tight-pitch probing on leading-edge devices. By utilizing tighter pitch contact pads, semiconductor manufacturers can increase circuit densities and decrease die sizes, improving their productivity and reducing their manufacturing costs.

"Probe-to-pad positioning accuracy has become far more critical as pad dimensions have diminished to 40 microns on extremely tight pitches," said Sancho Adam, Electroglas' 300-mm marketing manager. "The ability to accurately position the probe on the contact pad is really the ultimate measure of the probing process. The EG5|300 ARGOS gives manufacturers the ability to consistently probe these very small pads."

An additional benefit of the reduced probe-to-pad alignment error of the EG5|300 ARGOS is a greater error budget for probe cards. This prolongs the time before cards must be serviced or replaced as probe tips become misaligned in use. As a result, customers can experience significant savings in probe card costs.

The EG5|300 ARGOS employs an air bearing, closed-loop, linear motion system that is wear- and maintenance-free. The advanced stage design and sophisticated motion-control algorithms allow the system to achieve 1.0-micron stepping accuracy while still maintaining exceptionally fast stepping speeds. The stage has a maximum acceleration of 1 G and X-Y speed of 508-mm per second. Additionally, the stage delivers this performance over a wide temperature range.

The EG5|300 ARGOS is based on the Electroglas' EG5 series prober architecture and can handle 150-mm, 200-mm and 300-mm wafers. The system utilizes the Microsoft Windows NT(R) operating system and standard Electroglas EGCommander(TM) software that provides full networking capabilities, user-configurable operator screens, customizable probing recipes, and a graphic wafer-map editor. The EG5|300 ARGOS can be expanded with optional software that allows remote, Web-based access and analysis of process data for process optimization, yield enhancement, and equipment utilization.

For more information on the EG5|300 ARGOS, visit www.electroglas.com, or contact your local Electroglas representative or Electroglas Sales at 408/528-3000.

About Electroglas, Inc.

Electroglas delivers essential tools for process management to enhance the profitability of semiconductor manufacturers. The company's wafer probers, inspection systems and software solutions serve as data collection, management and analysis tools that semiconductor manufacturers depend upon 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 15,000 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.

Note to Editors: EGCommander is a registered trademark of Electroglas, Inc. Other product names mentioned in this document are trademarks of their respective holders.

The product EG5|300 ARGOS is written with a vertical line (a pipe symbol) between the "5" and the "3."