Leading Logic Manufacturer Selects Therma-Wave Products; Opti-Probe Products Chosen for Monitoring and Process Control for Ultra-Thin Gate-Oxide at 90nm.

Business Editors

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2003

Therma-Wave, Inc. (Nasdaq:TWAV), a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and sale of process control metrology systems used in the manufacture of semiconductors, today announced that the Company has delivered and has an additional order in process for its Opti-Probe systems to a 300 mm North American Logic Device manufacturer. The order covers Therma-Wave Opti-Probe systems using Absolute Laser Ellipsometry (AE) and Desorber product features for repeatable ultra-thin gate-oxide films measurement on product wafers in the 90nm product environment.

Giovanni Nocerino, executive vice president worldwide sales and field operations of Therma-Wave, stated: "The ability of our Opti-Probe system to deliver process control for ultra-thin oxide at 90nm reflects our commitment to delivering solutions to the market that address the rising demand for measurement tools for ever shrinking design features and film layers.

"The Opti-Probe, in concert with the Desorber solution provides our customers with improved effective equipment availability, effective utilization and production cycle times combined with the elimination of accumulations of airborne error inducing contaminants with ultra-thin thickness measurement. The Opti-Probe systems also deliver superior tool matching within the fab and fab-to-fab while providing long-term stability and measurement repeatability for improved process control. Based on our dedication to innovating market leading process control metrology systems, we are meeting or exceeding the aggressive 90nm GOX repeatability and measurement stability requirements in the market today," concluded Dr. Nocerino.

Increasing demand for reduced feature sizes, improved precision and repeatability require semiconductor manufacturers to have the ability to measure ultra-thin dielectric and complex stacked film thickness in manufacturing state-of-the-art 90nm logic devices. Opti-Probe systems significantly improve upon existing thin film metrology systems by successfully integrating up to five distinct, yet fully integrated measurement technologies to ensure "Correct Solution" to these stringent precision and repeatability requirements. Therma-Wave's AE technology provides the direct measurement of film parameters without the use of a reference and is considered a market leading precision tool for accurate and repeatable measurements of the very thinnest gate oxide films. These measurements are critical for process control of the transistor gate on advanced (CMOS) logic devices.

For ultra-thin dielectric films, due to non-uniform accumulation of airborne contaminants on the surface of the wafers, the measurement accuracy and long term stability can be severely compromised. Combined with the Desorber option, Therma-Wave's Opti-Probe product offers premiere solutions for process control and multi-fab matching of thin gate processes. The Therma-Wave Desorber option is an integrated and user-configurable heat and cool design to accommodate optimization of the desorbing process independent of the thin film measurement.

About Therma-Wave, Inc.

Since 1982, Therma-Wave, Inc., has been revolutionizing process control metrology systems through innovative proprietary products and technologies. The company is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture, marketing and service of process control metrology systems used in the manufacture of semiconductors. Therma-Wave currently offers leading-edge products to the semiconductor manufacturing industry for the measurement of transparent, semi-transparent, and opaque thin films; for the control of critical dimensions of semiconductor features; for the monitoring of ion implantation; and for the integration of metrology into semiconductor processing systems. For further information about Therma-Wave, Inc., access the web site at: http://www.thermawave.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Statements such as those relating to increasing demand and other similar expressions and comments generally identify forward-looking statements and are based on current expectations. Potential investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and changes in condition and other risks, some of which are detailed in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including specifically Exhibit 99.1 to the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 30, 2003. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information in this press release.

Note: Opti-Probe, Desorber and Absolute Ellipsometer are registered trademarks of Therma-Wave, Inc.