TCZ Unveils Advanced Low Temperature Poly-Silicon Tool for Flat Panel Display Manufacturing, Breaking Throughput and Cost Barriers.

SAN DIEGO -- TCZ GmbH, a joint venture of Cymer, Inc. (Nasdaq:CYMI) and Carl Zeiss SMT AG, today announced the TCZ 900X -- an innovative production tool for fabricating flat panel displays (FPD). Leveraging proprietary light source technology from Cymer, and the known expertise in optics and precision engineering of Carl Zeiss SMT, the advanced TCZ 900X is designed to improve the throughput and reduce the cost of laser crystallization for LTPS (low temperature poly silicon) display manufacturers.

"Cost and quality are everything to display makers in this market. Technology that improves the performance of displays, while at the same time increasing yields will ultimately drive the FPD industry forward," said CW Kim, vice president of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Providing a superior alternative to existing crystallization techniques such as Excimer Laser Annealing (ELA) and Sequential Lateral Solidification (SLS), the TCZ 900X offers an unparalleled combination of immediate and long-term benefits to display manufacturers, such as:

--Reduced panel cost and increased panel robustness by accelerating large-scale integration of drive electronics directly into the poly silicon coating

--Higher picture resolution and lower panel power consumption, enabled by smaller thin film transistor (TFT) switches with lower threshold voltages

--Amortized equipment cost and process knowledge as the TCZ 900X supports active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD), SOG (System-on-Glass), and next generation OLED (Organic Light Emissive Devices) displays

--Faster process throughput and unmatched crystal uniformity since the tool exposes the entire width of the panel (up to 730 mm) in a single pass with a narrow-wide intensity beam

--Planar surface topology (free of large vertical protrusions) that enables gate oxide scaling, further reducing the cost of panel manufacturing

TCZ is the first to commercialize the Thin-beam Directional X'tallization process (TDX), which provides high mobility poly-Silicon at unmatched throughput. The TCZ 900X will be supported by TCZ's vast service network spanning China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

"LTPS display makers will have the best of both worlds by combining poly-silicon's inherent advantages with cost-effective, high-volume production capabilities," said Brian Klene, chief executive officer of TCZ. "The TCZ 900X demonstrates the tremendous impact two market leaders like Cymer and Carl Zeiss SMT can have when they join forces for a common cause, laying a solid technology foundation for the smooth migration to future SOG and OLED display production," Klene adds.

The heart of the tool is a 6kHz, 900W excimer laser coupled with high precision beam shaping optics. This combination enables high scan rates so that the system can process an entire Gen4 730 x 920 mm panel extremely quickly.

Availability

The TCZ 900X alpha tool is available for customer evaluation starting in Q4 '05, and general availability is scheduled for mid '06. For more technical information and to view the animation of the TCZ 900X please visit: www.teamcymerzeiss.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the expected benefits of LTPS processes and the expected impact of such processes on flat panel display manufacture, the expected benefits of the TCZ-900X tool and its anticipated impact on flat panel display manufacture, the expected benefits to be derived from the formation of the TCZ joint venture, and estimated growth in the flat panel display market. These statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any of such statements due to various factors, including but not limited to: the demand for flat panel displays in general; the demand by flat panel display manufacturers for LTPS fabrication processes and the TCZ-900X tool in particular; the timing of customer orders, shipments and acceptances; delays or cancellations by customers of their orders; the performance and market acceptance of the TCZ-900X; new and enhanced product offerings by competitors; TCZ's ability to meet its production and product development schedules; TCZ's ability to secure adequate supplies of critical components for its products; and other factors which may cause actual events or results to differ from those projected. For a discussion of certain of these risk factors, please refer to Cymer's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

TCZ

TCZ, GmbH, a joint venture of Cymer, Inc. and Carl Zeiss SMT AG, is headquartered in San Diego, California, USA. TCZ is focused on cost-effective, innovative technologies that advance the production capabilities of flat panel display makers.