Tegal Announces Retirement of Robert Hery and Names Michael Parodi Chairman.

PETALUMA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 1999--Tegal Corporation (NASDAQ NM: TGAL) reported today that Robert V. Hery, formerly a director and chairman of the company's board of directors, has announced his retirement from those positions and is no longer associated with the company. Michael L. Parodi, currently serving as president and chief executive officer (CEO), was elected to the additional position of chairman of the board.

"Bob's approaching retirement was announced last year and, as such, was fully expected and planned for by Tegal," commented Parodi. "The transition has been smooth, seamless and orderly. Bob's vision and leadership, significant accomplishments and tireless dedication over the past eight years will always be appreciated and remembered. I am confident that my industry experience, leveraged in tandem with our strong management team and Tegal's position as the market leader in emerging materials etch, will enable us to lead the company forward to meet our growth objectives."

Bob Hery began his tenure at Tegal in 1990 with his appointment as director of the company. The following year, he assumed the additional roles of president and CEO. He led Tegal through a successful IPO in October 1996. Prior to joining Tegal, Hery was president and CEO of AMOT Controls, an international manufacturer of machinery control components.

Before joining AMOT Controls, he served as vice president and general manager of KLA Instruments, and helped form the company's Wafer Inspection Systems Division. His career has also included various executive management positions with MAI/Basic Four, NCR, Motorola and several other high technology start-ups.

A 29-year industry veteran, Mike Parodi joined Tegal in December 1997. Prior to Tegal, Parodi was chairman, president and CEO of Semiconductor Systems (SSI), where he guided the company through a successful merger with FSI International. Prior to SSI, he held various executive and senior management positions with General Signal, Signetics, Raytheon, Fairchild Semiconductor and National Semiconductor. Parodi is a member of the boards of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) and the U.S. Display Consortium.

Tegal Corporation, headquartered in Petaluma, California, is a leading designer and manufacturer of plasma etch systems used in the production of integrated circuits (ICs), particularly in the burgeoning emerging materials area. Etching is a key process and must be repeated multiple times in the production of these devices. Tegal markets and services its systems in all major IC-producing regions of the world. More information is available on the Internet at www.tegal.com.