Therma-Wave Announces a New Application for Control of Advanced Ultra-Shallow Junction Processes.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2002

Therma-Wave, Inc. (Nasdaq:TWAV), a leading supplier of advanced metrology equipment for the semiconductor industry, today announced a new application for monitoring Ultra Shallow Junctions (USJ) using the Therma-Probe(TM) technology.

A basic p-channel USJ formation requires a very low-energy boron implant (typically less than 1keV) followed by a very quick, rapid thermal-pike anneal (RTA). One of the main challenges in the scaling of CMOS devices is the formation, control and monitoring of these USJ's. Therma-wave has demonstrated that its Therma-Probe(R) system performs nondestructive evaluation of USJ's and achieves excellent correlation with destructive Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) data. Long-term repeatability for the USJ application is less than 0.3% (1 sigma) with typical values around 0.16%.

Contour mapping, a data analysis feature for this application, is a powerful tool to provide engineers with invaluable information showing local variations in junction formation. The contour patterns provide fast feedback at a glance for optimization of both anneal, as well as ion implant, processes. This new application of a standard ion implant monitoring tool gives engineers an edge in the formation, control and monitoring of USJ's in CMOS devices.

"Our dominant position in ion implant process control is now expanding to control of the rapid thermal anneal process," stated Martin Schwartz, president and CEO. "Bringing 18 years of Thermal Wave experience to bear on this control problem, the USJ application again demonstrates our leadership role in semiconductor process control."

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 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. Such statements relating to our ability to leverage our leading market share position and years of experience in building metrology systems are based on current expectations. Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in condition, particularly those related to industry performance 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 year ended March 31, 2001. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information in this press release.