VARIAN WINS ION IMPLANT BUSINESS OF MEMORY MAKER.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq: VSEA), the leading supplier of ion implantation systems, has won high current, high energy and medium current energy ion implant business from a major U.S. memory producer.

This strategic 300mm win consists of a platform of VIISta tools including VIISta 80 high current, VIISta 3000 high energy and VIISta 810 HP medium current systems, making it a complete 300mm VIISta platform order shipped.

Varian Semiconductor has a long-time strategic relationship with this customer, helping them to provide leading-edge technology today as well as supporting their future technology roadmap. "We believe the clear message behind this order for a full suite of VIISta tools is that advanced devices require the implant angle precision, tool-to-tool repeatability, cleanliness and higher productivity advantages of single wafer ion implantation," said John Aldeborgh, Varian Semiconductor's vice president of sales and marketing. "The VIISta platform of single wafer ion implanters provides the productivity and cost advantages that are critical to tool selection. We believe these shipments demonstrate that major device manufacturers now recognize that only single wafer processing can support future advanced technologies."

"Shipping our first 300mm VIISta platform order to this world-leading memory producer is a significant step in our continuing efforts to maintain market share leadership," said Ernest Godshalk, president and chief operating officer of Varian Semiconductor. "This customer is developing sub-130nm device technologies enabled by our VIISta 80, VIISta 3000 and VIISta 810 HP implanters to meet their 300mm production requirements."

Each implanter in the VIISta platform offers specific advantages in terms of integrated circuit performance. For high current implants, the VIISta 80 provides angle and dose control that enables dopant placement with atomic level precision to satisfy the increasing demand for accurate, repeatable zero degree implants. This provides customers with the capability for improved junction abruptness, resulting in increased device drive current and processing speed. For medium current implants, the VIISta 810 HP provides exceptional control of the Vt and halo implants, improving the consistency of operating characteristics and yield across the wafer. For high energy implants, the VIISta 3000 provides accuracy in the placement of dopant species to enhance well-to-well isolation characteristics, reducing the size of the transistors and potentially increasing the number of integrated circuits on a wafer.

About Varian Semiconductor

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates is the leading producer of ion implantation equipment used in the manufacture of semiconductors. The company is headquartered in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and operates worldwide.

For more information, visit http://www.vsea.com or call 978/282-2007.