Leading HB-LED manufacturers worldwide add inspection systems and software to improve process yields and reduce manufacturing costs
FLANDERS, NJ (February 2, 2011)—Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC), a leading provider of process characterization equipment and software that is designed to improve yield for the microelectronics and solar manufacturing industries, announced today that it has expanded into the LED (light emitting diode) market with two significant orders.
Rudolph has shipped its Explorer® Automated Macro Defect Inspection System and Discover Enterprise™ Data Analysis Software to a leading world-wide producer of LEDs. In addition, a U.S.-based market leader in LEDs has placed new orders for Rudolph’s ProcessWORKS® and ARTIST® process control software, along with repeat orders for AutoShell® factory automation software.
“Rudolph offers a suite of inspection, metrology and data analysis technologies that help high-volume LED makers better understand the causes of defects and yield loss in their front and back-end processes, ultimately lowering manufacturing costs and enhancing the performance and reliability of their products,” said Ardy Johnson, Rudolph’s marketing vice president. “As the LED industry enters what promises to be a period of rapid expansion, rising costs and increased competition are driving a focus on yield management. This is similar to developments we have seen in semiconductor manufacturing, where the effort to maximize yield has been in place for many years.”
Newer, high brightness (HB) LEDs deliver higher performance, but require tighter control of variability and defectivity in the front-end processes, where the LED itself is formed, to ensure process yield and consistent performance of these high-output devices.
Johnson added, “Understanding and improving front-end processes is critical to achieving the performance and reliability required, while maintaining manufacturing costs that allow LED manufacturers to succeed in a very competitive industry.”
Rudolph’s Explorer System provides automated macro defect inspection of front-end processes, while its NSX® Series enables high-throughput inspection in the back-end. Discover Enterprise software collects and analyzes data from various inspection and metrology sources throughout the process to provide valuable feedback on yield loss and systematic process variation.
“Adding ProcessWORKS, ARTIST and AutoShell to the manufacturing line has demonstrated further improvements to yield with a very high return on investment,” said Mike Plisinski, vice president and general manager of Rudolph’s Data Analysis and Review Business Unit. “One customer is using the AutoShell systems automation software to connect process tools to their factory systems. They have seen firsthand how AutoShell can reduce errors and improve operator productivity.”
Plisinski adds, “As the industry turns its focus from capacity expansions to better yields and tighter process control, software like ARTIST, AutoShell, and ProcessWORKS will become invaluable to LED manufacturing as they are now to the semiconductor industry.”
For more information about the full product suite for LED yield and process control, please visit www.rudolphtech.com.
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and support of defect inspection, process control metrology, and data analysis systems and software used by semiconductor device manufacturers worldwide. Rudolph provides a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary products that provide critical yield-enhancing information, enabling microelectronic device manufacturers to drive down the costs and time to market of their products. The company’s yield management solutions are used in both the wafer processing and final manufacturing of ICs, as well as LEDs and solar. Headquartered in Flanders, New Jersey, Rudolph supports its customers with a worldwide sales and service organization. Additional information can be found on the company’s web site at www.rudolphtech.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) which include demand for Rudolph’s products, Rudolph’s existing market position and its ability to maintain and advance such position relative to its competitors and Rudolph’s expectations about our future bookings and backlog as well as other matters that are not purely historical data. Rudolph wishes to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provided for by the Act and cautions that actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of various factors, including risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Rudolph’s control. Such factors include, but are not limited to, delays in shipping products for technical performance, component supply or other reasons, the company’s ability to leverage its resources to improve its positions in its core markets and fluctuations in customer capital spending. Additional information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Rudolph are available in Rudolph’s Form 10-K report for the year ended December 31, 2009 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As the forward-looking statements are based on Rudolph’s current expectations, the company cannot guarantee any related future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Rudolph does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
For more information, please contact:
Investors:
Steven R. Roth
973.448.4302
steven.roth@rudolphtech.com
Trade Press:
Virginia Becker
952.259.1647
virginia.becker@rudolphtech.com