CYMI: Cymer Celebrates Installation of Its 3000th Excimer Laser Light Source

Cymer, Inc. (Nasdaq:CYMI), the world's leading supplier of excimer laser light sources used in semiconductor manufacturing, today announced the 3000th installation of a Cymer excimer laser light source at a chipmaker. The 3000th install -- an XLA 300 argon fluoride (ArF) excimer laser light source, designed to enable volume production of 45nm immersion photolithography applications -- was installed at a major Japanese memory chip manufacturer. Since the XL Series was introduced in early 2003, more than 340 of the XL Series light sources have been shipped by the company.

"Worldwide, memory chip revenue is estimated to grow 20 percent by the end of 2006, furthering the demand for technology to support volume-production semiconductor manufacturing," said Ed Brown, Cymer's president and chief operating officer. "This latest installation milestone is a testament to our growing installed base, and our leading role in the manufacture of memory chips. We are pleased that our proven, low-risk platform continues to be the laser light source of choice for top chipmakers around the globe."

For more than two decades, Cymer has been committed to developing excimer laser light sources for deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography to support the production of high-quality chips. The highly narrowed bandwidths, high processing speeds, and reliability offered in Cymer's light sources have enabled technology to meet the exact specifications and manufacturing requirements for the production of semiconductor chips. The XLA 300 is the fourth generation light source on Cymer's production-proven Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) platform, and offers the flexibility needed for designing immersion tools and processes with the confidence found only in Cymer's industry-proven light source architecture.

About the XLA 300

Leveraging Cymer's production-proven MOPA technology and designed to support volume production at the 45nm node, the XLA 300 offers:

-- Highest repetition rate capability (6kHz)

-- Tightest bandwidth (less than or equal to 0.12pm FWHM/less than or equal to 0.25pm E95) enabling exposure of most critical features, allowing flexibility in optimizing catadioptric lens designs as well as support for ultra-high numerical apertures

-- Ability to meet and exceed highest power requirements to deliver greater throughput

-- Wider process window, whereby, high-dose resists can be used without lowering throughput

-- Capability to enable resolution enhancement techniques (RET) without reducing throughput

-- Accurate on-board E95 metrology coupled with Advanced Spectral Control for tightest process control/Optical Proximity Effects