ULTRATECH ANNOUNCES WINDOWS-BASED STEPPER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ATLAS

Optimizes stepper performance based on customer-determined reticle and
wafer parameters 

AUSTIN, Texas, OCTOBER 23, 1995--Ultratech Stepper, Inc. (NASDAQ:UTEK), a
leading supplier of photolithography systems used to manufacture
semiconductors and thin film heads for disk drives, today unveiled Atlas
Stepper Management -- a new Microsoft Windows based software program that
is designed to help chipmakers optimize stepper performance on the
production floor. 

Leveraging improved programming functions and a new graphical user
interface (GUI), Atlas plays a critical role in customizing reticle
configurations and wafer layouts based on user-defined parameters such as
throughput requirements, die size, and stepper field size. By determining
the most efficient configurations possible, Atlas is designed to allow
chipmakers to maximize process efficiency and throughput-both critical
factors in today's high-volume chip manufacturing environments. 

Ultratech reports that the increasing complexity of the wafer fabrication
process is prompting the need for more detailed data management at each
process step, as well as better, more expedient ways for chipmakers to
automate and customize the manufacturing flow. Designed to achieve this
goal in the lithography arena, Atlas is designed to enhance the use of
reticle and wafer data in the production environment. The GUI is designed
to simplify the viewer's ability to interpret and act upon information
that is now readily available, thereby facilitating: 

* Layout of the wafer, based on chip design 
* Reticle layout and design 
* Management of reticle library and wafers 
* Alignment criteria 
* Exposure energy 
* Machine-related variables 

Atlas is compatible with all advanced steppers from Ultratech, which
consists of the company's 2244i, 2700, 4700, Saturn Wafer Stepper, and
Titan Wafer Stepper - . To tap the power of Atlas, users simply enter
information on their specific lithography criteria, such as wafer size,
die size, test pattern placement, and exposure levels. Atlas then uses
this information to lay out reticle and wafer parameters for optimal
stepper operation. This function is performed off-line, thus helping to
ensure that the stepper operation is not disrupted while parameters are
being developed for new processes and chip designs. 

According to Ultratech's Director of Product Marketing Kevin Zollinger,
ease of use and flexibility were key design considerations in the creation
of the Atlas software. "We wanted to create a tool that is both powerful
and extremely user friendly-regardless of a user's experience level. The
Atlas program is designed to allow users to customize their wafer
management, enabling optimization of their specific process," explained
Zollinger. 

This concept guided the design of user interface features such as a
program-driven mechanism that escorts new users through the process of
creating reticle data for the stepper as well as the mask vendors. The
software has numerous options for optimizing the wafer layout, as well as
features on viewing and modifying layouts. Moreover, the extended memory
management system accommodates many chip designs and their related process
steps, and a preference setup feature provides for customized default
information. 

All documentation for Atlas is available on-line, and can be utilized via a
context-sensitive, on-line help function. Atlas is compatible with 16- and
32-bit Windows operating systems as well as other networks, allowing
operation and data access to be handled from any networked systems.
Production versions of Atlas will be available by the end of Q2 1996. 

About Ultratech: Founded in 1979, Ultratech Stepper, Inc. designs,
manufactures, and markets photolithography steppers used worldwide in the
fabrication of semiconductor and thin film heads for disk drives. The
company produces high-technology products that substantially reduce the
cost of ownership for manufacturers in the electronics industry.
Ultratech's common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the
symbol UTEK. 

Ultratech Stepper Inc
3050 Zanker Rd
San Jose, CA 95134
408-321-8835,  800-222-1213,  fax 408-577-3376
 
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