Rudolph Concludes Successful JDP, Adapting Process Sentinel Defect Classification Software to Meet Accuracy and Speed Requirements


Product's ability to recognize and classify systemic process issues influences purchase decision

San Francisco, CA (July 11, 2006)-Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC), a leading provider of process control equipment for thin film measurement, macro defect inspection, and yield management software, today announced multiple orders from a North American microprocessor manufacturer for its Process Sentinel(TM) wafer-level automatic defect classification software. Process Sentinel is a universal, tool-independent solution designed to allow process engineers to integrate electrical test and defect inspection data from tools throughout the fab to recognize and classify systemic process issues. In this case, the initial installations were part of a joint development project (JDP) undertaken to adapt the program to specific process requirements. The customer has purchased four licenses to date.

"Process Sentinel offers significantly improved accuracy and speed for the detection and classification of wafer-level patterns," said Mike Plisinski, vice president of Rudolph's Data Analysis & Review Business Unit. "It is the first product to allow the correlation of defect and bin data, providing a powerful mechanism for identifying patterns that actually impact yield." The program incorporates a proprietary classification scheme and search engine that allows comparisons within a large historical database that can include data from multiple steps throughout the manufacturing process. Plisinski added, "confronted with an unfamiliar pattern, engineers are automatically alerted and can quickly determine whether it has occurred previously and what impact it had on bin yield."

"We are excited about the success of this joint development project," Plisinski stated. It reinforces our strategic focus on analysis solutions as we are seeing increased interest from several customers for this type of product."
The core strength of Process Sentinel comes from its proprietary classification scheme and search engine. It is designed specifically for speed in the large volume of data generated in an advanced fab. The standard pattern library that ships with the system is fully functional and facilitates rapid deployment, but can be readily updated to accommodate new patterns as they are encountered. Library growth is simple and intuitive and configurable matching criteria permit easy integration into most processes.

The Data Analysis and Review Business Unit is dedicated to advanced software solutions to enable the next level of process automation. These products can be independent fab solutions or packaged to support new and existing metrology or inspection tools. It is expected that Rudolph customers will experience an increased benefit from their toolsets with the addition of new advanced analysis software. Additionally, Rudolph fab-wide packages are available to anyone who needs advanced process-centric automation and analysis software.

Rudolph Technologies is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of high-performance process control metrology, defect inspection and data analysis systems used by semiconductor device manufacturers. 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 costs and time to market. The company has enhanced the competitiveness of its products in the marketplace by anticipating and addressing many emerging trends driving the semiconductor industry's growth. Rudolph's strategy for continued technological and market leadership includes aggressive research and development of complementary metrology and inspection solutions. 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.

Investors:
Steven R. Roth
973.448.4302
steven.roth@rudolphtech.com

Trade Press:
Virginia Becker
952.259.1647
virginia.becker@rudolphtech.com

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