Rudolph Unveils New MetaPULSE-III 300 at Semicon West 2005

MetaPULSE-III Offers Superior On-Product Metrology for 45 nm Processes and Below at a Low Cost of Ownership

Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC), a leading provider of process control equipment for thin-film measurement and macrodefect inspection during integrated circuit manufacturing, announces the new MetaPULSE-III 300(TM) that is designed specifically to meet semiconductor manufacturers' metal thin-film metrology requirements at the 45 nm technology node and beyond.

The MetaPULSE-III can lower cost of ownership by up to 40 percent over the previous-generation system with industry-leading production throughput of over 100 WPH. The modular design of the MetaPULSE-III offers the latest advances in Rudolph's patented PULSE Technology(TM), which has been deployed in over 200 installations for production monitoring of aluminum and copper processes. In addition, since the MetaPULSE-III is built on the new VANGUARD-II(TM) platform, it can be combined with other metrology technologies to characterize a wide range of advanced processes.

"The semiconductor industry is being presented with a particularly difficult challenge as we move below the 65 nm technology node," said Christopher Morath, Rudolph's Director of Marketing. "Increasing process complexity -- in the form of advanced materials and novel device architectures -- is driving a proliferation of sophisticated metrology techniques. On the other hand, as our industry continues to mature, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reduce costs. We've considered both factors while developing the MetaPULSE-III that accommodates a wide range of capabilities with the ability to mix and match advanced metrology technologies on the same platform. This flexibility of the MetaPULSE-III will enable manufacturers to quickly solve metrology challenges as they develop new advanced processes and to create customized, cost-effective metrology systems for high-volume process control," adds Morath.

Applications of the MetaPULSE-III include measurement and characterization of metal gates, elastic modulus, ultrathin films, advanced copper barriers, copper shunt, electroplated copper, copper CMP thickness and surface profile, advanced silicides, silicon on insulator, SiGe, thermal conductivity, and low-k dielectric adhesion. During process research and development, the metrology requirements for these and other advanced applications may evolve rapidly, requiring a metrology tool with a wide range of capabilities that can quickly generate results. The MetaPULSE-III offers a solution with its modular platform; EASy(TM) expert system software capable of combining data from multiple technologies into fast, user-friendly results; and sophisticated applications support based on years of in-fab experience. As the process ramps to high-volume production, the MetaPULSE-III will offer the high throughput, industry-leading repeatability, and tool-to-tool matching required for 24/7 process control.

VANGUARD-II Platform

The VanGuard-II is Rudolph's versatile new platform specifically designed to integrate multiple metrology and inspection technologies, with the ability to add novel technologies as needed to support the industry's transition to narrower linewidths, advanced gates, ultra-low k dielectrics, and copper interconnect. For these next-generation processes, a timely ramp to production increasingly depends on a manufacturer's ability to deploy an appropriate suite of metrology and inspection capabilities rapidly and at reasonable cost. Vanguard-II, based on over a decade of experience from Rudolph's fab-proven Vanguard® platform, responds to these industry demands through its modular architecture, high throughput, and improved ease of fab integration.

For more information, please visit Rudolph Technologies at booth 1742 during Semicon West 2005. The system is available in both the standard and Turbo(TM) model.

Note to editor: A picture of the MetaPULSE-III is available.

About Rudolph Technologies, Inc.

Rudolph Technologies is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of high-performance process control metrology and defect inspection systems used by semiconductor device manufacturers. The Company's products provide a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary systems, which are used throughout the device manufacturing process. Rudolph's product development has successfully anticipated and addressed many emerging trends that are driving the semiconductor industry's growth in order to enhance the competitiveness of its products in the marketplace. The Company's success in creating complementary metrology and inspection applications through aggressive research and development is key to Rudolph's strategy for continued technological and market leadership.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected due to a number of risks, including, but not limited to, the impact of the slowdown in the overall economy, the uncertainty of the current global political environment, the potential for terrorist attacks, the potential for business disruptions due to infectious diseases, changes in customer demands for our existing and new products, the timing, cancellation or delay of customer orders and shipments, the timing of revenue recognition of shipments, new product offerings from our competitors, changes in or an inability to execute Rudolph Technologies' business strategy, unanticipated manufacturing or supply problems and changes in tax rules. Rudolph Technologies cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties summarized under the heading "Factors that May Affect Future Results" in Rudolph Technologies' Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2004. These factors are updated from time to time through the filing of reports and registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rudolph Technologies does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

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