Tegal Completes ProNova ICP Process Suite Rollout for Silicon DRIE

PETALUMA, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Tegal Corporation, (Nasdaq:TGAL) an innovator of specialized production solutions for the fabrication of advanced MEMS, power ICs and optoelectronic devices, today announced that its full process portfolio for silicon DRIE applications has been made available for the new ProNova ICP source. The application suite includes industry-leading processes for high aspect ratio DRIE under the SHARP patent, as well as well-established processes for integrated mask open and the tri-pulse process for high resist mask selectivity deep silicon etching.

A key challenge for 200mm MEMS fabrication is porting established MEMS processes onto 200mm tools and then improving on the baseline process results; for silicon DRIE, these challenges include achieving higher etch rates, tighter control of tilt angles and etch profiles across 200mm wafers, and tighter control of etch depth uniformity across 200mm wafers The ProNova ICP process suite now helps solve these challenges.

"Providing our customers with high-value DRIE process solutions is at the core of our business model," said John Almerico, Senior Marketing Director for Etch Products at Tegal. "Transferring our advanced applications for silicon DRIE to 200mm wafers using the ProNova ICP source successfully completes the launch of this new process module for MEMS and 3D-IC customers worldwide."

The ProNova ICP source is available immediately to ship on Tegal 110, 200, 3200, and 4200 DRIE Wafer Processing Systems. ProNova is also compatible as a retrofit with Tegal and AMMS DRIE systems already in the field, and ProNova supports SHARP - Tegal's Super High Aspect Ratio Process, achieving etched feature aspect ratios of greater than 100:1 in production environments. In addition, all Tegal silicon DRIE systems now feature low frequency bias for notch-free silicon DRIE for SOI substrates as standard equipment. Customers interested in submitting samples to evaluate the ProNova ICP source should contact their local Tegal sales office or sales representative.

Tegal is a participating sponsor of the MEMS Executive Congress this week in Sonoma, California. Paul Werbaneth, Tegal Vice President of Marketing and Applications, will be moderating a panel discussion titled "Energy/Environmental Sensing and Green MEMS." More information about the MEMS Executive Congress is available at www.memscongress.com.

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Except for historical information, matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements, which are based on assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, are generally identifiable by the use of the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "project" or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the Company including, but not limited to industry conditions, economic conditions, acceptance of new technologies and market acceptance of the Company's products and services. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements in this paragraph. For a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please refer to the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Tegal Corporation

Tegal is an innovator of specialized production solutions for the fabrication of advanced MEMS, power ICs and optoelectronic devices found in products like smart phones, networking gear, solid-state lighting, and digital imaging. The Company's plasma etch and deposition tools enable sophisticated manufacturing techniques, such as 3D interconnect structures formed by intricate silicon etch, also known as Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). Tegal combines proven expertise with practical system strategies to deliver application-specific solutions that are robust and reliable, and deliver exceptional process quality and high yields at a lower overall cost of ownership. Headquartered in Petaluma, California, the company has more than 35 years of expertise and innovation in specialized technologies, over 100 patents, and an installed base of more than 1900 systems worldwide. Please visit us on the web at www.tegal.com.

Tegal
Paul Werbaneth, +1 707-765-5608
Vice President - Marketing and Applications
pwerbane@tegal.com
or
The Blueshirt Group
Chris Danne, +1 415-217-7722