Atmel Unveils XSense - Revolutionary Flexible Touch Sensors that Enable a New Era of Capacitive Touchscreen Designs

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a leader in microcontroller and touch technology solutions, today announced that it is sampling to select customers XSense™, its revolutionary, highly flexible film-based touch sensor. XSense touch sensors will not only enable a new generation of smartphones and tablets, but also extend touch capabilities into a wider array of new consumer and industrial products.

Based on a proprietary roll-to-roll metal mesh technology, XSense touch sensors provide a high-performance alternative to existing touch sensors. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will now be able to develop larger, lighter, sleeker, curved and edgeless designs for smartphones, tablets, Ultrabooks and a host of new touch-enabled products.

XSense touch sensors are optimal for a wide range of touchscreen products, enabling thinner sensor stacks with superior performance and excellent optical clarity. With such advantages as flawless touch performance, enhanced noise immunity, low sheet resistance and low power consumption, designers will now be able to turn unique touch-based concepts into functional designs at lower total system costs compared to current market alternatives.

"Our groundbreaking XSense technology transforms the touch experience for users of new smartphones, tablets and other touch-enabled products," said Atmel President and CEO Steve Laub.  "XSense launches a new era of touch design, enabling our customers to redefine touch and to create a new class of products that were previously only imaginable. Combined with Atmel maXTouch® controllers, Atmel provides a completely optimized, unparalleled touch experience, extending its product portfolio deeper into the touch eco-system."

"The combined touchscreen sensor and controller IC industry is over $10 billion dollars currently and is still growing rapidly. There is significant demand in the industry for larger, thinner and lighter touch sensors," said Dr. Jennifer Colegrove, vice president of emerging display technologies, NPD DisplaySearch. "ITO-alternative material, such as Atmel's new touch sensor technology XSense, is penetrating into the touch sensor market to offer designers new thin, lightweight, flexible and durable designs."

XSense Availability
XSense touch sensors are sampling now, with production quantities scheduled to be available in the third quarter of 2012.

Special Investor Conference Call
President and CEO Steve Laub and Vice President and General Manager of Touch Materials Jalil Shaikh will participate on a special call and webcast at 8 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) today to discuss these new developments. 

• The conference call will be aired via a live webcast and can also be monitored by dialing 1-800-374-0405 or 1-706-758-4519. The conference ID number is 54392926, and participants are encouraged to dial-in 10 minutes prior to the 8 a.m. PT call to ensure a timely connection. The webcast with accompanying slides will be accessible at http://ir.atmel.com.

About Atmel
Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and radio frequency (RF) components. Leveraging one of the industry's broadest intellectual property (IP) technology portfolios, Atmel is able to provide the electronics industry with complete system solutions focused on industrial, consumer, communications, computing and automotive markets.

©2012 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel^®, Atmel logo and combinations thereof, maXTouch^® and others are registered trademarks and XSense™ and others are trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
XSense is a new product for the company, and there may be significant risks associated with its continued development, production and introduction into the market.  Information in this release, including our ability to manufacture XSense in significant quantities, the timing of initial product deliveries, the transition from sampling products to mass manufacturing, the field reliability of XSense, the anticipated production costs and effects on gross margin, and the market opportunity for, and customer acceptance of, XSense, may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Other information included in this release as it relates to our expectations for a new product such as XSense may also constitute forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, which may change at any time.  These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences, in addition to the ones referred to herein, include other risks detailed from time to time in our SEC reports and filings, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed on February 28, 2012. Atmel assumes no obligation, and does not intend, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor Contact:
Peter Schuman, Director, Investor Relations
Tel: (+1) 408-518-8426, Email: [email protected]

Press Contact:
Agnes Toan, Communications Manager
Tel: (+1) 408-487-2963, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Atmel Corporation