Ultratech Achieves Advanced Packaging Exclusive And Preferred Tool Vendor Agreements With Top-Tier Global Companies

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultratech, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTEK), a leading supplier of lithography and laser-processing systems used to manufacture semiconductor devices and high-brightness LEDs (HB-LEDs), today announced that the company has agreed to 'exclusive supplier' and 'preferred tool vendor' agreements with several top-tier advanced packaging (AP) companies around the world.  Combined, these companies account for almost 60 percent of the electroplated flip chip market that market-leader Ultratech currently addresses.  These agreements, along with the recent acquisition of over 200 U.S. and foreign AP patents, strategically position Ultratech to meet the lithography packaging requirements for the future device nodes of its global customer base.  They additionally underscore Ultratech's ongoing commitment to provide its customers with leading-edge technology solutions and low cost-of-ownership advantages.

Ultratech Vice President, Advanced Packaging Technology/Nanotechnology Markets Manish Ranjan explained, "Ultratech has maintained its leading position in AP for almost 10 years.  Several of our customers have signed multi-year agreements that range from 'exclusive supplier' to 'preferred tool vendor' because they understand the technical and economic advantages our tools deliver for advanced volume manufacturing.  These agreements highlight the close working relationship that Ultratech has with its strategic customers.  These long-term relationships provide valuable insight for the development of market-specific features that enable our customers' next-generation devices.  Building on the recent acquisition of AP patents and the multi-year vendor agreements, Ultratech will continue to work to develop lithography systems that meet its customers' leading-edge, advanced packaging needs."

The AP300 300-mm lithography system is built on Ultratech's customizable Unity Platform™, and delivers superior overlay, resolution, and side wall profile performance enabling highly-automated and cost- effective manufacturing of all types of wafer-level packages and is particularly well suited for fan-out configurations and 3D ICs.  In addition, the Company has developed numerous application-specific product features to enable next-generation packaging techniques, such as Ultratech's award winning dual-side alignment (DSA) system, utilized around the world in volume production. 

Details of the AP patents acquisition, along with a full list of the 200 foreign and U.S. patents can be found in Ultratech's 8K filing on Thursday, June 28.  Visit Ultratech's website at: www.ultratech.com.

Certain of the statements contained herein, which are not historical facts and which can generally be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "thinks," "intends," "will," "could," "believes," "estimates," "continue," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements under Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that involve risks and uncertainties, such as risks related to timing, delays, deferrals and cancellations of orders by customers, including as a result of semiconductor manufacturing capacity as well as our customers' financial condition and demand for semiconductors; demand for consumer devices; industry growth within the company's served markets; continued delivery of financial performance and value; cyclicality in the semiconductor and nanotechnology industries; our dependence on new product introductions and market acceptance of new products and enhanced versions of our existing products; lengthy sales cycles, including the timing of system installations and acceptances; quarterly revenue fluctuations; lengthy and costly development cycles for laser-processing and lithography technologies and applications; integration, development and associated expenses of the laser processing operation; general economic and financial market conditions including impact on capital spending, as well as difficulty in predicting changes in such conditions; rapid technological change and the importance of timely product introductions; customer concentration; pricing pressures and product discounts; high degree of industry competition; intellectual property matters; changes in pricing by us, our competitors or suppliers; international sales and operations; timing of new product announcements and releases by us or our competitors; ability to volume produce systems and meet customer requirements; sole or limited sources of supply; effect of capital market fluctuations on our investment portfolio; ability and resulting costs to attract or retain key personnel; dilutive effect of employee stock option grants on net income per share, which is largely dependent upon our achieving and maintaining profitability and the market price of our stock; mix of products sold; outcome of litigation; manufacturing variances and production levels; timing and degree of success of technologies licensed to outside parties; product concentration and lack of product revenue diversification; inventory obsolescence; asset impairment; changes to financial accounting standards; effects of certain anti-takeover provisions; future acquisitions; volatility of stock price; foreign government regulations and restrictions; business interruptions due to natural disasters or utility failures; environmental regulations; and any adverse effects of terrorist attacks in the United States or elsewhere, or government responses thereto, or military actions in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, on the economy, in general, or on our business in particular. Such risks and uncertainties are described in Ultratech's SEC reports including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2011 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2012. Due to these and additional factors, the statements, historical results and percentage relationships set forth herein are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for any future period. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations, some or all of which may prove to be inaccurate, and which may change. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this release.

About Ultratech: Ultratech, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTEK) designs, manufactures and markets photolithography and laser processing equipment.  Founded in 1979, the company's market-leading advanced lithography products deliver high throughput and production yields at a low, overall cost of ownership for bump packaging of integrated circuits and high-brightness LEDs (HB-LEDs).  A pioneer of laser processing, Ultratech developed laser spike anneal technology, which increases device yield, improves transistor performance and enables the progression of Moore's Law for 32-nm and below production of state-of-the-art consumer electronics.  Visit Ultratech online at: www.ultratech.com.

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Unity Platform is a trademark of Ultratech, Inc.

SOURCE Ultratech, Inc.