Robotic Vision Systems' WS-series Wafer Inspection Systems Selected By Major Japanese Flip Chip Manufacturer

RVSI's Semiconductor Equipment Group extends its claim as the industry standard for bumped wafer inspection

NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Robotic Vision Systems, Inc. (RVSI) (RVSI.OB) today said it has received an order for a WS-series bumped wafer inspection system to be delivered to one of Japan's principal semiconductor companies and a major fabricator of 'flip chip' semiconductors.  RVSI's WS-3000 system was selected in a competitive procurement and will be installed during RVSI's fourth fiscal quarter at a facility in Japan.

Bob Michaels, Vice President - Sales for RVSI's Semiconductor Equipment Group in Hauppauge, NY, said the order represented a critical win with a key customer.  ‘‘As flip chip fabrication expands in Japan, customers are recognizing the need for 3-D metrology to properly control the process.

This customer evaluated several technological options and selected our WS-3000 as the system that met their exacting requirements for a production-worthy system.

‘‘Concurrently, the customer has stringent 2-D surface defect inspection requirements to identify any flaws on the wafer,’‘ Mr. Michaels said.  ‘‘There was a time when such a customer might have purchased a different system for that capability.  Today, we see flip-chip fabricators insisting on a single platform that performs both functions.  We believe RVSI is the first organization to achieve that goal on behalf of customers.’‘

Michael Gray, Vice President - Strategic Development at the Semiconductor Equipment Group, noted that accuracy, stability and speed are the three, mutually dependent requirements sought today by flip chip fabricators.  ‘‘We were told that the key differentiator between RVSI and its competition was that our results were stable; that other systems produced conflicting data on the same wafers, which the customer could not tolerate. 

‘‘Japan is poised to become a major market for flip chip production,’‘ Mr. Gray said.  ‘‘This customer is known for being an opinion leader and technology standard-setter within the Japan market.  Both we and our principal competitor provided our and its best equipment and full resources for this competition.  It is an honor to be chosen, especially in a market and by an organization that is so focused on achieving quality.’‘

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Rather than traditional wire bonds, the newest generation of integrated circuits utilizes microscopic-sized solder or gold ‘‘bumps’‘ that are directly deposited on the wafer for electrical connections. RVSI's WS-series improves yield management of bumped wafers and flip chip die, providing a method to maximize yields and profitability by inspecting bump parameters at high production rates. The system's capabilities include inspection of pre-reflow and post-reflow solder bumps and multi-process gold bumps.

About RVSI
Robotic Vision Systems, Inc. (RVSI) (RVSI.OB) has the most comprehensive line of machine vision systems available today. Headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire, with offices worldwide, RVSI is the world leader in vision-based semiconductor inspection and Data Matrix-based unit-level traceability.

Using leading-edge technology, RVSI joins vision-enabled process equipment, high-performance optics, lighting, and advanced hardware and software to assure product quality, identify and track parts, control manufacturing processes, and ultimately enhance profits for companies worldwide. Serving the semiconductor, electronics, aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical and packaging industries, RVSI holds more than 100 patents in a broad range of technologies. For more information visit www.rvsi.com or call (800) 669-5234.

Forward Looking Statement
Except for the historical information herein, certain matters discussed in this release include forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary significantly based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to: the historical cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry, risks in products and technology development, market acceptance of new products and continuing product demand, the impact of competitive products and pricing, changing economic conditions, both here and abroad, timely development and release of new products, strategic suppliers and customers, the effect of the company's accounting policies and other risk factors detailed in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For further information contact:
Neal H. Sanders
(781) 302-2439