Nanometrics Delivers 100th Atlas III System For Advanced Process Control Metrology

Atlas III Systems are qualified and in production for advanced devices in DRAM, 3D-NAND and Foundry/Logic

Milpitas, CA (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Nanometrics Incorporated (NASDAQ: NANO), a leading provider of advanced process control solutions, announced that it has delivered its 100th Atlas® III system for advanced process control metrology.  The Atlas III is deployed in advanced memory and logic device manufacturers utilizing Nanometrics proprietary analysis software including NanoDiffract® and SpectraProbe™. With its proprietary combination of spectroscopic ellipsometry with full Mueller Matrix capability and broadband reflectometer, the Atlas III provides industry-leading performance and cost of ownership.

“We are excited to achieve this milestone with the Atlas III, just two years after we started shipping systems,” stated Dr. Pierre-Yves Lesaicherre, president and chief executive officer of Nanometrics. “The rapid adoption and ramp of the Atlas III reflects Nanometrics’ technology leadership as the pioneer of optical critical dimension (OCD) metrology and the close partnerships we have with our key customers. The Atlas III provides our customers additional insight to control and debug their most complex device manufacturing processes and is instrumental to the ramp of leading-edge devices.”

“The Atlas III is the fastest-ramping product in Nanometrics’ history,” commented Sudhakar Raman, vice president and general manager of the automated metrology systems business unit at Nanometrics. “The Atlas III is the third generation in the Atlas family, first introduced in 2004, and is our flagship automated system supporting advanced OCD and thin films metrology with our proprietary ellipsometry and reflectometry technologies.  The Atlas III delivers best-in-class precision and repeatability at faster overall system throughput, supporting a broad variety of process control applications.  These systems are qualified at the top five 3D-NAND manufacturers, two of the largest DRAM manufacturers, and leading foundry customers for sub-10nm devices.”  When combined with NanoDiffract, the Atlas III enables high-fidelity metrology on the most complex three-dimensional structures.  When utilizing SpectraProbe, the Atlas III provides unique insight into on-device and in-die control for advanced yield learning and process optimization.

About Nanometrics
Nanometrics is a leading provider of advanced, high-performance process control metrology and inspection systems used primarily in the fabrication of semiconductors and other solid-state devices, including sensors, optoelectronic devices, high-brightness LEDs, discretes and data storage components. Nanometrics' automated and integrated metrology systems measure critical dimensions, device structures, topography and various thin film properties, including three-dimensional features and film thickness, as well as optical, electrical and material properties. The company's process control solutions are deployed throughout the fabrication process, from front-end-of-line substrate manufacturing, to high-volume production of semiconductors and other devices, to advanced three-dimensional wafer-level packaging applications. Nanometrics' systems enable advanced process control for device manufacturers, providing improved device yield at reduced manufacturing cycle time, supporting the accelerated product life cycles in the semiconductor and other advanced device markets. The company maintains its headquarters in Milpitas, California, with sales and service offices worldwide. Nanometrics is traded on NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol NANO. Nanometrics' website is http://www.nanometrics.com.

Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in this release.  Although Nanometrics believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from these expectations due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: Nanometrics’ inability to ship products as scheduled or achieve customer acceptance of new products; shifts in the timing of customer orders and product shipments; and general economic conditions. For additional information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Nanometrics that could cause actual results to differ materially, see its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 3, 2017 including under the caption “Risk Factors,” as well as other periodic reports filed with the SEC from time to time. Nanometrics disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

© Copyright 2018, GlobeNewswire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.