MATTSON SHIPS STRIP SYSTEMS TO LEADING CHINA FOUNDRY'S NEW 300 MM COPPER FAB

Aspen Strip Systems Offer High Productivity and Advanced Processing for FEOL and BEOL Applications

FREMONT, Calif.- March 16, 2005 - Mattson Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSN), a leading supplier of advanced process equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, today announced that a leading China foundry has selected Mattson's advanced strip systems for its new state-of-the art 300 millimeter (mm) fabs. The initial toolset shipped included the Aspen III ICPHT system, which will be used in the chipmaker's newest 300 mm copper fab for back-end-of-line (BEOL) strip applications. Also shipped to the new copper fab was an enhanced version of the Aspen III Highlands, which will be used in the foundry's new metal interconnect process line to produce copper/low-k logic devices. Another Aspen III ICPHT strip system is scheduled to ship at the end of this month to the chipmaker's front-end-of-line (FEOL) 300 mm fab, where Mattson's Aspen III Strip system is already installed and in production.

“After competitive evaluations for both FEOL and BEOL applications, this customer selected our strip systems for their superior processing capability, high productivity and low cost of ownership,” said Randy Y. Matsuda, vice president and general manager of Mattson Technology's Films-Etch Product Group. “Mattson is the leading 200 mm strip supplier in China, and we expect that our 300 mm strip technologies—which are setting the standard for copper/low-k processing—will play a key role in our customer's aggressive 300 mm production ramp and development of advanced copper devices.”

“We are a supplier of choice for this leading semiconductor foundry because of our dedicated effort to provide reliable, technologically advanced systems backed by excellent local service and support,” said Julian K. Chu, Mattson Technology's China country manager. “These latest orders underscore the strength of our customer partnership and reinforce our expanding position as a top equipment supplier in China's rapidly growing semiconductor industry.”

About Mattson Technology Strip Systems

The Aspen III Strip, the Aspen III ICPHT and the Aspen III Highlands feature Mattson's proprietary inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source technology and are designed to meet the rigors of high-volume 300 mm manufacturing in the sub-100 nm device era. The Aspen III Strip system achieves excellent results for high-dose implant strip, photoresist and residue removal and surface cleaning for advanced applications, including low-k and oxygen and non-oxygen-based processes. The Aspen III ICPHT provides increased throughput, improved process performance and reliability for FEOL and BEOL strip applications. The
Aspen III Highlands is an advanced strip system used for removing resist, residue and barrier layer for
low-k/ copper applications.

About Mattson Technology, Inc.

Mattson Technology, Inc. is a leading supplier of semiconductor wafer processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company’s dry strip and RTP equipment utilize innovative technology to deliver advanced processing capabilities on high-productivity platforms for the fabrication of current- and next-generation devices. Since beginning operations in 1989, the company’s core vision has been to help bring technology leadership and productivity gains to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. For more information, please contact Mattson Technology, Inc., 47131 Bayside Parkway, Fremont, Calif. 94538. Telephone: (800) MATTSON/(510) 657-5900. Fax: (510) 492-5911. Internet: www.mattson.com.