2nd Annual International Nanoscience Conference to Be Held in Grenoble, France

WOODBURY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2004--Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq:VECO) announces the premier nanotechnology and nanoscience conference of 2004, "Seeing at the Nanoscale II," to be held at the Europole Congress Centre, in Grenoble, France from October 13th -15th 2004. Sponsored in conjunction with Minatec, Nano2Life and Phantoms, this two and a half day symposium will include presentations, technical sessions, a banquet on October 14th (where two awards will be announced) and poster presentations by some of today's most respected international researchers in nanoscale metrology and nanoscience applications. The theme of the conference is "Exploring Nanostructure Imaging, Characterization and Modification using Scanning Probe Microscopy and Related Techniques." The keynote speaker for this years' conference will be Prof. C. Gerber of IBM, Zurich.

"In the true spirit of nanotechnology research, our 2003 conference in California was an international, multi-disciplinary event that drew hundreds of scientists from all over the world. By moving our conference to Europe this year we are continuing to encourage communications and research sharing among the global nano-scientific community," said Edward H. Braun, Chairman and CEO of Veeco.

“Exploring Nanostructure Imaging, Characterization and Modification using Scanning Probe Microscopy and Related Techniques.”

Francis Steenbeke, Vice President and General Manager of Veeco Europe added, "We selected Grenoble as the site for our 2004 conference due to its critical importance to the nanoscience efforts among both academia and industry on the European continent. The initial call for papers and response to this 2004 conference is quite encouraging. Nanostructural imaging, characterization, and modification utilizing scanning probe microscopy is revolutionizing scientific research and the conference will again be a tremendous opportunity for scientists worldwide to discuss their latest discoveries."

Call For Papers

The conference organizers have started the "Call for Papers." Contributed papers will be considered for either oral or poster presentation at the conference unless the authors specifically requested the poster session. All abstracts will be reviewed by the session Technical Committee, and final abstracts will be posted on the conference Web site and printed in the conference program. Abstract submissions are due by July 7th 2004 and may be submitted online through: http://www.veeco.com/nanoconference/papers_abstract.asp

About the Conference

Registration materials and further details about the conference -- including technical session topics, information on lodging, and the dates and locations of the various social events -- can be found at

http://www.veeco.com/nanoconference or http://www.veeco-europe.com.

About the Sponsors

Minatec, a talent pool dedicated to science, advanced technology and high-tech industry, is one of the leading European poles for innovation in micro and nanotechnology, a high concentration of skills and resources located in Grenoble.

Nano2Life is the first European Network of Excellence on nanobiotech initiated by 23 research organizations and centers, which have experience in initiating nanobiotech projects or programs. 170 scientists from 12 countries are integrated under this network to implement joint activities at the interface between the "nano" and the "bio" worlds. Nano2Life will set the basis for a virtual European Nanobiotech Institute with strong local establishments.

Phantoms is a network of Excellence, whose mission is to provide a platform of services and information for researchers active in Nanotechnologies directed towards information processing and storage. PHANTOMS has currently around 230 members worldwide and is funded by the European Commission (IST program).

Veeco Instruments Inc. provides solutions for nanoscale applications in the worldwide, data storage, compound semiconductor/wireless, semiconductor and scientific research markets. Our Metrology products are used to measure at the nanoscale and our Process Equipment tools help create nanoscale devices. Veeco's manufacturing and engineering facilities are located in New York, New Jersey, California, Colorado, Arizona and Minnesota. Global sales and service offices are located throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia Pacific. Additional information on Veeco can be found at http://www.veeco.com/.