Rudolph Delivers Run-to-Run Process Control to Bosch Automotive

Advanced process control yields immediate benefits including reduced variability and improved capability

FLANDERS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC), a leading provider of process characterization equipment and software for the semiconductor, solar and LED industries, announced today that is has delivered and installed its ProcessWORKS^® advanced process control (APC) software to Robert Bosch GmbH for its semiconductor facility in Reutlingen, Germany. ProcessWORKS software provides run-to-run control by adjusting recipe parameters based on the results of previous runs. Its ability to reduce variability, narrow process windows and improve process capability (CpK) contributes to meet the demanding targets of cost and quality for device manufacturers.

“We plan to roll it out to at least two more process modules this year. One of the important considerations in our selection was the fact that across the fab it can be easily deployed to additional processes compared with the competitors.”

“We have a longstanding relationship with Bosch, where we have supplied a large number of inspection and metrology systems over the years,” said Mike Plisinski, Rudolph’s vice president and general manager of the company’s Data Analysis & Review Business Unit. “We are very familiar with the exacting demands for quality in the automotive industry that Bosch serves. The advanced process control capability of ProcessWORKS software is one more way we can help them meet those demands.”

“We saw an immediate decrease in variability when we implemented the evaluation of ProcessWORKS software in our lithography process,” said Thorsten Widmer, vice president of the Bosch semiconductor plant. “We plan to roll it out to at least two more process modules this year. One of the important considerations in our selection was the fact that across the fab it can be easily deployed to additional processes compared with the competitors."

ProcessWORKS software is a leading solution for APC. Manufacturers use this self-contained application to improve the capability of their processes. It enables run-to-run supervisory process control that advances beyond traditional statistical process control and process monitoring, allowing users to achieve process goals in terms of desired results, such as thickness, rather than machine settings, such as time of deposition. Using control strategies configured by the engineer, ProcessWORKS software calculates settings, performs analysis of the feedback data and adjusts the process model to keep the process on target. This framework-based APC solution can be conveniently fanned out across any factory, providing significant and immediate returns on investment.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of automotive, industrial, consumer goods and building technologies and services. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. Bosch Automotive Electronics (AE) is headquartered in Reutlingen, Germany, and is the largest manufacturer of micromechanical products and one of the largest automotive semiconductor manufacturers in Europe. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch-automotive.com.

Rudolph Technologies, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of defect inspection, process control metrology, and data analysis systems and software used by semiconductor device manufacturers worldwide. Rudolph provides a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary products that provide critical yield-enhancing information, enabling microelectronic device manufacturers to drive down the costs and time to market of their products. The company’s yield management solutions are used in both the wafer processing and final manufacturing of ICs, as well as in emerging markets such as LED and Solar. Headquartered in Flanders, New Jersey, Rudolph supports its customers with a worldwide sales and service organization. Additional information can be found on the company’s web site at www.rudolphtech.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) which include demand for Rudolph’s products, Rudolph’s existing market position and its ability to maintain and advance such position relative to its competitors and Rudolph’s expectations about our future bookings and backlog as well as other matters that are not purely historical data. Rudolph wishes to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provided for by the Act and cautions that actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of various factors, including risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Rudolph’s control. Such factors include, but are not limited to, delays in shipping products for technical performance, component supply or other reasons, the company’s ability to leverage its resources to improve its positions in its core markets and fluctuations in customer capital spending. Additional information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Rudolph are available in Rudolph’s Form 10-K report for the year ended December 31, 2010, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As the forward-looking statements are based on Rudolph’s current expectations, the company cannot guarantee any related future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Rudolph does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.