Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Company Contact
Paul Werbaneth
Vice President - Marketing
[T] (707) 763-5600
info@tegal.com

Complementary customer base, superior technical know-how, deep knowledge of the German capital equipment market, and synergistic product lines make veonis a great fit for Tegal

PETALUMA, Calif., April 20, 2010—Tegal Corporation, (Nasdaq: TGAL) an innovator of specialized production solutions for the fabrication of advanced MEMS, power ICs and optoelectronic devices, announced today it has appointed veonis Technologies GmbH, Puchheim, Germany, as its agent for silicon DRIE and dielectric DRIE products in Germany. veonis Technologies is a leading pan-European supplier of equipment, materials and services to the semiconductor and related industries, bringing cost-effective solutions to the European market, together with its partners from Japan and the United States.

“Tegal Corporation is now completely focused on offering best-of-breed Deep Reactive Ion Etch systems to the MEMS, Power Device, and 3D-IC markets,” said Paul Werbaneth, Vice President of Marketing and Applications, Tegal Corporation.  “Together with veonis Technologies, our strong new partner in Germany, we are looking to expand the market, particularly with those customers who place high value on the quality of results delivered by their DRIE tool suppliers. The combination of Tegal’s significant DRIE process know-how, together with veonis’ excellent reputation for customer support, is great for Tegal, and is great also for our German customers.” 

“We are proud and honoured to have been chosen by Tegal Corporation as their agent for Germany,” said Manfred Schwarz, Managing Director, veonis Technologies.  “Tegal’s DRIE product line has already gained wide acceptance and enjoys an excellent reputation among the customers in Germany. The solid base of installed Tegal DRIE products will allow us to expand further. Our focus will be on supporting existing customers, as well as on introducing the Tegal DRIE products to new customers eager to work with Tegal’s proven and established products.  With the upturn in the market, the timing of our engagement with Tegal could not have been better.”

Tegal DRIE tools are employed in numerous research and development laboratories throughout the world, engaging in both commercial and academic research programs, and are also found in MEMS foundries and other dedicated commercial High Volume Manufacturing lines world-wide. Of particular note is Tegal’s patented SHARP – Super High Aspect Ratio Process, achieving silicon DRIE aspect ratios of > 100:1 in production environments. Tegal is hosting a webinar dedicated to SHARP on Wednesday 28 April 2010 at 11:00am PDT; sign-up for the free webinar is at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/706411833.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for historical information, matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act.  Forward-looking statements, which are based on assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, are generally identifiable by the use of the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "project" or similar expressions.  These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the Company including, but not limited to industry conditions, economic conditions, acceptance of new technologies and market acceptance of the Company's products and services.  All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements in this paragraph.  For a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please refer to the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Tegal Corporation

Tegal is an innovator of specialized production solutions for the fabrication of advanced MEMS, power ICs and optoelectronic devices found in products like smart phones, networking gear, solid-state lighting, and digital imaging.  The Company’s plasma etch tools enable sophisticated manufacturing techniques, such as 3D interconnect structures formed by intricate silicon etch, also known as Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). Tegal combines proven expertise with practical system strategies to deliver application-specific solutions that are robust and reliable, and deliver exceptional process quality and high yields at a lower overall cost of ownership.  Headquartered in Petaluma, California, the company has more than 35 years of expertise and innovation in specialized technologies, over 100 patents, and has shipped and installed more than 1900 systems worldwide. Please visit us on the web at www.tegal.com.

About veonis Technologies GmbH

The veonis Technologies group is a leading pan-European supplier of equipment, materials and services to the semiconductor and related industries. The company was founded in 1972 as a subsidiary of ITS: Intertrade Scientific Inc. In 1999 the company was acquired by two experienced local managers of the business, Mrs. Gabriele Reichenberger and Mr. Manfred Schwarz. Today veonis Technologies focuses on metrology equipment and systems for wafer handling and automation. veonis Technologies works in partnership with leading manufactures from the USA and Japan to bring cost effective solutions to the European market.  Our customers regard us as the "European division" of our overseas suppliers. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, the company provides world class service support tailored to specific customer requirements. The combination of product knowledge, application experience and service support make veonis Technologies a premier single source supplier.  The headquarters of veonis Technologies is located in Puchheim, 10 km west of Munich with convenient access to the new Munich airport and all major highways. Our primary goal is to achieve 100% customer satisfaction through professional representation of our overseas business partners.  www.veonis.com