Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Tegal 110 S/DE tool for silicon and dielectric DRIE will be used to develop actuators for biomedical applications, chemical and biological sensors, and advanced power devices

PETALUMA, Calif., May 18, 2010—Tegal Corporation, (Nasdaq: TGAL) an innovator of specialized production solutions for the fabrication of advanced MEMS, power ICs and optoelectronic devices, today announced it has received an order for a Tegal 110 S/DE DRIE tool from Uppsala University.  The Tegal 110 S/DE DRIE tool will be installed in the Uppsala University Ångström Microstructure Laboratory, located in Uppsala, Sweden.  The Ångström Laboratory constitutes one of Europe’s most advanced laboratories for materials science, and is the largest university clean room in the Nordic countries.

The silicon DRIE tool order from this first-time Tegal DRIE customer was secured by Tegal following a thorough competitive evaluation process by Uppsala University, which included both silicon DRIE and dielectric DRIE applications.

“We are very happy to have received this order for a Tegal 110 S/DE DRIE tool from Uppsala University.  The University, and the Ångström Microstructure Laboratory, has a long and distinguished history as a leading research institution, and Uppsala continues to perform cutting-edge work in a number of research fields of vital interest today,” said Yannick Pilloux, DRIE Product Manager at Tegal Corporation.  “By leading with our strengths in both silicon DRIE and dielectric DRIE, and by offering both applications in the same process chamber, we have been able to meet Uppsala’s demanding technical requirements for this DRIE tool opportunity and give Uppsala excellent value along the way.”

The Tegal 110 S/DE DRIE system is a high-density plasma etch tool featuring an inductively coupled plasma etch reactor and magnetic plasma confinement. The tool can run Tegal’s patented SHARP – Super High Aspect Ratio Process, achieving etched feature aspect ratios of >100:1 in production environments.  The Tegal 110 S/DE system excels at etching, in the same process chamber, the silicon (S) and dielectric (DE) films found in the MEMS/MOEMS, bio-tech, and hi-voltage markets.  Tegal DRIE tools are presently 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.

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 Uppsala University Ångström Microstructure Lab

The Ångström Microstructure Laboratory provides a unique resource for R&D in the microtechnology field. A powerful combination of process and analysis laboratories makes the entire sequence from realization to evaluation available under one roof.  We are open to university and industry personnel working on microstructure research or development.  Research topics of recent interest for us include piezoceramic actuators, actuators for biomedical applications, chemical and biological sensors based on electroacoustic technology, and power devices incorporating both high and low voltage electronics on the same chip.

Tegal Contact

Paul Werbaneth

Vice President – Marketing and Applications

Tel: +1 707 765-5608

Email: pwerbane@tegal.com

or

The Blueshirt Group

Chris Danne

Tel: +1 415 217-7722

Uppsala University Contact

Stefan Nygren

Director Ångström MSL

Tel:  +46-18-471 3100

Email:  stefan.nygren@angstrom.uu.se

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