DPMI press release...................
ROUND ROCK, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 1997--DuPont
Photomasks Inc. (NASDAQ: DPMI), more commonly referred to as DPI,
today announced an investment of over $18 million in capital
equipment as part of an aggressive expansion program to accommodate
international customer demand for photomasks.
A CORE(R) 2564 writing tool with the PSM Alignment Option
enabling the creation of multilevel, aligned phase shift masks is
being installed on a new production line at DPI's facility in Ichon,
Korea. In the United States, DPI's facility in Kokomo, Ind., is
taking delivery of a MEBES(R) 4500 electron beam pattern generation
system to anchor a new line that will produce leading edge binary
photomasks. Production capacity will also expand in Europe, where
DPI's Hamburg, Germany, facility will receive a CORE 2500 writing
tool that was formerly installed in the Ichon plant.
"DuPont Photomasks has moved quickly to make these global
capital improvements in response to customer demand for leading edge
products," said J. Michael Hardinger, chairman and chief executive
officer of DPI. "DPI has the accumulated experience and internal
financial resources to respond to rapidly changing market
requirements on a global scale."
Photomasks are critical components in the semiconductor
manufacturing process that are used to pattern precision microscopic
images of integrated circuits onto silicon wafers. The task of
generating a photomask that will enable the manufacture of a
semiconductor device varies in difficulty with the device's design
complexity and feature sizes. For example, advanced DRAM devices
now entering production utilize 0.25 micron design rules and
frequently require photomasks employing sophisticated phase shift
technology to deliver the necessary degree of precision for
successful manufacture.
"The CORE 2564's phase shift mask production capabilities are
required to support Korean DRAM and advanced logic fabrication,"
said Cheoroo Won, vice president of Asia/Pacific operations. "As
the market share leader in the Asian market outside of Japan, DPI
remains committed to making the required investments to provide the
level of service our customers need."
"The MEBES 4500 is the industry's most advanced electron beam
generation system and will be used to satisfy strong customer
demand for leading edge photomasks," observed Art Launder, executive
vice president of North American photomask operations. "The new
system will ensure that we can adequately address the increasing
need for photomasks to support the manufacture of semiconductor
devices with 0.25 micron design rules."
DPI's Kokomo plant is primarily engaged in the production of
photomasks to enable the manufacture of field programmable gate
arrays, standard cell ASICs, and digital signal processors that
typically employ 0.25 micron design rules.
"A large part of our Hamburg production facility's business
consists of generating photomasks to support the manufacture of
ASICs for use in consumer and telecommunications products," noted
Gerard Cognie, executive vice president of European operations.
"The re-deployment of the more mature CORE 2500 tool from Ichon is a
very efficient way of addressing increased demand at the Hamburg
facility for the photomasks needed to produce 0.35 micron devices.
The new writing tool will increase plant capacity by roughly 25%,
helping us to continue to build on our position as the merchant
photomask market leader in Europe."
DuPont Photomasks Inc. (DPI)
DuPont Photomasks Inc. is the world's leading supplier of
photomasks, operating globally from nine strategically located
facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. The company produces
and supplies photomasks as well as photoblanks (photomask
substrates) and pellicles (protective covers for photomasks). DPI
is headquartered in Round Rock, and had worldwide sales in fiscal
1997 of over $260 million.
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Note: This release includes forward-looking statements based on
management's current plans and expectations. Such statements
involve risks and uncertainties which cannot be predicted or
quantified and which may cause future activities and results of
operations to differ from those suggested. For additional
information, please refer to the company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT:
DPI Investor Relations
Dianne Schedler
512/310-6559
or
Edelman Worldwide
Barbara Holtz/John Satterfield
415/968-4033 |
