Release from VSEA TODAY! Note the bolded area:
Varian Semiconductor Equipment Reviews Strategic and Technology Leadership Initiatives for Continued Growth
Strong Demand Continues to Drive Revenue and Earnings Growth
GLOUCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2000--At the company's second annual meeting for securities analysts and investors, Richard A. Aurelio, president and chief executive of Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSEA - news), led presentations that highlighted VSEA's role in developing the technology that produces smaller transistors - the switches that are at the heart of all semiconductor designs - allowing microprocessors to run faster and memory to be more cost effective.
Aurelio, joined by senior management from research and development, sales, marketing, manufacturing and customer service, briefed an audience of over 50 key investment community leaders who traveled to the company's Gloucester headquarters.
``With our tools in virtually every fab in the world and a six-month lead time for new tool delivery, we continue to see strong customer demand driven by both technology and capacity requirements,'' Aurelio remarked.
``We believe that this cycle is still in its early stages and, as the price of computing power continues to fall, the demand for chips continues to grow rapidly. When measured by the worldwide number of transistors per capita, the Semiconductor Industry Association forecasts exponential growth in annual demand from 50 million to over 1 billion transistors per person over the next seven years,'' he added.
``This growth in the need for semiconductor chips has only begun to drive demand for Varian Semiconductor's products,'' Aurelio noted. ``Advances that Varian Semiconductor has made, and is making, in capital equipment and services allow semiconductor manufacturers to deliver their smaller, faster and more feature-packed semiconductor chips at a progressively lower cost.''
Key points from the business and technology presentations included:
VIISta - Varian Semiconductor's differentiating technology - A single-wafer technology platform, which is both 200mm and 300mm compatible, offering customers significant advantages in faster throughputs, incident angle control and superior particulate and metals control at all energy levels.
VIISta 10 P2LAD - A proprietary approach to pulsed plasma doping that is a breakthrough in the technology roadmap, opening the door to sub-100 nanometer production.
Kestrel II - A high energy implanter that provides very practical and cost-effective MeV production solutions for customers through faster set up time and more reliable performance.
Varian Control System - A proprietary software architecture that provides breakthrough capabilities in controlling tool performance, complete wafer auditing and electronic diagnosis.
vCare - A complete electronic customer care package combining the latest technologies for remote diagnostics, remote monitoring, remote service management and customer e-commerce.
Financial outlook -Expectation for further operating leverage from revenue growth and profitability resulting from technology leadership, market leadership and customer satisfaction leadership.
Information presented during today's briefing will be available at Varian Semiconductor's website, www.vsea.com. Click on the ``investor relations'' page.
About Varian Semiconductor:
Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. is an industry leader in designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing ion implantation systems, semiconductor processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. Through the process and productivity advantages of single wafer technology, VSEA is providing chipmakers with high throughput, low cost and maximum yields. The company is based in Gloucester, Massachusetts and maintains offices around the world. Its stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol ``VSEA.'' Additional information and background is available on VSEA's website www.vsea.com.
Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, the statements concerning the industry outlook, the company's sales growth, market share, capacity utilization and technological improvements and benefits, and any statements using the terms ``believes,'' ``anticipates,'' ``expects,'' ``plans'' or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the short operating history for the company as a separate entity; volatility in the semiconductor equipment industry; significant fluctuations in the company's quarterly operating results; risks associated with the company's transition to a new information technology infrastructure; the impact of rapid technological change and the company's dependence on the development and introduction of new products; the company's concentration on ion implantation systems and related products; concentration in the company's customer base and lengthy sales cycles; the highly competitive market in which the company competes; risks of international sales; foreign currency risks; uncertain protection of patent and other proprietary rights; potential environmental liabilities; the company's reliance on a limited group of suppliers; the ability of the company's suppliers to respond to increased demand for parts; the company's dependence on certain key personnel; as well as other risk factors described from time to time in the company's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company cannot guarantee any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievement. The company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release. |
