TOKYO, JAPAN - Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO, President: Tetsuro Higashi) announced that the company has entered into an agency agreement in Japan with Bede Scientific Instruments Limited (Bede; Head Office: Durham, England; Chief Executive Dr. Neil Loxley). TEL will commence sales and support in October of 2002 of Bede's nondestructive X-ray measurement systems..

In the semiconductor market, with greater miniaturization and higher speeds for the future, development of new materials and processes is proceeding very rapidly, and the need for new evaluation and metrology technologies is growing. Systems that use X-rays are drawing interest because they can perform nondestructive measurements of the film thickness, density, roughness, crystal structure, orientation, and other properties of wafers.

Bede is a leader in the development and manufacture of nondestructive X-ray measurement systems and the two companies believe that these systems, which are compact, fast, and allow a "spot size" measurement range, are capable of fulfilling the requirements of customers in the semiconductor sector. The companies are also certain that, by combining Bede's technical capability with TEL's marketing and service structure, optimal solutions for customers will be provided.

The primary products are as follows:

X-ray diffraction systems Bede FAB200?, FAB300?: Automated measurement systems for use in semiconductor factories involved in mass production Bede QC200?: Measurement system for use in semiconductor factories involved in small-batch

manufacturing Bede D1: Measurement system with advanced features for use in research and development

X-ray topography system BedeScan?: Measurement system for crystal defects in wafers and epitaxial-growth films

"By entering into this agreement with TEL, a firm that commands unparalleled trust and influence in the Japanese market, Bede is most satisfied that it has gained the best outlet into this market," says Dr. Loxley. "We are certain that this arrangement will be a breakthrough for us."

TEL's plans call for installing evaluation models of the systems in its own facilities by way of introduction before the year is over, followed by marketing activities aimed at domestic customers. TEL expects 2 billion yen in business in these systems in three years' time.