Newport Corp Invests in NEXX Systems

IRVINE, Calif., April 21 -- Newport Corp. announced today that it has invested $3.5 million to acquire 19.9 percent of NEXX Systems Inc., a manufacturer of flip chip processing equipment for back-end semiconductor manufacturing, based in Wilmington, Mass.

Newport acquired a combination of common and preferred stock in the transaction and received other rights, including a seat on the company's board of directors. As part of the transaction, Newport will become the preferred provider to NEXX of certain components and subsystems, such as wafer handling robots and load ports. Newport and NEXX will also collaborate in developing, integrating and marketing their flip chip processing solutions.

Robert G. Deuster, president and CEO of Newport Corp., said, "NEXX provides very innovative and cost-effective platforms focused on several of the process steps in flip chip packaging, including wafer metallization, electroplating, photoresist deposition and stripping and related technologies." He said NEXX "is an excellent complementary fit" with Micro Robotics Systems Inc. (MRSI), which Newport acquired in February 2002. MRSI provides high-precision, fully automated die attach, bonding and underfill systems for flip chip and wafer level semiconductor packaging applications.

For more information, visit: www.newport.com