BILTHOVEN, The Netherlands, April 12, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- ASM International N.V. (Nasdaq:ASMI) (Euronext Stock Exchange in Amsterdam:ASM) today announced that its 54% owned subsidiary, ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd. (Stock Exchange in Hong Kong:0522), received an order for 60 award-winning Eagle gold wire bonders from Amkor Technology for its facilities in Korea. Shipments of the 60 bonders have commenced, and will be completed this month.
In addition to the current order, ASMPT received a Letter of Intent from Amkor to purchase an additional 200 sets of Eagle gold wire bonders in 2002. The Letter of Intent applies to future 2002 shipments to Amkor's worldwide facilities, with most of the equipment intended for its factories in Korea. Amkor indicated it will use the ultra fine pitch Eagle gold wire bonders for both capability and capacity requirements.
Patrick Lam, Managing Director of ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd. (ASMPT), cited the Eagle gold wire bonder's ultra fine pad pitch capability of 35 microns, excellent looping control, portability and off-line programming as some of the reasons for Amkor's selection of the award-winning bonder.
Designed to meet today's demand for higher speed production of more difficult devices, ASMPT's Eagle gold wire bonder was awarded a Semiconductor International magazine Editors' Choice Best Product Award in 2001. In 1998, the Company's predecessor AB 339 gold wire bonder received this award which is given to companies whose products make a difference in semiconductor manufacturing.
About ASM
ASM International N.V. has headquarters in Bilthoven, The Netherlands. ASM International is a global company, servicing one of the most important and demanding industries in the world. The Company possesses a strong technological base, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, a competent and qualified workforce and a highly trained, strategically distributed support network. ASM International's subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International and its subsidiaries provide production solutions for wafer processing, assembly and packaging through their facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM International's common shares trade on Nasdaq (symbol ASMI) and the Euronext Stock Exchange in Amsterdam (symbol ASM). For more information, visit ASM's Web site at http://www.asm.com
ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd., with headquarters in Hong Kong, has operations in Shenzhen China, Singapore and Malaysia. It is a dominant global supplier of a full line of assembly and packaging equipment for the semiconductor industry. It also supplies the Photonics and Optoelectronics markets. With its strong financial strength and R&D resources, ASMPT offers its customers total solutions in process innovation, package development and factory automation. ASMPT is 54% owned by ASM International N.V. ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd. common shares trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the symbol: 0522. For more information, visit ASMPT's Web site at http://www.asmpacific.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: All matters discussed in this statement, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry, currency fluctuations, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, risk factors related to litigation, commercial and economic disruption due to terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability and other risks indicated in filings from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Forms 20-F and Form 6-K as filed.