Advantest Wins New Customer With Installation of V93000 Semiconductor Test System at Shanghai Haier IC in China

TOKYO, JAPAN--(Marketwired - Mar 16, 2015) - Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857) (NYSE: ATE) has received its first order from Shanghai Haier IC, an IC design company in China that develops microcontrollers, embedded memories and radio-frequency (RF) connectivity semiconductors, for a V93000 Smart Scale™ tester in the cost-efficient Dragon configuration with a highly compact A-Class test head, Advantest's smallest. Shanghai Haier IC will use the tester in embedded Flash, RF microcontroller (RF-MCU) and digital probe testing for all of the products on its technology roadmap, most of which rely on embedded Flash memory for applications such as smart grid, smart home, the Internet of Things (IoT), industrial controls and consumer electronics.

"We were looking for a universal platform that could efficiently test our full range of devices while achieving the lowest cost of test and reducing our time to market," said Wang Zhenyu, Operation Director of Shanghai Haier IC. "Advantest's V93000 system has the scalability and flexibility to meet our performance demands while also supporting us in simplifying our supply chain."

"For Smart Meter device testing, our V93000 offers higher multi-site efficiency, faster test times and a lower cost of test than the testers Shanghai Haier IC had used in the past," said Hans-Juergen Wagner, senior vice president of the SoC Business Group at Advantest Corporation. "At the same time, the scalability of the V93000 platform allows them to address the broad test challenges of the IoT market. It's this type of industry-leading performance that has enabled the V93000 to reach record sales in the past year, making it the world's most popular semiconductor test platform."

The modular V93000 platform can be custom-configured to ensure maximum system loading and provide the highest return on investment (ROI) for each user. It features a universal per-pin architecture for highly efficient multi-site testing of digital I/O protocols, non-volatile memories and A/D and D/A converters, making a dedicated analog card obsolete. In addition, the V93000 tester's capabilities can be extended with an entry Port Scale RF configuration, which enables a 40 percent cost-of-test advantage over PXI-based RF solutions.

About Shanghai Haier IC
Shanghai Haier IC is a leading semiconductor/IC company in China focused on developing world-class quality microcontroller (MCU) devices. MCUs provide high reliability and can be used for a dedicated or universal purpose. From its establishment in November 2000, Shanghai Haier IC has created an outstanding local R&D and professional team for product and solution development, marketing, customer support, and production and quality control. In doing so, Shanghai Haier IC has gained a wealth of experience to more quickly access and serve the broader semiconductor market. In just a few years, its ICs have been widely accepted in various market segments including home appliance, industrial control, automotive electronics, and industrial instrumentation. Shanghai Haier IC's rapid growth and market penetration has helped the company become a leading supplier of China's general MCUs.

About Advantest Corporation
A world-class technology company, Advantest is the leading producer of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the semiconductor industry and a premier manufacturer of measuring instruments used in the design and production of electronic instruments and systems. Its leading-edge systems and products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. The company also focuses on R&D for emerging markets that benefit from advancements in nanotech and terahertz technologies, and has introduced multi-vision metrology scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing, as well as groundbreaking 3D imaging and analysis tools. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its first subsidiary in 1982, in the USA, and now has subsidiaries worldwide. More information is available at www.advantest.com.