Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences Gives Luxtron Favorable Ruling on Ripple Technique Patent Claims; Administrative Patent Judge Confirms Luxtron as Developer of Non-Contact In-Situ Wafer Temperature Measurement Technique, Rejects Texas Instruments' Claim

Business Wire, Feb 12, 1997

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 1997--Luxtron Corporation announced today that the U.S. Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences ruled in its favor on the action (Patent Interference No. 103,474) it brought for determination of the ownership of the invention of the non-contact wafer temperature method widely known as the "Ripple Technique."

The action resulted from Texas Instruments' claim of ownership of this method.

The ripple technique is used in single-wafer processing, to measure both temperature and emissivity of filmed wafers. It has been successfully applied in a number of single-wafer processing tools, including AG Associates' RTP tools. This in-situ pyrometric method uses the background light flicker -- or ripple -- to carry out its measurements.

"It is Luxtron's ongoing policy to protect our intellectual property," stated Bob Goodman, president and CEO of Luxtron. "We are naturally gratified by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences' decision, and intend to actively continue this policy."

Luxtron has so far been granted five ripple technique patents, (U.S. No. 5,154,512, October 13, 1992; U.S. No. 5,166,080, November 24, 1992; U.S. No. 5,310,260, May 10, 1994; U.S. No. 5,318,362, June 7, 1994; and U.S. No. 5,460,728, February 13, 1996). It soon expects to be granted a sixth one.

Luxtron Corporation, founded in 1978 with headquarters and ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facilities located in Santa Clara, Calif., develops, manufactures and markets unique sensors and instrumentation, based on optical and heat flow technologies, for a wide range of industrial, medical, semiconductor, and R&D applications. Luxtron is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fairey Group. Luxtron has four product lines including:

-- Luxtron brand fiberoptic temperature sensors and instruments using patented Fluoroptic(R) sensors, intrinsically safe and immune to EM interference (-200 C to 450 C).

-- Accufiber brand sapphire/fiberoptic sensors and instruments used for non-contact wafer and furnace temperature measurements based on the Plank equation and light emission technology ( 100 C to 4000 C).

-- Xinix brand semiconductor and LCD panel process controllers using non-contacting optical sensors in plasma (dry) etch, wet etch, resist develop and CMP processing equipment to determine precisely when a process or step is completed.

-- Transmet brand non-contact temperature systems, applied to moving objects in industrial processes such as wire and optical fiber production ( 10 C to 300 C).

You can visit the Luxtron Web site at http://www.luxtron.com .

CONTACT: Luxtron Corporation

Bob Goodman, 408/727-1600

or

The Benjamin Group Inc.

Alex Braun, 408/559-6090