Atmel Selects Credence's Quartet as Its Worldwide Next-Generation SoC Test Platform

FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Credence Systems Corporation (Nasdaq: CMOS - news), a leading provider of design-to-production test solutions for the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced that Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML - news) a worldwide leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of advanced semiconductors, has selected the Quartet(TM) system to test devices in the high-performance multimedia communications market, including baseband cellular ICs and video decoders.

Atmel selected the Quartet because it provides the best overall solution for design characterization and production test of complex mixed-signal SoC devices. Moving forward, Atmel will introduce the Quartet test platform at all locations, leveraging their engineering expertise by standardizing on a single test platform. Atmel will now be prepared to increase capacity and operate more efficiently, bringing devices to market faster at a lower cost-of-test.

"In seeking the most productive, technically innovative solutions to our global test challenges, we selected Credence's Quartet for the design verification of our advanced mixed-signal SoC devices, as well as for production wafer test in France," said Bernard Pruniaux, chief executive officer of Atmel Rousset. "By selecting the Quartet, we are facilitating a simplified and lower cost operation with our Asian subcontractors who have a large installed base of Credence testers. In addition, Credence is the best ATE supplier who can provide a high level of service and technical support worldwide, which is required by Atmel for our worldwide unification strategy."

"We are delighted to partner with Atmel, a worldwide leading integrated device manufacturer (IDM) with a large, diversified, SoC product portfolio," said George DeGeer, general manager of Credence's Consumer Mixed-Signal (CMS) Division. "Many semiconductor manufacturers are realizing the true benefits of a unified test strategy. With our expanding design-to-test portfolio, customers such as Atmel will be able to gain unique economic and technical advantages that will enable them to bring their devices to market faster, while also reducing their cost-of-test."

About the Quartet Series

Credence's Quartet Series combines a high-performance digital subsystem with industry-leading audio and video instruments to seamlessly test consumer mixed-signal (CMS) devices and provides a definitive solution for high volume testing needs. Providing the lowest per-pin cost-of-test for systems in its class, the Quartet offers 100/200 MHz performance with +/- 175 psec EPA accuracy and supports various analog instrument options. New feature options include an innovative capture processor instrument, faster and deeper SCAN option, a new UltraSPARC server running the latest Sun Unix operating system, and new analog instruments for testing high-speed Ethernet and PRML devices.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain statements that are forward-looking and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from the future performance suggested in this release. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions, economic and currency instability in the Asia Pacific region, fluctuation in customer demand, timing and volume of orders and shipments, competition and pricing pressures, reliability and quality issues, the Company's ability to complete the development of its new products, product mix, overhead absorption, cyclicality and downturns in the semiconductor industry, continued dependence on "turns" orders to achieve revenue objectives, the timing of new technology, product introductions, the risk of early obsolescence and the Company's ability to control expenses (including the ability to identify and successfully institute additional cost-saving measures). Further, the Company operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond the Company's control. Reference is made to the discussion of risk factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q. Any projections in this release are based on limited information currently available to the Company, which is subject to change. Although any such projections and the factors influencing them will likely change, the Company will not necessarily update the information, since the Company is only to provide guidance at certain points during the year. Actual events or results could differ materially and no reader of this release should assume later in the quarter that the information provided today is still valid. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release.

About Atmel

Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, California with manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. Atmel designs, manufactures and markets worldwide, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading provider of system-level integration semiconductor solutions using CMOS, BiCMOS, bipolar SiGe, and high-voltage BCDMOS process technologies.

About Credence

Credence Systems Corporation is changing the future of semiconductor production by integrating test solutions throughout the design, validation and production processes. A leader in the manufacture of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the global semiconductor industry, Credence and its subsidiaries also provide design and test validation solutions that enable faster time-to-market with lower total cost-of-test. Headquartered in Fremont, California, the company is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer and maintains advanced production and design facilities in Hillsboro, Oregon. More information is available at http://www.credence.com.

NOTE: Credence is a registered trademark, and Credence Systems and Quartet are trademarks, of Credence Systems Corporation. Other trademarks that may be mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Judy Dale, Director, Marketing Communications of Credence Systems Corporation, +1-510-492-3118, or fax, +1-510-623-2524, or judy_dale@credence.com; or Patricia MacLeod, Sr. Account Executive, Public Relations of e21 Corporation, +1-510-226-6780, ext. 205, or fax, +1-510-226-9902, or patricia_macleod@e21corp.com, for Credence Systems Corporation.