Soitec receives World Class Supplier Award from Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
PEABODY, Mass. - August 18 2003 - Soitec, the leading manufacturer of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers for use in semiconductor manufacturing, today announced that it has received a World Class Supplier Spotlight Award from Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE: AMD) in recognition of its overall SOI support and commitment to AMD. Soitec was awarded the honor due to its flexibility and superior customer service provided in a rapidly changing business environment, which enabled AMD to achieve its manufacturing objectives quickly and effectively. Soitec provides AMD with volume quantities of advanced thin-film UNIBOND™ SOI substrate solutions for the production of the AMD Opteron™ and upcoming AMD Athlon™ 64 processor products. “At AMD, we strive for excellence in manufacturing and partner with premier suppliers to help ensure our operations are best-in-class. We have been working closely with Soitec since 1997, during which time the company has been instrumental in helping us to meet our business objectives by consistently delivering quality products on demand,” said Alex Brown, AMD’s vice president of corporate supply management. “We are very pleased to acknowledge Soitec with this award in recognition of their ability to deliver innovative SOI technology and unparalleled customer support—even during such a difficult year for our industry.” “Being recognized by this industry leader for delivering top-quality products and superior support validates our position as the leading technology provider and partner-of-choice for SOI-based solutions,” said Soitec President, André Auberton-Hervé. “We are extremely honored to receive this award as it further demonstrates our commitment to go above and beyond to satisfy the needs of our customers.” Anticipating the needs of the market is one of the premier qualities that have made Soitec the industry leader in SOI. For example, the company’s first production site, Bernin I, which has been in operation since 1998, recently reached full capacity—making it the world’s largest SOI industrial production plant. The company has since opened Bernin II, its new 200- and 300-mm manufacturing facility. Built to respond to exponentially growing demand, this factory will raise Soitec’s annual capacity to more than 2 million, 200-mm equivalent UNIBOND SOI wafers when fully equipped. With an exceptional ability to customize its SOI solutions according to what is needed in the market, Soitec delivers both the volumes and the quality of Smart Cut-enabled products its customers demand. About Soitec Soitec is the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of SOI wafers, with greater than 80-percent market share. Headquartered in Bernin, France, Soitec provides a broad range of advanced thin-film substrates for IC manufacturing, including bonded SOI (UNIBOND™) and silicon-on-quartz (SOQ) wafers—all of which are manufactured using Soitec’s proprietary Smart Cut™ process. Soitec is traded on the French “Nouveau Marché” of Euronext Paris (Sicovam code 7206). Smart Cut and UNIBOND are trademarks of S.O.I.TEC Silicon On Insulator Technologies. AMD, AMD Opteron and AMD Athlon, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.