EPITECH CONTRACTS TWO AIXTRON PLANETARY REACTORS® FOR MASS PRODUCTION OF ALGAINP UHB LEDS

!!! Press Release !!!

EPITECH CONTRACTS TWO AIXTRON PLANETARY REACTORS® FOR MASS PRODUCTION OF ALGAINP UHB LEDS

Capacity Expansion in view of strong demand for red/yellow LEDs

Aachen/Tainan, Taiwan, 4th September, 2002 - Epitech Technology Corporation, a young compound semiconductor Epi house established in May 2000 based in Tainan, Taiwan, has recently contracted two further AIXTRON MOCVD Production tools for the mass production of LED wafers. Both systems will be used to manufacture AlGaInP UHB LED wafers. Epitech designs, develops, manufactures and markets epitaxial products. The systems will be installed in the Tainan Science based Industrial Park, Taiwan.

Dr. Simon Chen, President of Epitech comments: "Based on my extensive MOCVD experience and due to extremely high market demands, we have decided to extend our production capacities substantially. We are using MOCVD systems from the AIXTRON group for our epitaxial products exclusively and we know that the production tools from the AIXTRON group are producing highest quality material at a high yield, with highly reproducible results, meeting our requirements for top technology." Dr. Bernd Schulte, Executive Vice-President and COO of AIXTRON adds: "The high utilization efficiencies and excellent uniformities ensure that these systems are first choice for the production of high end AlGaInP UHB LEDs. We are proud that Epitech has repeatedly decided to take advantage of AIXTRON's renowned unique MOCVD reactor expertise."

The AIX 2600G3 has a capacity of up to 35x2" wafers. The two-flow horizontal Planetary Reactor® is recognized world-wide as the most widely used multiwafer MOCVD reactor for compound semiconductor applications. The unique reactor concept allows laminar gas flow without turbulence for precise control of the material composition and achievement of ultra-sharp interfaces. Ultra-high uniformity along with high growth efficiency on multiple 2" or 3" wafers is achieved through wafer rotation with the patented Gas Foil Rotation®.

With an installed base of well over 650 systems world-wide, AIXTRON is, as verified by VLSI Research Inc., the world leading supplier of equipment for semiconductor epitaxy and has been rated once more amongst the 2002 10 BEST in its category in the most recent VLSI Customer Satisfaction Survey. Its equipment is used by a diverse range of customers worldwide to manufacture critical, advanced components such as HBTs, PHEMTs, MESFETs, Lasers, LEDs, Detectors and VCSELs used in fibre optic communications systems, wireless and mobile telephony applications, optical storage devices, illumination, signaling and lighting, as well as a range of other leading edge technologies. The company has an extensive service and support network in over 15 countries. AIXTRON's many customers include Agere, Alcatel, Anritsu, Arima, ATMI, Avalon, AXT, Epistar, Epson, FOREPI, Honeywell, Infineon, IQE, IQE Silicon Compounds, Highlink, ITT, JDS-Uniphase, Kopin, LumiLeds, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Nortel, Optospeed, Osram, Procomp, Samsung, SEC, Showa Denko, Siemens, ST Microelectronics, Sumitomo, Tekcore, Thales, UEC, VPEC as well as numerous Japanese corporations. Many systems have also been installed in the most renowned research institutes worldwide, including CNRS, Fraunhofer Institute, ITRI-OES, JPL, Meijo University, NDL Taiwan, Research Center Jülich, RIKEN, Sandia Nat Lab, Tsinghua University and the University of Tokyo. AIXTRON is very active in advancing MOCVD technology through collaborations and joint R&D projects with major partners worldwide. AIXTRON AG (FSE: AIX ISIN DE0005066203) is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and the MSCI World Index.

For further information please contact:

Dr. Claus Ehrenbeck
Head of Investor Relations and
Corporate Communications
AIXTRON AG
Kackertstr. 15 - 17
D-52072 Aachen, Germany
Phone:+49 241 8909 444
Fax: +49 241 8909 445
E-mail: invest@aixtron.com