!!! Press Release !!!

Epistar fuels Production Growth with further
Large Scale AIXTRON Multiwafer Systems

Aachen / Hsin-Chu, Taiwan, March 5th, 2003 – AIXTRON announces a further multiple order from Epistar for two AIX 2600G3 HT Multiwafer Mass Production Reactors for Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy. Epistar is a leading manufacturer of Ultra-High-Brightness LEDs for applications such as cellular phones and automotive lighting, full color screens and displays, traffic signals and indicators for electronic equipment. Epistar’s high speed LEDs are also used as lighting sources in the fiber-optics industry. The systems will be located in Epistar’s fab facility located in the renowned Science Based industrial Park in Hsin-Chu, Taiwan.

Dr Ming-Jiunn Jou, Executive Vice President of Epistar comments "The quick qualification and excellent performance of our existing AIXTRON 24x2" reactors in production prove that it was a right decision to choose AIXTRON GaN mass production technology. With these additional two tools we will be able to ramp-up our production capacity quickly and in a most cost-efficient way. We welcome this fruitful partnership between Epistar and AIXTRON."

Dr. Bernd Schulte, Executive Vice President, COO of Compound Semiconductor adds: "Epistar is right on target with their strategy to invest in our leading-edge technology. Multiple orders for AIXTRON’s high performance production tool are convincing proof from the epi industry that AIXTRON pushes the performance of its customers in a most successful way. The strong combination of AIXTRON’s advanced technology with synergies of expertise on both sides working together, means Epistar will continue to enjoy in the future, highest returns on their investment."

The AIX 2600G3 HT reactor, with its capacity for 24x2" wafers, represents the largest and most successful high temperature Reactor for GaN-based materials available worldwide. The two-flow horizontal Planetary Reactor® is recognized 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 AIXTRON's patented Gas Foil Rotation®.

AIXTRON is, as verified by VLSI Research Inc., the world leading supplier of equipment for semiconductor epitaxy. 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 fiber 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. AIXTRON AG (FSE: AIX ISIN DE0005066203) is listed in the Prime Standard of the German stock exchange (Deutsche Börse AG) and is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and the MSCI World Index.

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© AIXTRON AG, March 5, 2003

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