MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC BOOSTS PRODUCTION OF DVD LASER DEVICES ON AIXTRON AIX 2400/2600G3 SYSTEMS

!!! Press Release !!!

Mitsubishi Electric boosts Production of DVD Laser Devices on AIXTRON AIX 2400/2600G3 Systems

Aachen/Itami, 8 April, 2003 – Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has started mass-production of high-power lasers for DVD applications on AIXTRON AIX 2400/2600G3 Planetary Reactor Systems. The red semiconductor laser has an output power of 100mW and 140mW at a wavelength of 650nm and is compatible with both write-once DVD-R and DVD+R formats. Mitsubishi Electric now produces about 1 million units per month and plans to double its production within the next months following the strong market demand for these devices. Furthermore, a red laser with an output power of 200mW suitable for writing onto DVDs at a speed of 16x has been developed. Shipments of this new laser are planned to start in 2004.

Shigeji Kinoshita, Manager of the Wafer Manufacturing Department states: "The Planetary Reactor offers the most convincing solution to the strict requirements with respect to layer quality and system up-time for high-volume production. The deposition uniformity and the reproducibility of the system meets our precise production requests. Furthermore, we are very satisfied with the superior quality of the customer support and service which has been provided by AIXTRON."

Mitsubishi Electric is a leading manufacturer of optoelectronic devices produced with Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) and continues to focus on maintaining its world leading market position and advanced level of technology. Their commitment to expanding their compound semiconductor business has been underlined by the successful installment of several AIXTRON systems.

AIXTRON’s customized MOCVD systems are the key technology enabling development and manufacture of compound semiconductors and many other multi-component materials. The many advantages of the AIXTRON Planetary Reactors include user-friendly operation, excellent process stability as well as very high precursor efficiencies and world best uniformities. Together with excellent reliability and high throughput, all these properties lead to a valuable device yield and a high uptime.

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 and Tec_DAX of the German Stock Exchange (Deutsche Börse) and 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