Global Semiconductor Manufacturers Rank Advantest as a 10 BEST Equipment Supplier for 21 Consecutive Years

Annual VLSI Research Customer Satisfaction Survey Highlights Advantest’s Industry-Leading SoC ATE Cost-of-Ownership as Key to Chip Makers’ Success

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857, NYSE: ATE), a leading supplier of semiconductor test equipment to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide, announces that for the 21st consecutive year, users of its test and material handling systems have ranked it among the industry’s 10 BEST large suppliers of chip making equipment in the annual customer satisfaction survey conducted by VLSI Research Inc. Rankings are based on direct customer feedback representing the full spectrum of IC device makers that include Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), Fabless and Outsourced Assembly and Test (OSAT) producers. In the survey, customers rated equipment suppliers across thirteen categories which spanned performance criteria, from cost of ownership to quality of results to field engineering support. In SoC test, Advantest achieved the industry’s highest rating in cost-of-ownership, while in memory test, the company led the industry with the highest rating in the categories of uptime and usable throughput.

The annual survey process also named Advantest to THE BEST Chip Making Supplier lists in focused market segments for both Test and Material Handling.

In addition to the 21st consecutive 10 BEST win this year, Advantest was named to VLSI Research’s 2008 Five Star Suppliers list of the most highly rated chip making equipment suppliers in customer satisfaction. Advantest has earned the coveted five-star distinction every year since the Five Star Award was initiated, and is the only company in the Test and Material Handling Equipment categories to do so.

“Advantest’s fine reputation in the semiconductor industry is attributable to its robust and manufacturing worthy products, emphasis on customer relationships, and sophisticated management, all of which have contributed to its success as a truly global company,” commented G. Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSI Research. “With over 50 years in the electrical measurement and test business, Advantest continues to demonstrate industry and business leadership, providing innovative technical advancements that help to lower the cost of test.”

“Advantest values excellence and sets high standards for products and services,” says R. Keith Lee, president and CEO of Advantest America, Inc. “Our sustained focus on meeting customers’ needs highlights our concern for providing the most reliable test solutions that not only accelerate device time-to-market, but increase profitability. We are gratified to be so highly recognized by the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, and grateful that our customers acknowledge our commitment to engineering the best test solutions and to delivering reliable service and innovative technologies.”

About VLSI Research

VLSI Research Inc is the leading provider of market research and economic analysis on the technical, business, and economic aspects within nanotechnology and related industries. The company is known for its unparalleled accuracy, innovation in market research, and its sharply focused insight into the rapidly changing landscape of the industries covered. Its databases on manufacturing are used throughout the industry, and by government. VLSI Research’s primary databases and reports cover the semiconductor, flat panel display, PV cell and module manufacturing industries, and the market for critical subsystems and components within these and associated high technology industries. VLSI Research was founded in 1976. The company’s website is https://www.vlsiresearch.com

About Advantest

Advantest Corporation is a world-leading automatic test equipment supplier to the semiconductor industry, and a producer of electronic and optoelectronic instruments and systems. A global company, Advantest has long offered total ATE solutions and serves the industry in every component of semiconductor test: tester, handler, mechanical and electrical interfaces, and software. Serving the IDM, fabless and OSAT markets, its SoC and memory testers, and device handlers, are integrated into the most advanced fabrication lines in the world. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its North American subsidiary in 1982. Advantest America, Inc. and Advantest America R&D Center, Inc. are based in Santa Clara, Calif. More information is available at www.advantest.com

SOURCE Advantest Corporation