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Mercury Computer Systems Ships RapidIO-Based System to Micronic Laser Systems

Posted on: Wednesday, 24 March 2004, 06:00 CST

CHELMSFORD, Mass., March 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. today announced it has shipped the ImpactRT(TM) 3100 RapidIO(R)-based system to Micronic Laser Systems AB for use in the Swedish firm's laser pattern generation equipment for flat panel displays. Mercury delivered the initial development system this month and additional orders for production systems are anticipated.

Introduced in 2003, the ImpactRT 3100 is the first commercial signal and image processing system to use the embedded RapidIO switch fabric. RapidIO technology improves system performance by greatly increasing the speed at which data is transferred between boards and processors.

Micronic's laser pattern generation equipment employs multiple exposure laser beams to create photomasks -- design templates used to manufacture semiconductor wafers and flat panel displays. Micronic will use the ImpactRT 3100 in its latest generation of flat panel display manufacturing equipment -- the LRS15000 product family. With the increased bandwidth from the ImpactRT 3100, the LRS15000 is capable of handling the increased data volumes of the latest generation of thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) display photomasks.

"The increasing demand for large-area, flat panel display televisions is fueling the need for advanced photomask generators," said Ulf Sundstrom, senior vice president, Corporate Sales, Micronic Laser Systems. "Mercury's high-performance RapidIO-based system plays a major role in handling the very large data volumes required for state-of-the-art photomasks, providing Micronic with a competitive advantage in our markets. Mercury's system offers us a flexible processing solution that allows us to scale the performance to meet future application demands."

"With Micronic's purchase of the ImpactRT 3100, RapidIO gains more traction as the open-standard switch fabric of the future," said Mark Skalabrin, vice president and general manager of Mercury Computer Systems' OEM Solutions Group. "By leveraging Mercury's leading position in RapidIO solutions, Micronic is able to offer its customers higher-performance and more cost-effective pattern generation systems."

Micronic's LRS15000 is an advanced pattern generator with high resolution designed for both conventional TFT-LCDs and gray tone masks. The LRS15000 system uses multiple exposure laser beams, rather than a single exposure beam, for increased throughput at a high resolution. The ImpactRT 3100, which combines PowerPC(TM) microprocessors with AltiVec(TM) technology and the RapidIO communications switch fabric, enables scalable, real-time data paths for writing of very dense patterns with no waiting time.

The LRS15000-TFT2 features a new, larger stage capable of writing photomasks as large as 1300 x 1500 mm, more than sufficient for generation 7 TFT-liquid crystal display photomasks. Other key specifications include minimum 1.5 micron lines and spaces, registration of 350 nm and CD uniformity of 100 nm.

About Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. is the leading supplier of high-performance embedded, real-time digital signal and image processing computer systems. Mercury's products play a critical role in a wide range of applications, transforming sensor data to information for analysis and interpretation. In military reconnaissance and surveillance platforms the company's systems process real-time radar, sonar, and signals intelligence data. Mercury's systems are also used in state-of-the-art medical diagnostic imaging devices including MRI, PET, and digital X-ray, and in semiconductor imaging applications including photomask generation and wafer inspection.

Based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Mercury serves customers in North America, Europe and Asia through its direct sales force and a network of subsidiaries and distributors. Visit Mercury on the web: http://www.mc.com/.

About Micronic Laser Systems AB

Micronic Laser Systems is a Swedish high-tech company engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of a series of extremely accurate laser pattern generators for the production of photomasks. The technology involved is known as microlithography. Micronic's product offering also includes metrology systems for display photomasks. Micronic's systems are used by the world's leading electronics companies in the manufacture of television and computer displays, semiconductor circuits and semiconductor packaging components. Micronic is located in Taby, north of Stockholm and at present has subsidiaries in the United States, Japan and Taiwan. Micronic maintains a web site at: http://www.micronic.se/

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the delivery of ImpactRT 3100 systems to Micronic. You can identify these statements by our use of the words "may,""will,""should,""plans,""expects,""anticipates,""continue,""estimate,""project,""intend," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geo-political unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, continued funding of defense programs and the timing of such funding, market acceptance of the Company's products, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, and as a U.S. Government contractor, the effect of procurement rules and regulations and the possible imposition of fines and penalties or the termination of the Company's contracts if the Company were to violate specific laws or regulations. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Company's recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made.

Contacts:

Leigh McLeod Tom Yates

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. Coltrin & Associates

978-967-1120 212-221-1616

Luz Rodriguez Ulf Sundstrom

Loomis Group Micronic Laser Systems

+ 33 1 58 18 59 30 + 46 8 638 52 00

ImpactRT is a trademark of Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. RapidIO is a registered trademark of the RapidIO Trade Association. Product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030930/MERCURYCSLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 212-782-2840

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.

CONTACT: Leigh McLeod of Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.,+1-978-967-1120; Tom Yates of Coltrin & Associates, +1-212-221-1616; LuzRodriguez of Loomis Group, +33 1 58 18 59 30; or Ulf Sundstrom of MicronicLaser Systems, +46 8 638 52 00

Web site: http://www.mc.com/http://www.micronic.se/

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