ISSAQUAH, Wash. and LIVERMORE, Calif. - December 5, 2001 - Applied Precision now offers a PrecisionPoint^TM VX₂ Probe Card Analyzer upgrade for FormFactor probe cards, jointly developed and tested with FormFactor. Companies engaged in wafer-level test with high pin count, high precision probe cards like FormFactor's WaferProbe^TM PH-Series can now order the PrecisionPoint VX₂ or the VX₂ Extension with a software and hardware upgrade. The upgrade reduces total test time by as much as 40 percent and reduces the chance of arcing damage to the probe card, protecting customers' existing investments in probing equipment.

Developing the PrecisionPoint VX₂ upgrade was part of Applied Precision's continued efforts to work closely with industry leaders to improve efficiency in the back end probe card test process. Applied Precision's Semiconductor Product Line Manager Bob Heiligenberg comments, "This upgrade will help customers using FormFactor products for advanced memory, FLASH, and ASIC applications protect their investment and dramatically reduce total test times. In today's market environment, productivity improvements are critical to our customer's bottom line." The upgrade is ideal for testing probe cards with high capacitor values and probe tips less than 1 mil in diameter.

Mark Brandemuehl, vice president of marketing at FormFactor, explains FormFactor's involvement in developing the PrecisionPoint VX₂ upgrade: "FormFactor relies on Applied Precision's probe card analyzer to guarantee the quality of our PH-series probe cards, including the recently introduced PH-100 series. Joint development efforts with Applied Precision enable us to guarantee to our customers that FormFactor's industry leading probe cards provide the highest standards in quality and performance."

FormFactor's WaferProbe PH-Series probe cards offer the fewest touchdowns at probe, ensuring high throughput; excellent electrical fidelity, enhancing manufacturing yield; and the high reliability of FormFactor cards.

About FormFactor, Inc.

FormFactor, Inc., creator of the MicroSpring interconnect element, is the world's leading supplier of integrated semiconductor wafer-level test and packaging technologies and test consumable products. With over 300 U.S. and foreign key technology patents issued or pending, the MicroSpring contact was recently selected for the R&D 100 Award by R&D Magazine, recognizing the most technologically significant new products in the world. FormFactor also was named in 2000 by Red Herring magazine as "One of the 100 Most Important Companies in the World." The MicroSpring contact technology was inducted into the Smithsonian Museum's Year 2000 permanent collection. Privately held FormFactor is headquartered in Livermore, California. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.formfactor.com.

About Applied Precision, Inc.

Applied Precision is the leading provider of measurement, analysis and process-control systems for semiconductor test, assembly and packaging, as well as for life sciences imaging and analysis (especially cell microscopy, genomics and proteomics). Applied Precision's specialized systems are based on precisionware^TM, the company's unique convergence of mechanics, electronics, optics and software, which has enabled advancements in the world's core technologies since the company's inception in 1985. Applied Precision (www.appliedprecision.com) can be reached in the United States at (425) 557-1000 or in the United Kingdom at +44 1672 518350.

Contacts:

For Applied Precision
BRW LeGrand
Lisa Miller
Tel: 303.298.8470
E-mail: lmiller@brwlegrand.com

Applied Precision, Inc.
Bob Heiligenberg
Product Line Manager, Semiconductor Solutions
Tel: 425.557.1000
Email: bheiligenberg@api.com

FormFactor
Rick Gaan
Tel: 925.456.3898
Email: rgaan@formfactor.com