San Jose, CA - March 18, 2002 -- Olympus Corporation announces the launch of Olympus's MEMS (Micro-electromechanical Systems) Foundry Services. MEMS Foundry Services brings together Olympus' MEMS-engineered designs, prototypes, and ten years of accumulated MEMS-related technology assets and production facilities to further advances and developments in micro-fabrication and micro-assembly technology. In making the announcement, Olympus Corporation president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa stated, "With the new MEMS Foundry Services, Olympus aims to strengthen the competitiveness of its products for users and to contribute to the development of a new industry."

For the U.S. market, MEMS Foundry Services is being technically project managed by Olympus Partnership Development Group, located in San Jose, CA. Services include design engineering, prototyping, and small lot production contracting services. Companies can have access to precision and advanced equipment and test capabilities such as 1D and 2D MEMS mirror devices, atomic force microscope probe tips and cantilevers, image sensors, photo sensors, BiCMOS, optical scanners, active-bending microcatheters, diagnostic tactile sensors, free-flow modules, and protein power measurement. This resource will provide Olympus Partnership Development Group with high value-added key components that their partner companies can access for the development of their new technologies and products.

"The Olympus Partnership Group was formed to leverage Olympus' expertise in optical and micro-precision technologies to power advancement of new products through alliances with partner companies," explained Olympus PDG Vice President Lawrence Wang. "The Partnership Group also leverages the business and financial resources of Olympus in such areas as distribution, sales and marketing, and investment. MEMS Foundry Services greatly expands the depth and breadth of the capabilities and services we can offer."

Olympus has a long history involving MEMS technology. Its Semiconductor Technology Center, established in 1982, led to the origin of the company's involvement in 1989 with MEMS, when Olympus began engaging in the development of atomic force microscope cantilevers. Over the years, Olympus has pursued optical-MEMS development of other devices such as image sensors, photo sensors, BiCMOS and optical scanners. In addition, Olympus participated in the decade-long Micromachine Project, which began in 1991 and concluded in the spring of 2001. This project involved the development of technology used for creating micromachines that can perform diagnostics, inspections, and make repairs in the tiny spaces inside humans and machines. Some of the results of this project include small-diameter, active-bending microcatheters tipped with multiple silicon piezoelectric MEMS pressure sensors, and diagnostic tactile sensors. In recent years, Olympus has developed both preprocessing free-flow modules for separating DNA and protein as microfluidics and a probe that can be used to measure protein power by application of the aforementioned atomic force microscope cantilevers to biotechnology.

Olympus is a member of the Micro/Nanofabrication Technology Foundry Network System Concept Fact-Finding Committee made up of nine universities and laboratories and thirteen corporations. Olympus is dedicated to advancing the international competitive strength of MEMS technology.