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April 15, 2003

Media Contacts:
UCSD Jacbos School, Troy Anderson, (858) 822-3075
Cymer, Inc., Meggan Powers, PR Manager, (858) 385-6327

UCSD CONTROL ENGINEER NAMED
FIRST RECIPIENT OF CYMER CHAIR

Robert Bitmead

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Jacobs School of Engineering has named Robert Bitmead as the inaugural holder of the Cymer, Inc. Endowed Chair in High Performance Dynamical Systems Modeling and Control. Cymer, the world's leading supplier of excimer light sources used in semiconductor manufacturing, together with the Jacobs School, announced the establishment of the Cymer-endowed chair in January 2001.

Robert Bitmead has served as a professor of dynamic systems and control in the School’s Mechanical and Aerospace Department since 1999, and is an expert in the design of dynamic feedback control systems. His work includes control of combustion instabilities in jet engines and gas turbine power plants in order to increase efficiency and reduce pollution. Bitmead’s research also focuses on dynamic estimation, and aims at improving performance of cellular phone networks. Prior to joining UCSD, Bitmead spent 16 years at the Department of Systems Engineering at the Australian National University in Canberra where he served as executive director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Robust & Adaptive Systems. He is a fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Cymer was co-founded in 1986 by UCSD alumni Bob Akins, the company’s chairman and CEO, and Rick Sandstrom, senior vice president and CTO. Akins, who chairs the Jacobs School Council of Advisors, said: “Rick and I are very proud to be in a position to give something back to UCSD. The Jacobs School of Engineering is, without question, one of the finest engineering schools in the nation. We believe that this kind of industry support for our universities is critical to their ability to continue to attract high caliber faculty and extremely motivated students. In addition, funding from high technology companies such as Cymer can help further advance enabling, cutting edge technologies that are themselves key to the future of our advanced global economy.” Akins is a member of the Jacobs School Council of Advisors.

Jacobs School of Engineering MAE, Robert Bitmead MAE Cymer Inc.

Sandstrom added: “We hope the research generated by our endowment yields overall advances in this field of study, as well as to the future technologies Cymer can commercialize to enable the semiconductor industry. We also hope that over time, the endowment will encourage more new scientists and engineering from the Jacobs School to join our Cymer team to help us maintain our technology leadership moving forward.”

Cymer is also a member of the Jacobs School Corporate Affiliates Program (CAP), the primary means by which the School cultivates relationships with industry.

“I am truly honored to be the first holder of this chair,” said Bitmead. “Industry support plays a critical role in cultivating groundbreaking theory and experimentation at the university which eventually gets transferred back to society. It’s a win-win for everyone involved and I applaud Cymer’s generosity.”

Endowed chair professorships are one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on senior-level professors. The purpose is to recognize excellence in teaching, research, and service. Income from the endowment can be used at the chairholder’s discretion for student support, equipment, curriculum development and other initiatives. Currently, 20 of the Jacobs School’s 160 faculty members hold endowed chairs.

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About the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering
The UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering is ranked 11th among the top engineering schools in the nation and is the youngest institution among the nation’s best. The School includes 160 faculty and approximately 5,300 students enrolled through five academic departments: Bioengineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Structural Engineering. With $130 million in research support, the Jacobs School ranks second in the nation among engineering schools for research expenditures per faculty member. Bioengineering, communications, networking, information technology, earthquake engineering, materials and nanotechnology, and energy and the environment are among the School’s research strengths. Approximately 150 companies partner with the Jacobs School through its research initiatives and Corporate Affiliates Program. Through its von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology Advancement, the Jacobs School proactively works to facilitate the commercialization of Jacobs School discoveries.

About Cymer
Cymer, Inc. is the world's leading supplier of excimer laser illumination sources, the essential light source for deep ultraviolet (DUV) photolithography systems. DUV lithography is a key enabling technology, which has allowed the semiconductor industry to meet the exacting specifications and manufacturing requirements for volume production of today's advanced semiconductor chips. Further information on Cymer may be obtained from the company's SEC filings, on the Internet at www.cymer.com, or by contacting the company directly.