Press Releases

NOVELLUS SYSTEMS, INC. RECEIVES INTEL’S PREFERRED QUALITY SUPPLIER AWARD SAN JOSE, Calif., March 21, 2002—Novellus Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVLS) was named a recipient of Intel Corporation’s 2001 Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) award for outstanding performance in providing products and services deemed essential to Intel’s success. The company was awarded for its efforts in supplying Intel with thin film deposition equipment. Novellus and 24 additional PQS award winners were honored last week at a celebration in Burlingame, Calif.

“Congratulations to Novellus Systems, Inc. for winning Intel’s Preferred Quality Supplier Award for 2001,” said Bob Bruck, Intel’s director of Fab Capital Equipment Development. “Intel is pleased to recognize Novellus again for their continued excellence in delivering world class capability, cost and factory support. Novellus has significantly contributed to enabling Intel’s new technology capability and rapid manufacturing ramps. We look forward to continued success together in the future.”

“Novellus is pleased to be recognized once again by Intel as a recipient of the Preferred Quality Supplier award,” said Richard S. Hill, chairman of the board and CEO of Novellus Systems. “Intel sets high standards which our people strive to exceed with all our products and services each and every day. I am proud of our Novellus employees and their ongoing commitment to quality and safety.”

The PQS awards are part of Intel’s Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) process that encourages suppliers to strive for excellence and continuous improvement. To qualify for PQS status, suppliers must score high on a report card that assesses performance and ability to meet cost, quality, availability, technology and responsiveness goals. Suppliers must also manage and deliver on a challenging improvement plan and a quality systems assessment.

Intel recognized PQS award winners last week with an advertisement in the U.S., European and Asian editions of The Wall Street Journal.

Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom

About Novellus Systems

Novellus Systems, Inc., an S&P 500 company, manufactures, markets and services advanced deposition and surface preparation for today’s advanced integrated circuits. The company’s products are designed for high-volume production of advanced, leading-edge semiconductor devices at the lowest possible cost. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with subsidiaries throughout the United States as well as in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Israel, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, Novellus is a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq stock exchange (Nasdaq:NVLS). Additional information about the company is available on Novellus’ home page at www.novellus.com

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