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NOVELLUS RATED A TOP SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER BY VLSI RESEARCH
2009 Customer Satisfaction Survey Awards Novellus the Highest Ranking In Cost Of Ownership and Customer Commitment
June 25, 2009

San Jose, Calif. - June 25, 2009 - As testimony to the company's ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction, Novellus Systems (NASDAQ: NVLS) announced today that it has been recognized by VLSI Research as the best supplier of thin film deposition equipment used in semiconductor manufacturing. For the second consecutive year in VLSI's annual customer satisfaction survey, Novellus earned the second highest score in the "large supplier of chip making equipment" category. The survey, which is based on actual feedback from leading IC manufacturers worldwide, honored Novellus with the highest ranking in cost of ownership, customer commitment, and -- in a tie with another equipment supplier-- best system uptime. Further, Novellus' continued drive to push the industry standard for customer service narrowed the gap between Novellus and the overall survey's top score to just 0.11 points.

"These survey results indicate that Novellus is focused on the product performance parameters that clearly matter to its customers," said Dan Hutcheson, president of VLSI Research. "For semiconductor companies looking to partner with a process equipment vendor, low manufacturing cost and advanced technological capabilities are equally important requirements. Novellus has long understood that reality, and is shipping products to its customers today with both attributes."

"We are pleased at our success in delivering quality customer service as evidenced by our ranking in VLSI's benchmark survey," said Jerry Sowers, vice president of Customer Satisfaction at Novellus Systems. "Our improvements in this year's survey were broad-based, reflecting customer satisfaction advances across all products, sales regions, and customers. And, while we're proud of the advances we've made in this measure of customer satisfaction over the past several years, we're equally proud to be number one in customer satisfaction in the specific market segments we serve."

Instituted in 1988, VLSI Research's Customer Satisfaction Survey on Chip Making Equipment offers the world's chip producers the chance to rank the top suppliers in the equipment industry.

About Novellus:
Novellus Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVLS) is a leading provider of advanced process equipment for the global semiconductor industry. The company's products deliver value to customers by providing innovative technology backed by trusted productivity. An S&P 500 company, Novellus is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. with subsidiary offices across the globe. For more information, please visit www.novellus.com

Contact:
Bob Climo
Novellus Systems, Inc.
Phone: + 1 408/943-9700
E-mail: bob.climo@novellus.com

Marla Kertzman
The Hoffman Agency for Novellus Systems, Inc.
Phone: + 1 408/975-3067
E-mail: mkertzman@hoffman.com

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