Nikon Corporation Receives Intel's Prestigious SUPPLIER CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AWARD

Nikon Corporation (Michio Kariya, President) has received Intel Corporation's prestigious Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) award recognizing world-class, outstanding performance in 2008. This award is Intel's highest honor for its suppliers, acknowledging extraordinary commitment to quality and exceptional performance for providing lithography scanners for technology development and high volume manufacturing deemed essential to Intel's success. Nikon is among an elite group of 14 suppliers to receive the SCQI award for 2008.

"We set a goal to achieve Intel's highest supplier quality designation. We were awarded the PQS award in 2007 and now have received the SCQI award for 2008. Nikon is honored to be recognized by Intel as an SCQI Supplier, which reflects our commitment to continuous support of Intel's technology needs, flawless ramp support, and systematic improvements in equipment availability. This is a credit to our worldwide Nikon team that contributed to this achievement and to Intel for their continued support," said Kazuo Ushida, President, Precision Equipment Company.

"Intel congratulates Nikon on achieving the SCQI award in 2008," said Janice Golda, Lithography Capital Equipment Development director, Intel Corporation. "Nikon has provided excellent support to Intel to integrate new lithography technology, smoothly ramp new factories, and proactively support equipment reuse, all while simultaneously achieving our safety and sustainability goals. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship as we jointly address future lithography challenges."

The SCQI award is part of Intel's Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement program, which encourages Intel's key suppliers to strive for excellence and continuous improvement. To qualify for SCQI status, suppliers must score at least 95 percent on a report card that assesses performance and ability to meet cost, quality, availability, delivery, technology and responsiveness goals. Suppliers must also manage and deliver on a challenging improvement plan and a quality/business systems assessment. Furthermore, this year's awardees had to demonstrate basic compliance to the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct and Intel's Green Sustainability Program. Additional information about the SCQI program is available at http://supplier.intel.com/quality.

• Intel Supplier Quality Portal

Celebrations will be held in Tokyo, Japan and Santa Clara, California during the month of March 2009 to honor the SCQI award winners. In addition, there will be an online advertisement launch and acknowledgement on Intel's website.

( The image posted on March 6, 2009 )

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