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NEWS RELEASE

04-03-03

Contacts:
Jason Menke, ISU Foundation, (515) 294-0909
Pam Reinig, engineering, (515) 294-0261
Linda Parke, Teradyne, (617) 422-2651
Skip Derra, News Service, (515) 294-4917

TERADYNE DONATES SEMICONDUCTOR TEST SYSTEM TO IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

AMES, Iowa -- Teradyne, Inc. is donating one of its most popular semiconductor test systems, the Integra J750, and other services valued at more than a half million dollars to Iowa State University's College of Engineering. The top-selling system will allow students and faculty to perform more advanced research and faster testing of semiconductor chips.

The J750 system is the centerpiece of the new Teradyne lab in Iowa State's electrical and computer engineering department (ECPE). The equipment is used to conduct performance tests on a wide array of integrated circuits used in many electronic devices and computer systems.

The J750 automates testing procedures that can often take hundreds or thousands of hours, which slows down the research and development phase of many integrated circuits. Some of the world's leading electronics companies use the J750 to test microcontrollers that are used in a variety of consumer products. The J750 was first introduced in 1998 and Teradyne has sold over 1,000 systems to date. Another version of the J750 in Japan tests the majority of the world's image sensors, used in digital cameras and camcorders.

"This is a tremendous gift for Iowa State, and will continue our rich tradition of computing research and development," said ISU President Gregory Geoffroy. "Teradyne's generosity will allow ISU to keep our students and faculty on the cutting edge of computer engineering."

Iowa State is recognized as the birthplace of the world's first electronic digital computer, built by physics professor John Atanasoff and electrical engineering graduate student Clifford Berry in 1939.

"It's important for companies like Teradyne to recruit engineers who have worked on the latest technology," said Mike Bradley, president of Teradyne's Semiconductor Test Division. "Without this flow of new ideas and skills, we can't keep up the new product development pace we need to succeed in a global marketplace. This J750 donation will help both ISU students, who will get an opportunity to work on the latest test technology, and companies like Teradyne, who will have a deeper pool of technical talent to recruit from."

"This investment recognizes the strength and reputation of our department of electrical and computer engineering," said Dean James L. Melsa. "Gifts like this one from Teradyne help secure our future as one of the nation's top colleges."

According to one ISU faculty member, Teradyne made the gift to Iowa State partly because of the impression students and graduates of the ECPE program made on them.

"We've had a number of students complete Teradyne internships, and several of our program's alumni have had very successful careers with them," said James A. Davis, interim chair of ISU's electrical and computer engineering department. "For Teradyne to support our program at this level is a testament to the quality of our faculty, staff and students."

Teradyne is the world's largest supplier of Automatic Test Equipment, and a leading supplier of interconnection systems. The company's products deliver competitive advantage to the world's leading semiconductor, electronics, automotive, telecommunications and network systems companies. In 2002, Teradyne had sales of $1.22 billion, and employed about 7,000 people worldwide.

Teradyne's gift was made through the Iowa State University Foundation -- a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to securing and managing gifts and grants that benefit Iowa State University.

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EDITORS NOTE:
The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at Iowa State will recognize Teradyne for their generous gift at 10 A.M. ON FRIDAY, APRIL 4, IN COOVER HALL on the ISU campus. The program will feature representatives from Teradyne and ISU, and allow photographers to take video and still photos of the J750 system at work.

To make arrangements, please call Jason Menke, ISU Foundation, at (515) 294-5779.