Advantest Earns Coveted Five-Star Ranking on Annual VLSIresearch Customer Satisfaction Survey and Makes Industry’s 10 BEST List for 29th Consecutive Year

TOKYO, May 23, 2017 -- Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE:6857) announces it has earned a place on VLSIresearch’s 10 BEST list for the 29^th consecutive year, earning the sought-after Five-Star rating from its global customers. Rankings are based on direct customer feedback representing the full spectrum of IC device makers that include Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), Fabless companies, and Outsourced Assembly and Test (OSAT) producers. 

Worldwide participants were asked to rate equipment suppliers among fifteen categories based on three key factors: supplier performance, customer service, and product performance.  Advantest was named a 10 BEST company in “Large Suppliers of Chip Making Equipment” and a THE BEST company in “Test Equipment,” and earned its personal-best ratings in the categories of Trust in Supplier and Technical Leadership.

G. Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSIresearch noted that Advantest’s ability to sustain positive customer relationships over the long-term is evidence of their strength as an ATE business partner.   “The company’s stellar management, financial stability, emphasis on ongoing R&D and standards of excellence have contributed to its success. For over six decades, Advantest has demonstrated a keen understanding of semiconductor-industry economics and has been delivering the ATE solutions to enhance their customers’ success,” stated Hutcheson.

"Across the organization and around the globe, Advantest remains focused on delivering the highest quality products to our customers,” commented Yoshiaki Yoshida, Advantest Corporation president and CEO.  “In addition, we place extremely high value on customer service and support and we are delighted that the processes we've implemented are having demonstrable results.  Earning the highest VLSI Star rating in this annual survey underscores Advantest's core commitment to serving our customers."

Advantest, a global provider of test equipment solutions for SoC, logic and memory semiconductors, is the industry's only ATE provider to design and manufacture its own fully integrated suite of test-cell solutions - comprised of testers, handlers, device interfaces, probe cards, and software - assuring the industry's highest levels of integrity and compatibility.

About the VLSIresearch Customer Satisfaction Survey
VLSIresearch received feedback from more than 79% of the chip market and 72% of subsystems customers for this year’s survey. The survey spans 2 ½ months and covers five languages. Worldwide participants were asked to rate equipment suppliers among fifteen categories based on three key factors: supplier performance, customer service, and product performance. 2,366 surveys were returned, resulting in 34,543 total responses.  The VLSIresearch annual Customer Satisfaction Survey is the only publicly available opportunity since 1988 for customers to provide feedback for suppliers of semiconductor equipment and subsystems.

About VLSIresearch
VLSIresearch is an award-winning provider of market research and economic analysis on the technical, business, and economic aspects within semiconductor, nanotechnology, and related industries. VLSIresearch provides intelligence for faster and better decision making in the areas of semiconductors, photovoltaics, LEDs, manufacturing, materials, and critical subsystems. VLSIresearch was founded in 1976.

About Advantest Corporation
A world-class technology company, Advantest is the leading producer of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the semiconductor industry and a premier manufacturer of measuring instruments used in the design and production of electronic instruments and systems.  Its leading-edge systems and products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world.  The company also focuses on R&D for emerging markets that benefit from advancements in nanotech and terahertz technologies, and has introduced multi-vision metrology scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing, as well as a groundbreaking 3D imaging and analysis tools.  Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its first subsidiary in 1982, in the USA, and now has subsidiaries worldwide.  More information is available at www.advantest.com.

ADVANTEST CORPORATION
3061 Zanker Road
San Jose, CA 95134, USA
Judy Davies
[email protected]