August 21, 2001 – San Jose, CA, – Shoichiro Yoshida, chairman and CEO of Nikon Corporation, has been appointed director emeritus of the global industry association Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).

Yoshida, who served as the first Japanese chairman of the SEMI Board in 1998-1999, joins the other SEMI directors emeritus Ed Braun, Veeco Instruments; Joel Elftmann, FSI International; Ken Levy, KLA-Tencor; James Morgan, Applied Materials; Dan Quernemoen, Entegris; and Shigeo Takayama, Hakuto Co.

“It is a great pleasure and honor to have Yoshida-san continue his association with the SEMI board of directors in an emeritus capacity,” said Stanley Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. “His outstanding dedication and commitment to SEMI and to the industry has earned him a place alongside the other industry visionaries who have led our industry and guided SEMI over the past 31 years.”

Yoshida was first elected to the SEMI board of directors in 1990 and served as vice chairman in 1997-1998. He is an active participant in many of SEMI’s executive programs and committees, including co-chairmanship of the International Trade Partners Conference committee. Having succeeded in building the semiconductor equipment group to the largest division within Nikon, Yoshida was elected president of the company in 1997.

The SEMI board of directors is composed of executives from equipment and materials companies serving the global semiconductor industry. The board governs the policies and activities of the association on behalf of its international membership. Directors are elected to two-year terms and may be reelected to a maximum of four terms. Directors emeritus are appointed by the Executive Committee of the SEMI board in recognition of outstanding achievements on behalf of the association and the industry.