Attached files
Exhibit 99.1
[LOGO]AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Aehr Test Systems Financial Relations Board
Carl Buck Marilynn Meek
V.P. of Sales and Marketing Analyst/Investor Contact
(510) 623-9400 x381 (212) 827-3773
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS APPOINTS
GAYN ERICKSON AS NEW CEO
Fremont, CA (January 3, 2012) - Aehr Test Systems (Nasdaq: AEHR), a
worldwide supplier of semiconductor test and burn-in equipment, today
announced that Gayn Erickson, a 23-year veteran of the semiconductor
test industry, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
the company, effective January 3, 2012. Mr. Erickson is replacing Rhea
Posedel as CEO. He has also been appointed as a member of the board of
directors. Rhea Posedel, Aehr Test Systems' founder, chairman and
previous CEO, led the search for his replacement and has been appointed
Executive Chairman of Aehr Test, effective January 3, 2012.
"I have been with Aehr Test since its beginning, having founded the
company 34 years ago, and felt that now was the right time to turn the
company's leadership over to a new CEO. We have been fortunate in
attracting Gayn Erickson to assume this position. He brings excellent
qualifications and experience in the test industry to our company,"
said Rhea Posedel.
"Today we have the strongest product portfolio in our history with our
FOXTM full wafer test and burn-in systems and our ABTSTM family of
package test and burn-in systems. Additionally, we recently announced
an order for an ABTS system from one of the world's largest
semiconductor companies, which we believe gives us a stronger customer
base from which to grow our business over the long term. Most
importantly, we feel we have a leadership position in the emerging
market for wafer level test and burn-in, and I am very confident that
Gayn has the industry experience and management skills to take Aehr
Test to the next level. I look forward to my new role as Executive
Chairman and working with Gayn on strategic plans to further grow our
company," continued Mr. Posedel. "I would like to give a special
thanks to all my employees and friends who have supported me and Aehr
Test over the past 34 years."
Most recently, Mr. Erickson served as corporate officer and senior vice
president & general manager of Verigy's memory test business before it
was acquired by Advantest Japan last year. Prior to that, he was vice
president of marketing and sales for Agilent Technologies'
Semiconductor Memory Test products. He has over 23 years of executive
and general management, operations, marketing, sales, and R&D program
management
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experience dating back to the late 1980s, when he began his career in
semiconductor test with Hewlett-Packard's Automated Test Group.
"I am very pleased to be joining Aehr and excited by the many
opportunities we have to grow our company," commented Mr. Erickson. "I
have respected Aehr Test's leadership in the semiconductor test and
burn-in space for many years, and watched them win key accounts in our
industry with their FOX full wafer test systems and contactors.
Recently, Aehr Test secured significant evaluations/qualifications of
their new ABTS package test and burn-in system and I believe we are in
an excellent position to win additional customers with the FOX family
of products. This is both a great endorsement of the company's new
product and of their ability to emerge from the recent industry
downturn with new, highly competitive products that address both the
memory and logic test markets. I am confident that Aehr is in a great
position to capitalize on the opportunities in test that are developing
out of the shift in the semiconductor industry from IT/computing
dominated applications to consumer, mobile, and automotive
applications. I look forward to working with Rhea and the Aehr Test
team to profitably expand our company while continuing to satisfy
customers' needs with cost effective, highly reliable, and flexible
test solutions."
About Aehr Test Systems
Headquartered in Fremont, California, Aehr Test Systems is a worldwide
supplier of systems for burning-in and testing memory and logic
integrated circuits and has an installed base of more than 2,500
systems worldwide. Aehr Test has developed and introduced several
innovative products, including the ABTS, FOX and MAX systems and the
DiePak(R) carrier. The ABTS system is Aehr Test's newest system for
packaged part test during burn-in for both low-power and high-power
logic as well as all common types of memory devices. The FOX system is
a full wafer contact test and burn-in system. The MAX system can
effectively burn-in and functionally test complex devices, such as
digital signal processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers and
systems-on-a-chip. The DiePak carrier is a reusable, temporary package
that enables IC manufacturers to perform cost-effective final test and
burn-in of bare die. For more information, please visit the Company's
website at www.aehr.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties relating to projections regarding customer demand and
acceptance of Aehr Test's products. Actual results may vary from
projected results. These risks and uncertainties include, without
limitation, acceptance by customers of the ABTS technology, acceptance
by customers of the ABTS systems shipped upon receipt of a purchase
order and the ability of new products to meet customer needs or perform
as described. See Aehr Test's recent 10-K, 10-Q and other reports from
time to time filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
for a more detailed description of the risks facing our business. The
Company disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any
forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances occurring
after the date of this press release.
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