U.S. DISPLAY CONSORTIUM EXCEEDS FIVE-YEAR INDUSTRY COST SHARING GOAL IN
YEAR ONE

Members fund 51 percent of total program cost, surpassing 29 percent
funding goal set by government

SAN JOSE, Calif., NOVEMBER 9, 1994--The United States Display Consortium
(USDC), an industry/government partnership created to develop the U.S.
flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing capability, today announced that
its industry members have surpassed the consortium's first-year cost
sharing objectives, achieving the goals set for the fifth year of the
program by the U.S. government's Advanced Research Projects Agency
(ARPA).

According to Peter Mills, chief executive officer for USDC, this
achievement is significant. "Industry has really stepped up to the plate,
demonstrating both its commitment to and the need for a robust, U.S.-based
FPD manufacturing infrastructure. Although this cost-sharing effort was
extremely aggressive, the results far exceeded our expectations," stated
Mills. "The USDC member companies made this possible by exemplifying the
cooperative spirit that can propel the domestic FPD manufacturing
capability into a global leadership position."

Dr. Lance Glasser, director of the Electronic Systems Technology Office for
ARPA, explained that when the USDC was formed in July 1993, government
chose to provide funds for technology development because of the nascent
state of the U.S. FPD industry, which consisted predominantly of small and
startup companies in a fragmented structure. Both industry and government
agreed that industry's share of program funding would ramp up from 29
percent in Year One to 50 percent of the total program cost by Year Five.
"In a greatly accelerated effort, USDC member companies have already
exceeded the fifth year goal, providing 51 percent program funding within
the first year. This sets an excellent example for other new technology
initiatives," Glasser asserted.

USDC reports that since its inception, it has committed nearly $15 million
of the initial $20 million in government funding provided through ARPA to
eight joint development projects (JDPs), which are tasked with developing
new capabilities that will provide a competitive FPD manufacturing
advantage for the U.S. The manufacturing community and these partners,
along with users and other industry participants, have contributed a
matching $15 million in funding to the FPD cause.

This strong response is attributed in part to the unique vertical
integration of USDC, which is structured to ensure that the needs of all
tiers of the domestic FPD industry are addressed. These tiers include: the
16 member companies of USDC's Military & Avionics and Commercial User
Groups; the 16 FPD manufacturers and developers; and 100 large and small
companies from the equipment and materials infrastructure that joined USDC
through the North American FPD Division of Semiconductor Equipment and
Materials International (SEMI).

Commenting on the funding milestone, SEMI President Bill Reed noted that
members continue to devote financial and corporate resources to the FPD
initiative because they feel so strongly about the anticipated result.
"Industry is making the strong effort required for the U.S. to garner a
position in the worldwide market. We sincerely hope that the progress to
date sets a precedent for ongoing government support of FPD
manufacturing," said Reed. "Industry is sending a message to government
that its investment dollars can be leveraged to facilitate an effort of
this magnitude," he added.

About USDC: The U.S. Display Consortium is an industry-led, public/private
partnership providing a common platform for flat panel display
manufacturers and developers, FPD users, and the supplier base.
Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the consortium's manufacturing members
include AT&T, Coloray Display, Electro-Plasma, Kent Display Systems,
Kopin, Motif, Westinghouse Norden Systems, Optical Imaging Systems (OIS),
Photonics Imaging, Planar Systems, Plasmaco, SI Diamond, Silicon Video,
Standish Industries, Three-Five Systems, and Xerox PARC, as well as the
federal government's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The USDC's
mission is to develop the U.S. infrastructure required to support a
world-class U.S. based manufacturing capability for high-definition
displays. USDC now has over 130 companies representing the three
industries in the electronics field that have a stake in the development
of a domestic flat panel display capability.

U.S. Display Consortium
50 West San Fernando St, Ste 920
San Jose, CA 95113
408-277-2400,  fax 408-277-2490

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