MILPITAS, CA., June 15, 2002 — Fairchild Imaging announced today the transition to full rate production of their advanced x-ray imaging camera used in the Bruker AXS SMART APEX System. The SMART APEX, introduced by Bruker AXS nine months ago, has set the standard as the premier instrument for chemical crystallography. The SMART APEX provides unrivalled sensitivity and distortion-free imagery due to its very large area (60mm X 60mm) CCD. The high resolution and very fast frame rate, combined with Bruker’s highly accurate goniometer, have delivered productivity gains through faster and more thorough data collection.

The SMART APEX exploits Fairchild Imaging’s unique wafer scale CCD technology. The large size of the Fairchild Imaging CCD permits 1:1 imaging and eliminates the need for a fiberoptic taper (where up to 90% of photons from the phosphor screen are lost). This design permits an order of magnitude improvement in optical transmission. Elimination of the distortion inherent with tapered fiberoptics also means that unit cell parameters are preserved. The high readout speed of the CCD, via multiple outputs from the focal plane, also enables the data collection time to be significantly reduced.

Fairchild Imaging, a direct descendant of the original Fairchild Companies with prior ownership by aerospace and defense parents Loral, Lockheed Martin, and BAE SYSTEMS, was acquired by its management and The Carlyle Group in April of this year. The transaction provides Fairchild Imaging significant new investment for growth and success in targeted commercial markets. The SMART APEX is one such example of the application of core CCD technology into new commercial applications.

Fairchild Imaging introduced electronic imaging to virtually every industry, including defense, space, research, entertainment, mail and package distribution, manufacturing, medicine, dentistry, commercial photography, printing and publishing, and food processing. No other imaging company can claim experience that is more extensive, more varied, or more successful. Fairchild Imaging devices have been to the bottom of the ocean and to the ends of our solar system. Fairchild Imaging focal planes on the Hubble Space Telescope have imaged the largest objects in the universe, far galaxies that are measured in millions of light years, while other focal planes have explored images of individual atoms in a molecule.

The new owners and management of Fairchild Imaging intend to build on this tradition of excellence with new focus on commercial applications of their core CCD technology. Current commercial products include digital mammography cassettes, dental x-ray sensors, and industrial vision systems in addition to U.S. Government sponsored programs in space instruments and military reconnaissance.

“We are absolutely committed to the goals of developing, manufacturing and reliably delivering the world’s premier focal planes and electronic imaging instruments,”said Charles Arduini, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fairchild Imaging. “The demanding requirements of the SMART APEX are ideally suited to our unique capabilities, facilities, and experience.”

“Our close collaboration with Fairchild Imaging has been a key factor for Bruker AXS’s success in the X-ray crystallography business”, stated Dr. Martin Haase, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bruker AXS Inc. He continued: ”Combining Fairchild Imaging cutting-edge detector technology with our core platform technologies resulted in the next generation of complete solutions in chemical and biological crystallography. This is the way we like collaborations to go”.

For further information please contact:

Charles J. Arduini
President & CEO
Fairchild Imaging
1801 McCarthy Blvd.
Milpitas, CA 95035
Tel. (408) 433-2666

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About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group is one of the world’s largest private equity firms, managing more than $13 billion of equity capital in buyout, venture, real estate, high yield, and energy funds, globally. Since its inception in 1987, Carlyle has invested $5.8 billion of equity capital, in more than 200 corporate and real estate transactions. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Carlyle has more than 225 investment professionals working in 22 offices in the United States and abroad.

About Fairchild Imaging
Fairchild Imaging is a manufacturer and developer of electronic imaging components and systems. Located in Milpitas, CA, Fairchild Imaging is a privately held corporation whose major investors include The Carlyle Group, BAE Systems, and management. Information about Fairchild Imaging is available on the worldwide Web at www.fairchildimaging.com.