TRONICS OPENS MEMS PRODUCTION FACILITY IN DALLAS, TEXAS, FOR HEALTHCARE APPLICATIONS

The facility will provide extended custom manufacturing services dedicated to high volume MEMS applications with high added value

Grenoble, France and Dallas, TX, USA – April 20, 2017 Tronics, a TDK Group Company that designs and manufactures innovative nano and microsystems, has announced the opening of a MEMS production facility located in Addison, Texas, near Dallas. The fab expands Tronics' MEMS development and manufacturing capabilities in North America. Tronics aims to utilize the full control of its manufacturing assets to provide custom MEMS services tailored for healthcare applications such as diagnostic chips, microfluidics, lab-on-chips, and also suitable for chemical sensors, infrared sensors and optical grating devices needed in the industrial field.

In comparison with Tronics' previous subcontracted MEMS facility in the Dallas area, Tronics' new production unit offers an upgraded high-tech manufacturing infrastructure and ensures an improved level of customer support: the leased 25,000 sq ft building features more than 15,000 sq ft (approx. 1,400 sq m) of MEMS cleanroom area and support space. The fab can process up to 60,000 wafers per year (6-inch and 8-inch) and offers higher productivity and greater capacity. The fab's cutting-edge technology and its location close to two major airports create an ideal environment for the manufacture of high-tech products. In addition to a strong portfolio of standardized and reusable manufacturing processes and
proven technology blocks, the new facility also provides Tronics' customers with complementary backend processing.

Now that the majority stake in Tronics is held by EPCOS, a TDK Group Company, Tronics will continue to benefit from TDK's position as a leading manufacturer of electronic components, modules and systems with a global salesforce and powerful manufacturing base. TDK's excellent relationships to key players in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics markets, its solid financial basis and extensive know-how in materials and production engineering will provide a very good basis for future growth of Tronics' cutting-edge sensor technologies.

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About Tronics Microsystems

Tronics Microsystems is a division of TDK's Temperature & Pressure Sensors Business Group and a recognized technological leader in the sector of nano- and microsystems. Addressing high-growth markets relying on increasing miniaturization of electronic devices, the company provides custom and standard products especially to the industrial, aeronautics, security, and medical markets. Founded in 1997, Tronics is located in Crolles, near Grenoble (France) and in Dallas, Texas (United States), and has around 100 employees, most of them engineers and scientists. Following a tender offer ending January 2017, EPCOS AG, a TDK Group Company, now holds 74 percent of Tronics' shares.

* ISIN code: FR0004175099 ALTRO

About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation is a leading electronics company based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's portfolio includes electronic components, such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, ferrites and inductors, high-frequency products, and piezo and protection components, as well as sensors and sensor systems and power supplies. These products are marketed under the product brands, TDK, EPCOS, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. In addition TDK offers magnetic application products, energy devices, flash memory application devices, and others. TDK focuses on demanding markets in the areas of information and communication technology and automotive, industrial and consumer electronics. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe,
and in North and South America. In fiscal 2016, TDK posted total sales of USD 10.2 billion and employed about 92,000 people worldwide.

Source: Actusnews