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Advanced MicroSensors Begins Volume Shipments of MR Tape Head Components for Quantum Corporation's Super DLTtape Drive

For Immediate Release

SHREWSBURY, MA - October 9, 2001 - Advanced MicroSensors, Inc. (AMS), a rapidly growing supplier of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) related products and magneto-resistive (MR) tape heads, today announced that it has successfully completed qualification and is shipping MR tape heads to Quantum Corporation for the Super DLTtape drive program.

AMS, a developer and manufacturer of advanced thin-film components and its strategic partner, Lafe Technology Ltd., who provides post wafer processing, assembly and packaging, are collaborating to produce MR tape heads to support Quantum's tape drive business.

"Our strong business and product development relationship with Lafe and Quantum has enabled AMS to smoothly ramp production of this key component technology," said Tim Stucchi, CEO of Advanced MicroSensors. "We look forward to extending our collaboration with Lafe and Quantum to provide the technology platforms and component roadmaps to meet their future needs."

"Completing qualification of the AMS/Lafe head represents a key strategic milestone as we continue to aggressively ramp Super DLTtape drives", said Curt Kane, Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Quantum's DLTtape Group. "Based on our long history together, Lafe/AMS has proven to be an important and reliable supplier of tape heads."

"The introduction of magneto-resistive cluster heads was a key feature of SDLT drives supporting higher storage capacities. With our extensive experience in producing MR recording heads for tape drives, AMS is looking forward to support Quantum on this program as well as the next generation of tape drives," said Dr. Gunther Baubock, Vice President of Engineering at AMS.

About Quantum
Quantum Corporation (NYSE:DSS), founded in 1980, is a global leader in data protection and network storage, meeting the rapidly growing needs of business customers for innovative enterprise-wide storage solutions and services that deliver high performance, reliability, cost effectiveness and scalability. Quantum is the world's largest supplier of tape drives. With an installed base of more than 1.7 million DLTtapeTM drives in use today, 70 million DLTtape media cartridges sold, and tens of thousands of Super DLTtapeTM drives shipped, Quantum's DLTtape technology (www.dlttape.com) is the defacto standard for backup, archiving, and disaster recovery of business-critical data. Quantum DLT and Storage Systems Group sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2001, were approximately $1.4 billion. Quantum Corporation, 501 Sycamore Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, 408-894-4000. Quantum and the Quantum logo are trademarks of Quantum Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. DLTtape and Super DLTtape are trademarks of Quantum Corporation.

About Lafe
Lafe Technology Ltd., founded in Hong Kong in 1982, is a leading company engaged in design and manufacture of recording head and drive sub-assemblies for tape drives, recording head and stack assemblies for hard disk drives, and 6 in-dash CD drive products. Manufacturing is conducted from Lafe Industrial Park in Panyu City, China.

About AMS
Formed in April 1999 and located in Shrewsbury, MA, Advanced MicroSensors is a rapidly growing U.S. manufacturer of MEMS and thin film tape head components for the telecommunications, industrial and peripheral markets. The company offers a single-site approach that takes integrated or discrete micro-electro-mechanical systems, micro-optoelectro-mechanical systems, sensors and data recording products from concept to commercialization. AMS is privately held and operates in 80,000 square feet of space with 50,000 square feet of Class 100 clean room space. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.advancedmicrosensors.com