For Immediate Release

Fluent Inc. Announces CFD Software for Plasma Modeling

Fluent Teams with Kinema Research & Software to Deliver Joint Product for Semiconductor Applications

Lebanon, NH/Monument, CO – July 10, 2000 - Fluent Inc., the leading provider of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation software and services, and Kinema Research & Software, a technology leader in the field of plasma modeling, announce that they will develop a joint software product for the semiconductor industry. The new product, a computer aided engineering (CAE) tool for plasma simulation, links Fluent's FLUENT™ CFD package with Kinema's PLASMATOR® software, supporting users with best-in-class CFD software for design and analysis of plasma-related applications.

Chemically-reacting plasma discharges are an indispensable part of modern integrated circuit fabrication technology. The new, jointly-developed product will allow engineers to gain insight into equipment and process design, improve performance, and reduce development time and expense. This new product will add powerful design and analysis capabilities for applications including plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), dielectric and metal etching, ion implantation, and reactor cleaning. Current plans are to include models for inductively (ICP) and capacitively (CCP) driven plasma discharges. The new product will leverage Kinema's comprehensive plasma chemistry database by including chemistry models for key applications.

Under the terms of the alliance, Fluent will provide resources for product sales, marketing, and technical support, and the two companies will collaborate on ongoing product development. The joint FLUENT/ PLASMATOR product will appear as a future release from Fluent.

A Market-Driven Alliance

The marketplace has reacted positively to the joint effort; "We are very pleased to see Fluent and Kinema joining forces. The coupling of these two products is important because it combines the CFD expertise of FLUENT with the comprehensive plasma physics models of PLASMATOR," said Larry Gochberg, Manager of Computational Modeling and Reliability at Novellus Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA.

"The integration of these two tools will aid in improving the accuracy and efficiency of our plasma CVD modeling work," Gochberg concluded.

According to Barbara Hutchings, Fluent's Director of Strategic Partnerships, "Fluent expects to broaden our markets from our collaboration. Kinema's deep application expertise and involvement with the semiconductor industry are a strategic asset to Fluent and will help us focus our products on the key needs of this group. Technologically, the joint product development efforts will offer a depth of features not available elsewhere. In particular, Kinema's plasma chemistry models, including collision cross-sections, attachment, recombination, ionization and dissociation reactions, will contribute to highly accurate CFD predictions."

Dr. Lowell Morgan of Kinema notes, "The collaboration with Fluent allows Kinema to reach a large audience that can benefit from the modeling expertise we have developed for plasma applications in the semiconductor industry. Plasma modeling represents a wide range of technical challenges and we look forward to working with Fluent, and Fluent's clients, to provide new solutions," Morgan concludes.

See It First at SEMICON

Additional details about the FLUENT/PLASMATOR product will be available during SEMICON West 2000, the world's largest trade show for the semiconductor industry, July 10-12, Booth 5151, San Francisco, California. Two applications will be highlighted:

· ICP discharge in the GEC cell for the argon-oxygen-silane dielectric deposition process, and

· CCP discharge using He-NF3 chemistry for etching surfaces in the GEC

cell.

About Fluent

Fluent Inc. is a world leader in the rapidly growing field of computerized design and simulation software. Fluent's software is used to predict fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, chemical reaction, and related phenomena. Fluent's software products and services help engineers in leading corporations world-wide with detailed product development, design optimization, trouble shooting, scale-up and retrofitting. Fluent's software significantly reduces engineering cost, while improving the final design of products in applications ranging from design of electronic components and systems to automotive engineering, and from combustion system design to process plant troubleshooting.

Fluent's corporate headquarters are located in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA. Fluent's European headquarters are located in Sheffield, England, with local offices in France, Germany, and Italy. Fluent's CFD software is also available around the world through joint ventures, partnerships, and distributors in Japan, Korea, Australia, the Czech Republic, and most European countries.

Fluent is a subsidiary of Aavid Thermal Technologies Inc. Additional information on Fluent's products can be obtained on the World Wide Web at http://www.fluent.com or by e-mailing info@fluent.com. More information on Aavid Thermal Technologies is available at http://www.aavid.com.

About Kinema

Kinema Research & Software was founded in 1989 by Dr. Lowell Morgan. Kinema

has more than a century of combined experience in physics. Kinema performs contract research in plasma chemistry modeling, atomic and molecular physics, and data services as well as writes and markets computer software for modeling and simulation of partially ionized plasmas. Kinema's corporate headquarters are located in Monument, Colorado, USA. Additional information on Kinema and its products can be obtained on the World Wide Web at http://www.kinema.com.

Graphics Available

Graphic images and accompanying captions to support this release can be found on the web at http:/www.fluent.com/about/news/pr/index.htm by following the links to this release. Fluent Inc. grants permission for use of these graphics and their captions in conjunction with any or all of this press release.