MILPITAS, Calif., Feb. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nanometrics Incorporated (Nasdaq:NANO), a leading provider of advanced process control solutions, today announced that Jonathan H. Chou will join Nanometrics as its chief financial officer (CFO), effective March 5, 2018.

Mr. Chou, 53, brings to Nanometrics over 25 years of financial leadership and management in the semiconductor capital equipment and global electronics and consumer manufacturing industries. He joins after more than seven years with Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc., a leading global provider of semiconductor packaging and electronic assembly solutions, where he served as CFO since 2010 and also served as interim chief executive officer from October 2015 through October 2016. For the three years prior to Kulicke & Soffa, Mr. Chou was the CFO of Feihe International, a NYSE-listed Sequoia Capital portfolio consumer goods company based in China, where he led the company to its successful NYSE Main Board listing. Prior to his U.S.-listed company CFO roles, Mr. Chou held Asia Pacific Regional CFO roles with Fortune 500 companies including Honeywell International, Tyco International and Lucent Technologies.

Mr. Chou currently serves on the board of directors of MicroPort Scientific, a Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed global medical device company headquartered in Shanghai. He joined as an independent non-executive director since its initial public offering in 2010. Mr. Chou holds an MBA from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business, North Carolina and a B.A. from the University at Buffalo, New York.

Commenting on Mr. Chou’s appointment, Dr. Pierre-Yves Lesaicherre, president and chief executive officer of Nanometrics said, “We are very pleased to have Jonathan join us as Nanometrics’ CFO. He brings strong public-company financial leadership and semiconductor capital equipment industry experience to our management team. We are excited to welcome an international financial executive of Jonathan’s caliber to our team, and we look forward to him leading the finance organization through this next phase of growth for Nanometrics.”

About Nanometrics
Nanometrics is a leading provider of advanced, high-performance process control metrology and inspection systems used primarily in the fabrication of semiconductors and other solid-state devices, including sensors, optoelectronic devices, high-brightness LEDs, discretes and data storage components. Nanometrics' automated and integrated metrology systems measure critical dimensions, device structures, topography and various thin film properties, including three-dimensional features and film thickness, as well as optical, electrical and material properties. The company's process control solutions are deployed throughout the fabrication process, from front-end-of-line substrate manufacturing, to high-volume production of semiconductors and other devices, to advanced three-dimensional wafer-level packaging applications. Nanometrics' systems enable advanced process control for device manufacturers, providing improved device yield at reduced manufacturing cycle time, supporting the accelerated product life cycles in the semiconductor and other advanced device markets. The company maintains its headquarters in Milpitas, California, with sales and service offices worldwide. Nanometrics is traded on Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol NANO. Nanometrics' website is http://www.nanometrics.com.

Investor Relations Contact:
Claire McAdams
Headgate Partners LLC
530.265.9899
claire@headgatepartners.com

Company Contact:
Greg Swyt
Vice President, Finance
408.545.6146
gswyt@nanometrics.com