Toppan Photomasks, Inc. announced today that it has received the 2010 Supplier Excellence Award from Texas Instruments (TI). This marks the 4th time since 2000 that Toppan has been recognized in TI's program, which acknowledges outstanding performance across the company's entire global supply chain; Toppan's score in this year's evaluation was the highest it has ever received.

The awards recognize exceptional performance and continuous improvement on a variety of metrics, including cost, environmental responsibility, technology, responsiveness, assurance of supply and quality.

 "We congratulate everyone in Toppan's organization for their work in 2010. This is the latest chapter in an outstanding long-term relationship between our two companies, and I'm very pleased to see Toppan once again win this recognition," said Rob Simpson, vice president of worldwide logistics and procurement for Texas Instruments.

"Toppan has always considered TI's Supplier Excellence Award as one of our greatest honors, coming from one of the world's most advanced chip-making enterprises," said Kiyoshi Otsuka, head of Toppan's Electronics Division and senior managing director of Toppan Printing. "This year's award has special significance because of the current difficult conditions in Japan; we look forward to continued collaboration with TI and to working through this challenging time together."

About Toppan Printing's Photomask Business

Toppan Printing is the world's premier photomask manufacturer. The company supports the global semiconductor industry, from the initial launch of the semiconductor manufacturing process through commercial production, by providing state-of-the-art photomask technology. For more information, visit www.toppan.co.jp.