Milpitas, California. October 11, 2005.

Nanometrics Appoints Ronald Beeson to the Newly Created Position of Corporate Controller

Nanometrics, Inc., (Nasdaq: NANO), a leading supplier of advanced integrated and standalone metrology equipment for the semiconductor industry, today announced the appointment of Ronald Beeson, 43, to the new position of corporate controller effective immediately. Beeson will report directly to Quentin Wright, Nanometrics’ chief accounting officer.

Beeson’s appointment represents another step in Nanometrics’ corporate management strategy to meet the company’s growth needs. Beeson comes to Nanometrics with two decades of corporate accounting and finance experience, including the relocation and development of finance and information systems of several U.S.-based companies to international locations. “Ronald’s vast and successful international experiences will serve us well as the global reach of our business increases,” noted Doug McCutcheon, Nanometrics’ executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Beeson was most recently controller for VNUS Medical Technologies where he was part of the company’s IPO team in 2004. Prior to joining VNUS Medical, he was the chief financial officer for ECS Industries. Before ECS Industries, Beeson held controller and finance management positions with increasing responsibility with ACCO Brands. Beeson holds a bachelor’s of science degree from Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.).

About Nanometrics
Nanometrics is a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of high-performance process control metrology systems used in the manufacture of semiconductors and integrated circuits. Nanometrics metrology systems measure various thin film properties, critical circuit dimensions and layer-to-layer circuit alignment (overlay) during various steps of the manufacturing process, enabling semiconductor and integrated circuit manufacturers to improve yields, increase productivity and lower their manufacturing costs. The Company maintains its headquarters in Milpitas, CA with sales and service offices worldwide. Nanometrics is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol NANO. Nanometrics’ website is: http://www.nanometrics.com.

Contact:
Doug McCutcheon
Nanometrics
408.435.9600