Hall Sensors Selected as Best European Product In 2001

                           Micronas Wins PACE Award

    DETROIT, March 7 At the 7th annual Premier Automotive
Suppliers' Contributions to Excellence (PACE) Award ceremony in Detroit Monday
night, Micronas GmbH from Freiburg, Germany was presented the PACE Award for
best European product for its Linear Hall-effect sensors.

    Automotive News and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young presented the 2001 PACE
awards to automotive suppliers for showing spirit of creativity through their
products, management practices, environmental advances, information technology
and other enduring innovations. The 12 winners in seven categories were
selected from 36 finalists by a panel of high-profile independent judges.

    Micronas has created programmable magnetic position sensors that use the
Hall effect to replace mechanical position sensors. Because the sensor is a
non-contact, solid-state device, it can survive harsh environments anywhere
within the vehicle. Micro sensors that report precise positioning information
back to a vehicle's central computer are a vital part of emerging mechatronic
systems for cars and trucks.

    In the Hall effect, a current passing through a magnetic field produces a
specific voltage, called the Hall Voltage. Using this effect, Micronas sensors
can translate the magnetic field information in a variety of applications such
as gas pedal position, fuel level, transmission stick position and ride height
and synthesize the information with memory and computing power at the sensor
itself. The vehicle's computer can then call to the intelligent sensor at
logical times for stored and real-time data to use in overall car control
systems.

    "To have been recognized as an exceptional innovator in the American
automotive industry reinforces the strong commitment Micronas has made to this
market," said Ronald Gampp, marketing manager sensors at Micronas. "And our
development team is already making more advancements that will continue to
improve automotive performance in the coming years."