Cabot Microelectronics Corporation Announces Ground Breaking on Construction of South Korea Manufacturing and Research and Devel

Cabot Microelectronics Corporation (NASDAQ: CCMP), the world's leading supplier of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing slurries and a growing CMP pad supplier to the semiconductor industry, today announced that it has broken ground on the construction of its planned South Korea manufacturing and research and development center.

The new 56,000 square foot (5,213 square meter) facility will be located in the Gyeonggi Province, approximately 55 kilometers south of Seoul, and in close proximity to the company’s customers. The center is expected to be completed by the end of calendar 2011, at a cost of approximately $12 million, and is primarily intended to provide manufacturing and research and development capabilities to service the company’s advanced memory customers in South Korea. Initially, the facility is expected to primarily support certain advanced dielectrics slurry products, and additional CMP consumable products may be added in the future. South Korea represents the world’s second largest market for CMP consumables.

ABOUT CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION

Cabot Microelectronics Corporation, headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, is the world's leading supplier of CMP polishing slurries and growing CMP pad supplier to the semiconductor industry. The company's products play a critical role in the production of advanced semiconductor devices, enabling the manufacture of smaller, faster and more complex devices by its customers. The company's mission is to create value by developing reliable and innovative solutions, through close customer collaboration, that solve today's challenges and help enable tomorrow's technology. Since becoming an independent public company in 2000, the company has grown to approximately 925 employees on a global basis. For more information about Cabot Microelectronics Corporation, visit www.cabotcmp.com or contact Amy Ford, Director of Investor Relations at 630-499-2600.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This news release may include statements that constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of federal securities regulations. These forward-looking statements include statements related to: future sales and operating results; company and industry growth, contraction or trends; growth or contraction of the markets in which the company participates; international events or various economic factors; product performance; the generation, protection and acquisition of intellectual property, and litigation related to such intellectual property; new product introductions; development of new products, technologies and markets; the acquisition of or investment in other entities; uses and investment of the company’s cash balance; and the construction of facilities by Cabot Microelectronics Corporation. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including those described from time to time in Cabot Microelectronics’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described by these forward-looking statements. In particular, see "Risk Factors" in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, filed with the SEC. Cabot Microelectronics assumes no obligation to update this forward-looking information.

CONTACT: Amy Ford, Director of Investor Relations at 630-499-2600.