Superconductor Technologies Inc. Awarded U.S. Pate

– Increases IP portfolio for its Conductus wire manufacturing –

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Superconductor Technologies Inc. (STI) (Nasdaq: SCON ) was awarded a U.S. Patent for a key aspect of the RCE-CDR system architecture used in manufacturing Conductus ^® HTS wire. This invention enables STI to efficiently monitor the evaporation conditions of multiple source materials used in the vacuum deposition chamber during the HTS growth process.

U.S. Patent No. 9,567,661 entitled “Reactor Device With Removable Deposition Monitor” from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) protects the system design developed by STI to improve monitoring efficiency when evaporating materials in vacuum. This type of automated machine architecture utilized within the Reactive Co-evaporation (RCE) chamber, enables improved cycle time, higher throughput, and lower costs.

“This patent reinforces the sustainable production advantages of our HTS wire manufacturing process,” stated Jeff Quiram, STI's president and CEO. “We design our systems to simplify the manufacturing process, which allow us to increase efficiency and reduce cycle time. One of the key advantages of our method is the utilization of removable monitoring tools that enable us to evaluate material evaporation status without disrupting the production process. In addition to saving time, this design reduces maintenance and cleaning requirements. Our team continues to develop and implement trade secrets that improve the economics of our Conductus wire and improve our commercial-scale capacity.”

Reactive Co-evaporation and Cyclic Deposition Reaction (RCE-CDR) The RCE-CDR process grows a Rare Earth, Barium, Copper Oxide (ReBCO) superconductor film onto a flexible template. This process requires accurate temperature, uniform pressure, precise ratios of elements and the presence of oxidizing atmospheres to grow high performance superconducting materials. The RCE-CDR system is scaled for large batch operation to insure every portion of superconducting wire has uniform material properties. STI’s RCE-CDR process yields very high quality superconducting wire to maximize current carrying performance.

About Superconductor Technologies Inc. (STI) Superconductor Technologies Inc. is a global leader in superconducting innovation. Its Conductus ^® superconducting wire platform offers high performance, cost-effective and scalable superconducting wire. With 100 times the current carrying capacity of conventional copper and aluminum, superconducting wire offers zero resistance with extreme high current density. This provides a significant benefit for electric power transmission and also enables much smaller or more powerful magnets for motors, generators, energy storage and medical equipment. Since 1987, STI has led innovation in HTS materials, developing more than 100 patents as well as proprietary trade secrets and manufacturing expertise. For more than 20 years STI utilized its unique HTS manufacturing process for solutions to maximize capacity utilization and coverage for Tier 1 telecommunications operators. Headquartered in Austin, TX, Superconductor Technologies Inc.'s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol “SCON.” For more information about STI, please visit http://www.suptech.com .

Safe Harbor Statement  Statements in this press release regarding our business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are inherently subject to uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. These factors and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: our limited cash and a history of losses; our need to materially grow our revenues from commercial operations and/or to raise additional capital (which financing may not be available on acceptable terms or at all) in the very near future, before cash reserves are depleted (which reserves are expected to be sufficient into the first quarter of 2017), to implement our current business plan and maintain our viability; the performance and use of our equipment to produce wire in accordance with our timetable; overcoming technical challenges in attaining milestones to develop and manufacture commercial lengths of our HTS wire; the possibility of delays in customer evaluation and acceptance of our HTS wire; the limited number of potential customers and customer pressures on the selling prices of our products; the limited number of suppliers for some of our components and our HTS wire; there being no significant backlog from quarter to quarter; our market being characterized by rapidly advancing technology; the impact of competitive products, technologies and pricing; manufacturing capacity constraints and difficulties; the impact of any financing activity on the level of our stock price; the dilutive impact of any issuances of securities to raise capital; the steps required to maintain the listing of our common stock with a U.S. national securities exchange and the impact on the liquidity and trading price of our common stock if we fail to maintain such listing; the cost and uncertainty from compliance with environmental regulations; and local, regional, and national and international economic conditions and events and the impact they may have on us and our customers.

Forward-looking statements can be affected by many other factors, including, those described in the "Business" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of STI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in STI's other public filings. These documents are available online at STI's website, www.suptech.com, or through the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements are based on information presently available to senior management, and STI has not assumed any duty to update any forward-looking statements.

Investor Relations Contact Cathy Mattison or Kirsten Chapman LHA      +1-415-433-3777       invest@suptech.com