##### 



Exhibit 10.44

THERMA-WAVE, INC.

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
(Nonqualified Stock Option)

THIS STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT(this Agreement) is made and entered into as
of February 5, 2003 by and between Therma-Wave, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the Company), and the employee of the Company listed on
the signature page hereto (Optionee).

Pursuant to the Companys 2000 Equity Incentive Plan (the Plan), the
Company and the Optionee desire to enter into an agreement to evidence the
grant by the Company to the Optionee of an option (the Option) to acquire
that number of shares of the Companys common stock, par value $0.01 per share
(the Common Stock) listed on the signature page hereto (the Option Shares).
Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are defined in Section
6 hereof.

The parties hereto agree as follows:

1.      Option Grant. The Company hereby grants to the Optionee, pursuant to
the Plan, an Option to purchase the Option Shares at a price per share equal to
that amount listed on the signature page hereto (the Exercise Price). The
Exercise Price and the number of Option Shares will be equitably adjusted for
any stock split, stock dividend, reclassification or recapitalization of the
Company which occurs subsequent to the date of this Agreement. The Option is
not intended to be an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section
422A of the Code.

2.      Exercise of Option.

(1)     Normal Vesting. The Option granted hereunder may be exercised only to
the extent it has become vested. The Option shall vest and become exercisable
with respect to the following number of Option Shares (set forth on a
cumulative basis): (i) 25% of the Option Shares on the first year anniversary
of the Grant Date; (ii) 2.083% of the Option Shares each month on the
thirteenth (13th) through the forty eighth (48th) monthly anniversary of the
Grant Date (each a Vesting Date), if and only if the Optionee is, and has
been, continuously employed by the Company from the Grant Date through the
applicable Vesting Date.

(2)     No Vesting After Termination Date. The Option shall cease to vest
after the Termination Date. Any portion of the Option which has vested and
become exercisable prior to the Termination Date shall remain exercisable for
the period set forth in Section 3.





---



##### 



(3)     Procedure for Exercise. At any time prior to the Expiration Date,
Optionee may exercise all or a portion of the Option (to the extent vested),
which has not expired pursuant to subsection 3(b) below by delivering written notice of exercise
to the Company, together with (i) a written acknowledgment that Optionee has
read and has been afforded an opportunity to ask questions of members of the
Companys management regarding all financial and other information provided to
Optionee regarding the Company and (ii) full payment for the Shares with
respect to which the Option is exercised. Full payment may consist of payment
in cash, check, other shares of capital stock of the Company or any combination
of the foregoing. As a condition to any exercise of the Option, Optionee will
permit the Company to deliver to him all financial and other information
regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries which it believes necessary to
enable Optionee to make an informed investment decision. Shares issued upon
exercise of an Option shall be issued in the name of the Optionee or, if
requested by the Optionee, in the name of the Optionee and his or her spouse.

3.      Expiration of Option.

(1)     Normal Expiration. In no event shall any part of the Option be
exercisable after the Expiration Date.

(2)     Expiration Upon Termination of Employment. Any portion of the Option
that was not vested and exercisable on the Termination Date shall expire on
such date and may not be exercised thereafter under any circumstance. Any
portion of the Option that was vested and exercisable on the Termination Date
shall expire on the earlier of (i) three months after the Termination Date (or
12 months after the Termination Date if the termination was caused by
Optionees death, disability or retirement) and (ii) the Expiration Date and
may not be exercised thereafter under any circumstance.

(3)     Non-Transferability of Option. The Option is personal to Optionee and
is not transferable by Optionee except pursuant to the laws of descent or
distribution and may be exercised, during the lifetime of the Optionee, only by
the Optionee.

4.      Adjustments upon Dissolution, Merger or Asset Sale.

(1)     Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of the proposed dissolution
or liquidation of the Company, the Board shall notify each Optionee as soon as
practicable prior to the effective date of such proposed transaction. To the
extent it has not been previously exercised, an Option will terminate
immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action.

(2)     Merger or Asset Sale. In the event of a Change of Control, the
Optionee shall fully vest in and have the right to exercise the Option as to
all of the Option Shares, including Shares as to which it would not otherwise
be vested or exercisable.

5.      Definition of Option Shares. For all purposes of this Agreement,
Option Shares will continue to be Option Shares in the hands of any holder
other than Optionee (except





---



##### 



for the Company, purchasers pursuant to an offering
registered under the 1933 Act and subsequent transferees), and each such other
holder of Option Shares will succeed to all rights and obligations attributable
to Optionee as a holder of Option Shares hereunder. Option Shares will also include shares of the
Companys capital stock issued with
respect to Option Shares by way of a stock split, stock dividend or other
recapitalization.

6.      Definitions. The following terms are defined as follows:

1933 Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

Affiliate means, with respect to any Person, any other Person who is
controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such Person and, in
the case of a Person which is a partnership, any partner of such Person.

Board means the Companys Board of Directors.

Change of Control means any transaction involving the Company and an
Independent Third Party or affiliated group of Independent Third Parties
pursuant to which such party or parties acquire (i) a majority of the
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote in the
election of the Board of Directors of the Company (whether by merger,
consolidation or sale or transfer of the Companys capital stock) or (ii) all
or substantially all of the Companys assets determined on a consolidated
basis.

Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time.

Common Stock means, collectively, the Companys common stock, par value
$0.01 per share.

Expiration Date means, with respect to any Option, the date which is the
tenth anniversary of the date hereof.

Grant Date means the date the Board approves the grant by the Company to
the Optionee of the Option governed by this Agreement.

Independent Third Party means any person or entity who, immediately
prior to the contemplated transaction, does not own in excess of 5% of the
capital stock on a fully diluted basis, who is not controlling, controlled by
or under common control with any such 5% owner of the capital stock and who is
not the spouse or descendant (by birth or adoption) of any such 5% owner of the
capital stock).

Option Shares means (i) all shares of Common Stock purchased pursuant to
the Options granted pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) all shares of Common
Stock issued with respect to Common Stock referred to in clause (i) by way of
stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a recapitalization or other
reorganization affecting the Common Stock.





---



##### 



Person means an individual, a partnership, a joint venture, a
corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization and a government or any
department or agency thereof.

Plan has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Subsidiary means any corporation of which shares of stock having a
majority of the general voting power in electing the board of directors are, at
the time as of which any determination is being made, owned by the Company
either directly or through its Subsidiaries.

Termination Date means the date that Optionee ceases to be employed by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for any reason.

7.      Notices. Any notice provided for in this Agreement must be in writing
and must be personally delivered, received by certified mail, return receipt
requested, or sent by guaranteed overnight delivery service, to the Optionee at
the address appearing on the signature page hereto and to the other recipients
at the address indicated below:

To the Company:

| |                          
| | -------------------------
| | Therma-Wave, Inc.        
| | 1250 Reliance Way        
| | Fremont, California 94539
| | Attn: President          

and

| |                          
| | -------------------------
| | Kirkland & Ellis         
| | 777 South Figueroa Street
| | Los Angeles, CA 90017    
| | Attn: Eva Davis          

or such other address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient
party will have specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Any
notice under this Agreement will be deemed to have been given when so delivered
or mailed.

8.      Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement will
be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable
law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable in any respect under any applicable law or rule in any
jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not affect
any other provision or the effectiveness or validity of any provision in any
other





---



##### 



jurisdiction, and this Agreement will be reformed, construed and enforced
in such jurisdiction as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had
never been contained herein.

9.       Complete Agreement. This Agreement and the Plan embody the complete
agreement and understanding among the parties and supersedes and preempts any
prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties,
written or oral, which may have related to the subject matter hereof in any way. Without
limiting the foregoing, all existing stock option agreements between the
Company and/or the Companys existing stockholders and Optionee are hereby
cancelled and terminated.

10.      Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in separate
counterparts, each of which will be deemed to be an original and all of which
taken together will constitute one and the same agreement.

11.      Successors and Assigns; Transfer. This Agreement is intended to bind
and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Optionee, the Company, and
their respective successors and assigns, provided that Optionee may not assign
any of his or her rights or obligations, except as expressly provided by the
terms of this Agreement.

12.      Governing Law. The corporate law of the State of Delaware will govern
all questions concerning the relative rights of the Company and its
stockholders. All other issues concerning the enforceability, validity and
binding effect of this Agreement will be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to
any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of
California or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the
law of any jurisdiction other than the State of California.

13.      Remedies. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that money damages
may not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the provisions of this
Agreement and that any party hereto will have the right to injunctive relief,
in addition to all of its other rights and remedies at law or in equity, to
enforce the provisions of this Agreement.

14.      Effect of Transfers in Violation of Agreement. The Company will not
be required (a) to transfer on its books any Option Shares which have been sold
or transferred in violation of any of the provisions set forth in this
Agreement or (b) to treat as owner of such Option Shares, to accord the right
to vote as such owner or to pay dividends to any transferee to whom such Option
Shares have been transferred in violation of this Agreement.

15.      Amendments and Waivers. The Board may at any time amend, alter,
suspend or terminate the Plan without the consent of any Optionee; provided,
however, that no amendment, alteration, suspension or termination of the Plan
shall impair the rights of any Optionee.





---



##### 



16.      Therma-Wave, Inc. 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. The grant of any Option
hereunder is pursuant to and subject to all of the terms and conditions of the
Plan.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Stock Option Agreement
on the day and year first above written.

| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |  | THERMA-WAVE, INC.                                                                                         
| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | /s/ L. RAY CHRISTIE

By: L. RAY CHRISTIE
Its: Vice President Finance & CFO                                
| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | OPTIONEE:                                                                                                 
| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | /s/ Boris Lipkin
Name: Boris Lipkin                                                                       
| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | Address (please print):                                                                                   
| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | 1250 Reliance Way, Fremont, CA 94539                                                                      
| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | Number of Option Shares: 500,000                                                                          
| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | Exercise Price: $0.66/share                                                                               
| |  |                                                                                                           
| |  | [insert closing price on trading date immediately
preceding date of Board authorization of this
agreement]