Fremont, CA, May 13, 1997 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASYT), the leading supplier of minienvironment and SMIF-based technology to the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced it has reached a major industry milestone -- 150^th SMIF-integration design win. Nikon Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) has contracted with Asyst for integrated SMIF capabilities for a line of Nikon's wafer steppers. With the Nikon design win, there are now 150 different semiconductor process tools featuring integrated Asyst-SMIF™ technology. Nikon and Asyst have been working together since 1994, when Nikon integrated Asyst-SMIF into their wafer inspection systems.

The newest tools, Nikon's NSR Series wafer steppers, will incorporate Asyst's SMIF-INX™R150 reticle indexer to utilize Asyst's reticle pods to ensure a better-than-Class 1 processing environment. Having developed integrated Asyst-SMIF solutions for tools that are represented in 90 percent of the front-end process areas in today's fabs, this latest design win signals Asyst's commanding leadership in the OEM market.

John Field, Asyst's vice president of marketing and OEM sales, stated, "SMIF is now a proven manufacturing methodology, and the new fabs being built are moving rapidly to SMIF. Asyst is focused on providing integrated solutions that enable SMIF to be implemented in a turn-key manner. The 150th design win with Nikon is a clear statement that we are making significant strides in that effort."

The design win also indicates Asyst's strong penetration into the Japan OEM market. According to Asyst, revenues from Japan equipment manufacturers increased over 500 percent in the last two years as a direct result of its commitment to providing this key regional market with localized customer support. Field said, "Dedicating the necessary resources to this market allows us to directly address the unique requirements of Japan-based tool manufacturers -- a strategic component in strengthening our international OEM presence."

Asyst-SMIF indexers overcome the significant cost and floor space challenges presented by stand-alone robotic transfer systems to achieve SMIF compatibility. Field explained that Asyst's SMIF I/O products integrate directly into the process equipment with no increase to system footprint area "Allowing chipmakers to conserve valuable floor space and reduce cost of ownership by ordering SMIF-equipped process tools directly from the OEM."

The SMIF-INX R150, a SMIF-Indexer for 6-inch reticles, joins Asyst's SMIF-Indexer Series which includes the SMIF-INX 2150 (150mm wafers) and the SMIF-INX 2200 (200mm wafers). Designed for a full range of process equipment, the Asyst indexers serve as I/O ports for Asyst SMIF-Pods™ and reticle pods. Optimizing and expediting OEM integration strategies, Asyst's team of OEM integration specialists work closely with worldwide equipment manufacturers in the development of both hardware and software manufacturing connectivity solutions.

About Asyst
Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of material handling systems that help semiconductor manufacturers improve their integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing productivity. The company's Asyst-SMIF™ System combines state-of-the-art minienvironments with advanced robotics to create ultraclean processing environments that are both comprehensive and flexible. The SMART-Traveler™ System (STS) works in tandem with SMIF to eliminate misprocessing. Both Asyst-SMIF and its companion STS products are integral to seamless factory automation. Asyst Software, Inc., is dedicated to the development of software products for equipment communications and automated material handling, identification and tracking. Founded in 1984, Asyst Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Fremont, CA, with facilities in Europe and the Far East. Asyst Software is located in San Jose, CA

About SMIF
SMIF stands for Standard Mechanical InterFace, the material handling approach that enables wafer transfer to and from sealed SMIF environments without exposure to cleanroom ambient conditions. SEMI standards exist for 150- and 200mm wafer sizes and are now being defined for 300mm.