Fremont, CA, July 22, 1997 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASYT) announced today that its board of directors has declared a 2-for-1 stock split, to be effected by the distribution of a 100 percent stock dividend to shareholders of record on August 1, 1997.

Asyst's transfer agent will deliver the new stock certificates representing the additional shares on or about August 22, 1997.

About Asyst
Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of material control systems that help semiconductor manufacturers improve their integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing productivity. The company's Asyst-SMIFTM System combines state-of-the-art minienvironments with advanced robotics to create ultraclean processing environments that are both comprehensive and flexible. The SMART-TravelerTM 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 located in San Jose, CA The company's common stock trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol ASYT.

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