Fremont, CA, July 22, 1997 -- Asyst Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYT), the leading supplier of minienvironment and SMIF-based technology to the worldwide semiconductor industry, today reported results for first quarter of fiscal 1998 ended June 30, 1997.

For the first three months of fiscal 1998, Asyst reported net sales of $37.7 million, compared to net sales of $33.1 million for first quarter of fiscal 1997 ended June 30, 1996. Income from continuing operations was $3.3 million or $0.60 per share ($0.58 per share fully diluted), compared to income from continuing operations of $3.4 million or $0.67 per share reported for the same period last year. Net income was $.3.3 million or $0.60 per share ($0.58 per share fully diluted), versus $3.1 million or $0.60 per share for the same period ended June 30, 1996.

Mihir Parikh, chairman and chief executive officer of Asyst Technologies said, "Our Asyst Technologies business had record net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 1998. This reflects the increasing rate of adoption of minienvironment and SMIF-based products among chipmakers worldwide. Asyst-SMIF^™ systems allow our customers to achieve higher yields and faster time-to-market, supports them in their transition to higher manufacturing output levels and smaller IC geometries."

"During the first quarter we reached a major milestone -- our 150th SMIF-integration design win with Nikon Corporation. Asyst-SMIF products are now integrated with 150 different semiconductor process tools for IC manufacturing. We also recently shipped our 1,000th load port transfer system. This shipment reflects the industry’s continued acceptance of the SMIF-LPT which is becoming the standard for fast, flexible wafer loading and unloading I/O’s," Parikh added.

"Earlier this month Asyst unveiled a new series of products designed for 300mm isolation technology-based material handling -- the Asyst SMIF-300™ Series. This product series meets all Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) and International 300mm Initiative (I300I) guidelines. With the recent introduction of our 300mm series, we have also taken a leadership role in our industry in developing products for next-generation 300mm manufacturing," Parikh stated.

Parikh added that the Company’s commitment to advanced manufacturing was further strengthened by the revolutionary factory connectivity solution recently introduced by its subsidiary Asyst Software, Inc. (ASI). ASI’s Asyst-SWIFT™ system enables the integration of equipment peripheral devices -- such as Asyst-SMIF devices, bar code devices or material tracking and control systems -- with customers’ factory computer integrated manufacturing systems. These Asyst products, and others, address the industry’s increasing need for optimized material control.

According to Doug McCutcheon, Asyst’s chief financial officer, "Our product successes this quarter were complemented by solid financial performance. Record net sales and a favorable product mix contributed to a further increase in gross margin to 43.4% of net sales. The Company increased cash and short-term investments by $3 million to $15 million at June 30, 1997, and reduced days sales outstanding in accounts receivable to 77 days" McCutcheon concluded.

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-or-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 Asyst Technologies’ home page on the World Wide Web is located at: http://www.asyst.com.

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.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	1997 _______				1996 _______
Net sales	$ 37,686				$ 33,148
Cost of sales	21,314 _______				19,006 _______
Gross margin	16,372				14,142
Operating expenses:
Research and development	2,744				2,538
Selling, general and administrative	8,710 _______				6,144 _______
Total operating expenses	11,454				8,682
Operating income	4,918				5,460
Other income (expense), net	297				139
Income before income taxes	5,215				5,599
Provision for income taxes	1,878				2,103
Income from continuing operations	3,337				3,496
Discontinued Operations:
Loss from operations of Asyst Automation, Inc. net of applicable income taxes	-- _________				(358) _________
Net income	$ 3,337 ========				$ 3,138 ========
Weighted average common and common share equivalents used on calculation of -
Primary earnings per share	5,533				5,196
Fully-diluted earnings per share	5,717				5,196
Primary earnings per share:
Net income per share from continuing operations	$ 0.60 =======				$ 0.67 =======
Net income per share	$ 0.60 =======				$ 0.60 =======
Fully-diluted earnings per share:
Net income per share	$ 0.58				$ 0.60

	June 30, 1997		March 31, 1997
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and short-term investments	$ 15,028		$ 12,021
Accounts receivable, net	32,399		35,259
Inventories	22,777		18,609
Prepaid expenses and other assets	11,384		12,626
Net current assets of discontinued operations	3,655 ________		2,749 _______
Total current assets	85,243		81,264
Property and equipment, net	10,431		10,363
Other assets	2,330 _______		2,452 _______
	$ 98,004 =======		$ 94,079 =======
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$ 13,598		$ 13,392
Accrued liabilities	9,845		10,205
Customer deposits	2,033		2,968
Income taxes payable	3,673 _______		2,510 _______
Total current liabilities	29,149 _______		29,075 _______
Shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	67,459		66,945
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	1,396 _______		(1,941) _______
Total shareholders’ equity	68,855 _______		65,004 _______
	$ 98,004 =======		$ 94,079 =======

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