Fremont, CA, October 30, 1997 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASYT), the leading supplier of minienvironment and SMIF-based technology to the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced a major multimillion-dollar order from United Semiconductor Corp. (USC), a subsidiary of United Microelectronics Corp. Group (UMC) (Hsinchu, Taiwan). The order, for multiple Asyst SMIF-LPT™ (Load Port Transfer) systems, minienvironments and computer integrated manufacturing (CIM)-related products, extends Asyst's dominance as the leading SMIF provider in the Taiwanese semiconductor market. Installation of the Asyst LPT systems for 8-inch wafer processing will begin at the end of 1997.

USC will use the highly adaptable LPTs in its recent foundry expansion to produce various integrated circuits (ICs) with 0.25-micron design rules on 8-inch wafers. Commenting on the flexibility of Asyst's SMIF I/O solution, Dr. Peter Chang, USC's president, noted, "For our 8-inch facility expansion we needed a SMIF manufacturing solution that would integrate seamlessly with our current cleanroom facilities. Asyst's LPT system performance, extensive experience and comprehensive customer support in this region made them the obvious choice for our new quarter-micron program."

Asyst reports that as chipmakers in the Asia-Pacific region prepare to meet aggressive production schedules, Asyst continues to experience accelerated adoption of SMIF manufacturing among the region's key players. According to recent projections from independent market research firm Dataquest (San Jose, CA), the Asia-Pacific region will experience the fastest growth in semiconductor production, with a forecasted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.4 percent from 1995 to 2001, outpacing the worldwide CAGR of 13.8 percent.

With this order, Asyst now provides SMIF-based technology for 95 percent of the semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Taiwan. Dr. Mihir Parikh, Asyst's chairman and chief executive officer, cited Taiwan's competitive climate as a primary factor for the region's rapid adoption of SMIF. "At this level of competition, increasing productivity and yields is vital to driving up profitability, which is a significant competitive edge for the key players in this region," noted Parikh.

USC plans to use the Asyst SMIF-LPT systems to maintain or increase its 40,000 wafer-per-month output level for new 0.25-micron design rules. The LPTs will provide USC with an ultraclean wafer environment solution without incurring the high costs or significant facility downtimes associated with cleanroom expansions.

Kenneth Leung, Asyst's vice president of sales, Asia-Pacific, commented on the significance of the USC's order, "This order validates our success in providing leading-edge customer support and SMIF solutions to one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world." Leung continued, "We look forward to helping USC reach its advanced 8-inch production goals, and to a long-lasting relationship."

About USC
Established in 1995, USC provides wafer foundry services and related expertise to semiconductor companies worldwide. The company specializes in leading-edge DRAM, SRAM, logic non-volatile and embedded logic technology manufacturing. A subsidiary of United Microelectronics Corporation Group, USC is located in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

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-, 200- and 300 mm wafer sizes.