Fremont, CA, April 17, 1998 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASYT), the leading supplier of minienvironment and SMIF-based technology to the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced it has finalized its acquisition of Fluoroware, Inc.'s (Chaska, Minn.) FluoroTrac® automated radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for automated work-in-progress (WIP) tracking in semiconductor factories.

According to Asyst, RFID technology significantly extends the company's market potential for advanced WIP tracking solutions. "With the industry's continuous need to optimize manufacturing programs to increase profitability, more emphasis will be placed on the types of advanced manufacturing solutions Asyst offers," observed President and Chief Operating Officer Terry Moshier. "Complementing our suite of production-proven, Asyst-SMIF™solutions, RF-based automated WIP tracking strategically positions us to help both SMIF- and non-SMIF-based customers attain new productivity levels."

Automating many of the manually intensive and costly operations in a fab, both of Asyst's automated WIP tracking products-the RF-based and the infrared-based SMART-Traveler™ (STS) systems-help eliminate misprocessing and other operational errors, and automatically track and collect processing data. In addition to fabs scheduled to produce next-generation devices, Asyst believes that there are over 400 established 6-inch and 8-inch wafer facilities that can benefit from an automated WIP tracking solution.

Except for statements of historical fact, the statements in this press release are forward-looking. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These factors include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, semiconductor industry cycles, risks associated with the acceptance of new products and product capabilities, and other factors more fully detailed in the Company's most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and annual report to shareholders.

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.