Fremont, CA, April 8, 1999 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYT), the leading supplier of manufacturing automation and Standard Mechanical InterFace (SMIF) isolation solutions to the semiconductor industry, today introduced Asyst Titan, a revolutionary new robot specifically designed for today's most advanced integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing requirements. Representing the first significant departure from traditional robotic platform designs in more than a decade, Titan delivers the increased reliability, repeatability and robustness that will be essential for advanced processes with complex wafer transport requirements and/or harsh processing environments such as chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) and copper deposition.

Commenting on this new product introduction, Dan Hutcheson, president of VLSI Research Inc., noted, "In recent years, robotic technology has not kept pace with advances in semiconductor processing technology. In fact, virtually all of the commercially viable robots incorporated in IC manufacturing systems are based on the same fundamental platforms developed more than a decade ago. As a result, these systems have not been optimized for today's production realities, which include harsh processing environments, increasingly intricate wafer paths, and larger and heavier wafers, as well as unparalleled accuracy requirements. Of equal concern for leading chipmakers is the lack of reliability and robustness that will be needed to meet productivity requirements for both current 200 mm fabs and the emerging 300 mm fabs of the future."

Titan was specifically designed to resolve all of these production requirements. Built on an entirely new, modular platform, this innovative robotic system features both mechanical and software advances customized for the rigors of the production environment. These advances include brushless motors designed to eliminate failure and maintenance modes, and a backbone frame and linear bearing assembly that increase accuracy and repeatability. Other innovations include monolithic tubular arm links and a rotating mast drive coupled with enhanced software capabilities that allow for better path planning with less mechanical complexity and lost motion. Architected for reliability, Asyst's new Titan robot also affords the design simplicity not found in current solutions, while delivering a level of adaptability and extendibility previously unattainable.

Hutcheson also noted, "Asyst is known for bringing revolutionary approaches to market. With the new Titan robot, they are striving to be the first to meet robotic requirements of the new millennium. By designing Titan to be a very robust, reliable solution that offers extendibility well into the future, they are making great strides to help both equipment and chip manufacturers resolve the automation challenges that lie ahead."

According to Asyst, Titan is the first new product to emerge from its acquisition of Hine Design Incorporated last year. Representing the synergistic engineering and process technology strengths that the Asyst/Hine team brings to robotic technology, the new Titan platform further enhances Asyst's comprehensive and fully integrated tool front-end solution set. This solution enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to focus on core competencies and IC manufacturers to have consistent front-ends throughout the fab.

Explaining how this new product fits into Asyst's long-term strategy, Asyst's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mihir Parikh said, "In addition to meeting a broader range of our customers' process automation requirements, Titan is expected to open up new market opportunities for Asyst by giving the company a further competitive edge in three growing areas: CMP, copper processing and 300 mm technology."

The Titan platform will first be leveraged for the aforementioned applications and later applied to other atmospheric process tools in which robot reliability, accuracy, repeatability and adaptability are essential technology features.

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:
The pioneer of the Standard Mechanical InterFace (SMIF), Asyst Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of automated material handling systems and software critical to seamless factory automation in the most advanced fabs worldwide. Asyst's comprehensive solutions, which include industry-leading loadport, auto ID, environmental control, robotic, and automation software products for 200 mm and 300 mm applications, result in greater fab profitability and productivity.

Technical Summary of the Asyst Titan Robot