Fremont, CA, June 14, 1999 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq NM:ASYT), the leading supplier of Standard Mechanical InterFace (SMIF) isolation and manufacturing automation solutions to the semiconductor industry, today announced it has received an order valued at more than $4 million from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) (NYSE:TSM) - the world's largest pure-play wafer foundry - for Asyst SMIF-LPT ™ (Load Port Transfer) and Asyst SMIF-Enclosureô minienvironment systems. The products are currently being shipped and will be installed at TSMC's Fabs 3, 4 and 5 located in the Hsin-Chu Science Park in Taiwan, where they will support the manufacture of semiconductor logic devices with 0.35- and 0.25-micron design rules.

"For almost a decade, Asyst has supplied us with our contamination control and automated material handling solutions, which have played a critical role in helping us establish and maintain our leadership in the foundry market," said Dr. F.C. Tseng, president of TSMC. "Asyst is our preferred supplier of SMIF solutions, and as we address projected growth for the next several years, we will continue to leverage Asystís products to achieve our manufacturing objectives and be technologically convergent with the world's leading-edge captive fabs with 0.18-micron design rules," Dr. Tseng added.

Asyst's SMIF-LPT systems are fully automated robotic transfer systems designed to remove wafer cassettes from a pod or wafer carrier and subsequently load them into the semiconductor process equipmentóall the while, isolating the wafer lots from potentially harmful and yield-limiting contaminants. Asyst's minienvironments surround the process equipment and provide a better-than-Class 1 level of cleanliness while separating the equipment from the ambient environment of the manufacturing facility. When used in combination, these SMIF systems enable IC manufacturers to benefit from optimized processing integrity and less costly Class 10 to 1000 cleanrooms.

"TSMC is one of SMIF's earliest adopters and the first foundry to implement SMIF technology. Since then, they have deployed Asyst-SMIF™ systems in all of its fabs, with an installed base of approximately 1,500 Asyst LPT tools alone," stated Ken Leung, vice president, Asia-Pacific operations at Asyst. "Not only does this follow-on order reinforce our role as the leading supplier of SMIF-based solutions in Taiwan, but it also indicates that there is still tremendous market opportunity for SMIF in 200 mm wafer production," Leung added.

Taiwan is a large market for Asyst because some of the most aggressive users of SMIF technology are chip foundries largely located in this region. Due to their strict time-to-market and cost requirements, foundries must carefully manage, control and optimize every step of the manufacturing flow. SMIF isolation and automation are key to foundriesí ability to address multiple products, customers and priorities.

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 Companyís most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and annual report to shareholders.

About TSMC:
TSMC (ADS traded NYSE:TSM, also traded on TSE) is the worldís largest dedicated integrated circuit (IC) foundry and offers a comprehensive set of IC fabrication processes, including processes to manufacture CMOS logic, mixed-mode, volatile and non-volatile memory and BiCMOS chips. Currently, TSMC operates two six-inch wafer fabs (Fabs 1 and 2) and three eight-inch wafer fabs (Fabs 3, 4 and 5), all located in Hsin-Chu, Taiwan. In mid-1998, TSMC announced that production wafers were being delivered from its first U.S. foundry, WaferTech, a joint venture with Altera, Analog Devices and Integrated Silicon Solutions, Inc. The company has broken ground in the new Tainan Park, which will house Fabs 6 and 7. TSMC's corporate headquarters are in Taiwan. More information about TSMC is available through the World Wide Web at http://www.tsmc.com.tw

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 200 mm and 300 mm product offerings, result in greater fab profitability and productivity. Hine Design Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary, designs and manufactures precision substrate handling equipment for vacuum, atmospheric and corrosive environments.