Fremont, CA, March 29, 2000 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: ASYT) today announced that it has received a multimillion-dollar order from System on Silicon Manufacturing Co. Pte. Ltd (SSMC) in Singapore for its fab-wide SMIF automation capability. SSMC is a Singapore-based joint-venture company founded by Philips Semiconductor, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and the Economic Development Board of Singapore.

The order includes Asyst's SMIF-LPT™ (loadports, minienvironments) and SMART-Tags™ (lot ID systems and wafer sorters), and is slated for installation at SSMC's Singapore fab in June 2000. SSMC will use the Asyst products in the production of SSMC TriMedia (processors and other devices) for digital consumer applications. Volume production at the Singapore fab is expected to commence by the end of the calendar year, with full production capacity expected to be thirty thousand 200 mm wafers per month.

SSMC Chief Executive Officer Peter Yates noted that Asyst was selected based on the company's reputation for technical competence and leadership in advanced wafer isolation, material handling and tracking technologies. "Asyst's technologies helps us eliminate critical manufacturing problems, including wafer contamination and mishandling, which is crucial to achieving our manufacturing goals," he said.

"We are pleased that SSMC has selected our factory automation solutions for their initial fab," said Mihir Parikh, Asyst's chairman and chief executive officer. "We believe that Southeast Asia is rapidly emerging as an important center for semiconductor manufacturing. This order marks another key gain in our sales momentum in this strategic region-capitalizing on the continued adoption of our wafer isolation and fab automation technologies in the foundry market."

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 recent S-3 Registration Statement.

About SSMC:

Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Co. Pte Ltd is a joint venture of Philips Semiconductor, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and the Economic Development Board of Singapore (EDBI). SSMC is in the advanced semiconductor foundry business with an investment of over $2 billion. Operations will commence in the second half of 2000, with 0.25 micron moving quickly to 0.18-micron technology, to supply a large volume of strategic and customized integrated circuits to the global market for a wide range of applications - telecommunications, information technology, multi-media, digital consumer electronics and many more.

About Asyst:

Asyst Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of SMIF-based minienvironment and manufacturing automation systems that enable semiconductor manufacturers to protect customers' valued assets throughout the manufacturing process while increasing manufacturing productivity. Asyst offers a broad range of 200 mm and 300 mm products that enable the Company to provide semiconductor manufacturers and OEMs automated manufacturing solutions for the transfer of wafers and information between the process equipment and the fab line.