Fremont, CA, June 28, 2000 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: ASYT) today announced it has achieved a key milestone indicative of its growing presence in the wafer-sorter market. On a quarter to quarter basis, Asyst experienced a 382-percent increase in bookings for wafer sorters for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000 (March 31, 2000). The company attributes this growth in large part to the rapid adoption of its SMS™ (substrate management system) platform, launched last November based on technology acquired as part of Asyst's purchase of Progressive System Technologies (PST) in June 1999. To date, Asyst's SMS customers include industry leaders such as Chartered Semiconductor, First Silicon, Hewlett-Packard, KLA-Tencor, and System on Silicon Manufacturing Co. (SSMC).

The first generation of the SMS family of high-productivity wafer sorters, used by semiconductor device manufacturers to manipulate and identify wafers, is a 200mm, fully automated platform designed to ensure that wafers remain in a Class 0.1 environment during all fab process steps. By implementing this "hands-off" approach, manufacturers can reduce handling-induced scratches and contamination, as well as protect against misprocessing errors, thereby increasing yield. Asyst has also developed a 300mm version of the SMS platform, which the company anticipates will further strengthen its market position for wafer sorters.

"The SMS platform is Asyst's first 100-percent vertically integrated wafer sorter, incorporating many of our key product technologies," said Mihir Parikh, Asyst chairman and chief executive officer. "This is significant because SMS, which is typically the first tool to be delivered to a customer, is used to introduce new silicon into fabrication. As such, it represents even greater opportunities for Asyst to demonstrate its capabilities from both the product and customer support perspectives."

Asyst products included in the SMS configurations include:

• Axys™ 407 dual wafer-handling robot
• Dual buffered wafer aligners
• SMIF-300FL™ front-load Series 2 (S2) minienvironment technology
• SMART-Comm™ HS80 protocol converter
• VersaPort™ 2200 load port opener
• SMART-Tag™ ST-8400 microcomputer

SMS Helps Lower Overall COO The SMS platform's appeal to chip manufacturers has much to do with its contribution to reduced cost of ownership (COO). With its modular design, small footprint (2.66 ft. W x 3.71 ft. D) and high throughput (550 wafers per hour), Asyst's SMS solution offers heightened tool utilization, which helps to lower overall system and fab COO. Installation of the SMS has also proven highly efficient, with an average time to install of less than one hour.

Asyst delivered its first SMS products at the end of April 2000. The company reports that additional deliveries to multiple fabs in Malaysia and Singapore are scheduled for June and July. To accommodate the dramatic increase in SMS sales, Asyst has boosted manpower at its Austin facility (formerly PST), which produces the SMS platform, by more than 30 percent.

Deliveries of the next-generation 300mm SMS solution are expected to commence in July 2000. Asyst will debut the 300mm version of the SMS platform in Booth #1338 at SEMICON West in San Francisco, Calif., July 10-12.

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 10Q quarterly report on file with the SEC.

About Asyst:

Asyst Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of Standard Mechanical InterFace (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.