Fremont, CA, September 13, 2000 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: ASYT), the world's largest semiconductor fab automation company, today announced it has shipped its 250th Plus™ Portal automated equipment front-end system to a major United States semiconductor equipment manufacturer.

Part of the Asyst "Value Assured Fab" product portfolio, the Asyst Plus Portal has become the industry's most widely used turnkey automated front-end solution for both 200mm and 300mm applications. The Plus Portal combines Asyst's patented automation, isolation and information technology to enable seamless integration between original equipment manufacturers' (OEMs') production tools and advanced fab automation systems. In addition, because the Plus Portal is a true plug-and-play automation solution, it is fully compatible with the company's fab transport (FasTrack™) and tracking (SMART-Tag™) technology, as well as its 300mm front-opening unified pods (FOUPs). As a result, the Asyst Plus Portal is designed to help OEMs meet the stringent manufacturing requirements associated with today's most advanced integrated circuits.

"The strong demand for the Plus Portal is accelerating," said Dr. James Mitchener, senior vice president of global marketing operations for Asyst. "We believe that the market for system-level outsourcing is growing rapidly, as semiconductor equipment manufacturers confront development time, manufacturing cost and increasing automation complexity issues associated with overall system design and manufacture."

Mitchener further explained, "We believe that the requirements for full fab automation in the most advanced 200mm and 300mm manufacturing facilities have created a demand for increasingly sophisticated, proven automation technology. This has led makers of critical manufacturing and metrology equipment to seek outsourcing options to help them achieve timely, cost-effective and reliable automation solutions. Implementing the Plus Portal frees our OEM partners to focus on their own core competencies while leveraging Asyst's expertise in the multiple automated front-end technologies of equipment portals."

Asyst's Plus Portal technology also incorporates a series of integrated building blocks that can be custom-configured to meet the needs of each OEM and fab customer. The complete Plus Portal system fully integrates its critical functions into a turnkey material handling and factory automation interface for the full range of wafer process and metrology tools. In tailoring Plus Portals to meet the stringent requirements of today's fabs, Asyst works in close partnership with both the OEM and IC makers to develop an optimized fab/process interface that complies with all SEMI and I300I standards and guidelines.

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 Securities Exchange Commission.

About Asyst:
Asyst Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of manufacturing automation systems that enable semiconductor makers to protect their valued assets throughout the manufacturing process while increasing manufacturing productivity. Asyst offers a broad range of 200mm and 300mm 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.