AG Associates Offers Heatpulse 8800i and 8108i RTP Systems with Integrated SMIF.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 1997--AG Associates (NASDAQ:AGAI), a leading supplier of advanced, single-wafer rapid thermal processing (RTP) equipment used in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs), today introduced enhanced versions of its Heatpulse(R) 8800 and 8108 RTP systems. Dubbed Heatpulse 8800i and 8108i, the new systems feature an integrated standard mechanical interface (SMIF) minienvironment that prevents wafers from being exposed to cleanroom ambient conditions -- creating a better-than-Class 1 processing environment with virtually no increase to the systems' footprint.

The enhanced systems, which were jointly designed by AG Associates and Asyst Technologies, Inc., feature two integrated SMIF-Indexers(TM) and offer an ergonomic loading height to allow operators to easily load and unload SMIF-Pod(TM) wafer cassettes. The Heatpulse 8800i and 8108i enable chipmakers to achieve significant savings in facility costs by combining the RTP system and Asyst's SMIF-Enclosure(TM) minienvironment into one integrated system, thereby reducing total system footprint, while increasing overall fab cleanliness.

AG Associates reports an increase in demand for these systems among chipmakers worldwide, including an order placed by National Semiconductor for three Heatpulse 8800i systems and one Heatpulse 8108i for production of National's highly integrated, system-level chips at its new South Portland, Maine fab. AG Associates also reports that a leading Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer has purchased one Heatpulse 8800i.

According to Derek Tomlinson, AG Associates' vice president of sales and marketing, "The need for ultraclean manufacturing environments is becoming more critical as chip complexity increases and chipmakers transition to larger diameter wafers. The Heatpulse 8800i and 8108i address this need with an integrated package that combines AG Associates' advanced RTP technology with Asyst's ultraclean manufacturing methodology. With this new integrated design, chipmakers will realize substantial cost savings in expensive cleanroom space with only a nominal increase in system price."

Commenting on the joint SMIF design, John Field, Asyst's vice president of ATI marketing and OEM sales, noted, "This effort exemplifies Asyst's goal to actively partner with leading equipment manufacturers -- a primary component of Asyst's OEM strategy." Added Field, "We are pleased that AG Associates chose Asyst-SMIF technology to enhance its Heatpulse product offering."

The Heatpulse 8800i and 8108i utilize the company's patented cross lamp oven and individual zone control to generate exceptional temperature uniformity. Both systems address the demanding parameters for process repeatability, slip-free processing and contamination control -- allowing chipmakers to achieve high system uptime and throughput.

AG Associates is a leading supplier of rapid thermal processing equipment to the worldwide semiconductor industry. Founded in 1981, AG Associates is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and maintains customer service and support centers in the United States, Europe and Far East to support its global customer base. The company's common stock trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol AGAI.

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Note to Editors: SMIF stands for Standard Mechanical InterFace, the material handling approach that enables wafer transfer to and from sealed SMIF environments without exposure to cleanroom ambient conditions.

CONTACT: AG Associates, Inc.

Cheri Salazar, 408/935-2088

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or

MCA, Inc.

Marie Labrie, 415/968-8900

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