Amtech Systems Inc. Announces $4.9 Million in Orders.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 2003

Amtech Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ASYS) ("Amtech" or the "company") announced $4.9 million (4.2 million euros) in new orders for diffusion furnaces from three European customers, just three months after reporting large orders from Asia announced on April 1, 2003. The new orders include several horizontal diffusion furnace systems from the company's existing product line and a new thermal system that will be developed over the next 12 months. Of these orders, two are from repeat customers.

The details of the new thermal system are not being disclosed at this time. That system has a sales price of approximately $.6 million and special terms and conditions that, if the system is not accepted, allow the customer to return the product for a refund of the amount paid plus certain additional compensation.

Through the first nine months of fiscal 2003, Amtech has booked approximately $16 million in new orders. As of June 30, 2003, the order backlog, excluding deferred revenue, is approximately $10.5 million, higher than the end of any quarter since March 31, 2001, and 71% higher than as of March 31, 2003.

J.S. Whang, the company's president and CEO, stated, "I am always pleased when a customer places a repeat order, which is the case with two of the orders announced today, since it is compelling evidence that we have met or exceeded the customer's expectations regarding our engineering and design capabilities, process technology, manufacturing quality and customer service, from initial sales contact through installation and post-acceptance service. Based upon Dataquest's December 2002 estimate of the market, Amtech has become one of, if not the, largest manufacturer of semiconductor diffusion horizontal furnaces. These orders are further evidence of our marketing strategy. Developing a new thermal system to satisfy one of the orders being announced today provides another opportunity to further expand our product line and potentially increase market share."

Amtech Systems Inc. manufactures capital equipment, including silicon wafer handling automation, semiconductor processing equipment and related consumables used in fabricating semiconductor devices. Semiconductors, or semiconductor chips, are fabricated on silicon wafer substrates, sliced from ingots, and are part of the circuitry, or electronic components, of many products including computers, telecommunications devices, automotive products, consumer goods, industrial automation and control systems, and solar cells. The company's semiconductor handling and processing products currently address the polishing of newly sliced silicon wafers and reclaimed test wafers and the oxidation and deposition steps used in the fabrication of semiconductors, MEMS and solar cells.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by Amtech Systems Inc.) contains statements that are forward looking. Such forward-looking information involves a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or anticipated by management. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among other factors, industry specific and general business conditions, competitive market conditions, success of Amtech's growth and sales strategies, the possibility of customer changes in delivery schedules, cancellation of orders, potential delays in product shipments, delays in obtaining inventory parts from suppliers, failure to satisfy customer acceptance requirements, difficulties in collecting receivables and the effects of Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101, "Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements," issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission.