Asyst Receives Multimillion-Dollar Order From Chartered/Lucent Joint Venture Fab; New business further extends Asyst's lead in the foundry market.

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 4, 1998--Asyst Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:ASYT), the leading supplier of minienvironment and SMIF-based technology to the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced that it has received a multimillion-dollar order from one of Singapore's newest fabs, Silicon Manufacturing Partners (SMP). A joint venture foundry between Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing of Woodlands, Singapore and Lucent Technologies of Murray Hill, N. J., SMP will help these companies meet the growing worldwide demand for advanced integrated circuits (ICs).

The $4 million plus order, which covers a full range of Asyst products, includes both Asyst-SMIF minienvironment solutions and Asyst's proprietary SMART-Traveler System(TM) (STS). Together these systems automate the critical material management functions throughout the fab to optimize cleanliness levels, while providing the manufacturing and process control needed for sub-quarter micron device manufacturing.

According to Mr. T. Y. Ang, general manager of SMP, this order represents the first phase designed to provide complete SMIF minienvironment and STS solutions throughout the SMP fab. "SMIF and STS will allow us to deliver the superior levels of cleanliness and process control that will be needed as we transition to ever tighter design rules. These technologies are especially critical given the manufacturing flexibility and control we must deliver to ensure that our customers receive timely and cost-effective manufacturing solutions for their most advanced chip designs," Ang explained.

Ang added that Asyst was selected based on its performance capabilities and vast experience deploying and managing both minienvironment and paperless material tracking and control systems in fabs worldwide. In addition to the technological capabilities Asyst brings to SMP, Ang noted that the company's strong support infrastructure in Singapore was an important criteria in the selection process.

Asyst's Vice President of Asia Pacific Operations Ken Leung noted that this recent win will allow Asyst to further enhance its strong relationship with Singapore's leading foundry, where Asyst has more than $40 million worth of equipment installed. "As some of the most aggressive users of SMIF technology, foundries are an important mainstay of our business. They are also clearly the wave of the future. We look forward to partnering with SMP to help this impressive fab achieve its aggressive technical and production goals," Leung concluded.

Asyst reports that this first order, which included SMIF enclosures, robotic I/O mechanisms, pods, Wafer Management Systems(TM) and SMART-Traveler Systems, will be used on SMP's initial process tool set as well as its metrology and yield management equipment. The systems are currently being shipped and installed.

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 most recent Forms 10-K annual report and 10-Q quarterly report on file with the SEC.

About SMP: SMP manufactures a variety of integrated circuits using process technology developed by Lucent's Bell Laboratories and Chartered. Lucent Technologies owns 51 percent of the joint venture company, and Chartered owns 49 percent. Both companies share the facility's production output. Initially, the joint venture company will produce 8-inch wafers using 0.25-micron processing technology. At full capacity, the facility will produce 26,000 8-inch wafers per month. The venture expects to advance to 0.18-micron processing technology. SMP is located on Chartered's semiconductor fabrication campus at the Woodlands Industrial Park in Singapore.

About Asyst: The pioneer of the Standard Mechanical InterFace (SMIF), Asyst Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of automated material handling systems critical to seamless factory automation in the most advanced fabs worldwide. Asyst's comprehensive solutions, which include industry-leading 200 mm and 300 mm product offerings, result in greater fab profitability and productivity. Through innovative developments in the software and integration services area, Asyst Software, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, provides integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers fully automated solutions addressing their most advanced manufacturing challenges. Founded in 1984, Asyst Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Fremont, Calif., with facilities in Europe and the Pacific Rim. Asyst Software, Inc., is located in San Jose, Calif. Asyst's homepage is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.asyst.com

    CONTACT:  Asyst Technologies, Inc.
               Lisa Garcia, 510/661-5000
               Laura Guerrant, 510/661-5000 (Financial Community)
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               Sheryl Moreno, 650/968-8900