Asyst Technologies Receives Outstanding Service Award From Atmel Corporation.

Business Editors

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 16, 2001

Award Recognizes Asyst's Excellence in the Areas of AMHS 

and Robotic SMIF Technology Implementation

Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYT), the leading provider of Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF)-based manufacturing automation systems, today announced that Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML) has recognized Asyst for its outstanding service in the areas of automated material handling systems (AMHS) and robotic SMIF technology implementation at Atmel's facilities. With this award, Asyst becomes the second of only four Atmel suppliers to be so honored this year.

Commenting on the selection of Asyst, Thomas E. Legere, a director of operations at Atmel, commented, "Asyst provided the support necessary to implement timely solutions to the SMIF-LoadPort requirements. Atmel thoroughly appreciates Asyst's efforts and recognizes that the highly qualified installation team was key to the success in bringing these projects to completion."

The FasTrack installation represents the first U.S. implementation of continuous-flow transport (CFT) technology for a fab's AMHS. Upon completion, nearly 2,300 feet (0.4 miles or 0.7 kilometers) of FasTrack and more than 85 FasTurn(TM) directional controllers, as well as multiple overhead load stations and vertical transfer switches, will move up to 650 production lots per hour of 200mm wafers.

Dennis Riccio, Asyst's senior vice president of global customer operations, stated, "Asyst originally projected travel time at eight minutes from building to building at the Atmel site, but we were able to achieve a travel-time reduction of more than 50 percent."

"We are honored to have been selected by Atmel for this award," continued Riccio. "Our pioneering work in semiconductor isolation and automation technology has enabled us to provide a complete fab-wide solution to Atmel for its material-handling strategy, and our SMIF-LoadPorts will positively impact yield at Atmel."

The Atmel award honors companies that have demonstrated dedication and commitment to supplying products and services that meet Atmel's high standards. The award was presented by Atmel's Thomas Legere at Asyst's headquarters on June 20, 2001.

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: the volatility of semiconductor industry cycles, failure to respond to rapid demand shifts, dependence on a few significant customers, the transition of the industry from 200mm wafers to 300mm wafers, risks associated with the acceptance of new products and product capabilities, including our Plus Portal systems, competition in the semiconductor equipment industry, failure to efficiently integrate acquired companies, failure to retain employees, and other factors more fully detailed in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2001, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 19, 2001, as amended.

About Atmel: Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. Atmel designs, manufactures and markets worldwide, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading provider of system-level integration semiconductor solutions using CMOS, BiCMOS, bipolar SiGe and high-voltage BCDMOS process technologies. (Note to Editors: Atmel product and financial information can be retrieved from its Fax-on-Demand service. In North America call 800/292-8635. Internationally from a fax phone, dial 408/441-0732. Requests may be sent via e-mail to [e-mail] or by visiting Atmel's website at www.atmel.com).

About Asyst: Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated automation systems for the semiconductor manufacturing industry, which enable semiconductor manufacturers to increase their manufacturing productivity and protect their investment in silicon wafers during the manufacture of integrated circuits, or ICs. Through its "Value-Assured Fab" strategy, Asyst offers a broad range of 200mm and 300mm solutions that enable the safe transfer of wafers and information between the process equipment and the fab line throughout the IC fabrication process, while reducing IC damage caused by human, environmental, mechanical and chemical factors. Encompassing isolation systems, work-in-process materials management, substrate-handling robotics, automated transport and loading systems, and connectivity automation software, Asyst's modular, interoperable solutions allow chipmakers and original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, to select and employ the value-assured, hands-off manufacturing capabilities that best suit their needs. Asyst's homepage is http://www.asyst.com.

Note to Editors: FasTrack and FasTurn are trademarks of Asyst Technologies, Inc.