Axcelis CEO Mary Puma Elected to SEMI Board of Directors.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 28, 2003

Axcelis Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ACLS), today announced that Mary Puma, president and CEO, has been elected to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International's (SEMI) board of directors. Puma brings two decades of business management experience to the 21-member board, which represents organizations and companies from Europe, Korea, Japan, North America and Taiwan.

"It is a great honor for me to contribute to the SEMI board," Puma said. "We operate in one of the most demanding and exciting times in our industry's history, and the SEMI board plays an important role in influencing its long-term success. I look forward to working with the board to address the challenges facing equipment and materials companies throughout the technology supply chain."

Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI, noted, "The SEMI board is composed of the foremost strategic business leaders in our industry. Mary has been a dedicated contributor to SEMI programs and committees for many years, and her leadership, wisdom and industry insight make her a tremendous addition to the board."

Puma currently serves on the boards of the Nordson Corporation, headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, and the North Shore United Way. Before becoming Axcelis' CEO in January 2002, Puma was chief operating officer and president. She has held numerous executive-level roles with former Axcelis parent company Eaton Corp., and began her career with General Electric. Puma earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Tufts University, and holds a master's degree in management from M.I.T. Sloan School of Management.

About SEMI

Based in San Jose, Calif., SEMI is a global industry association serving more than 2,500 companies participating in the semiconductor and flat panel display equipment and materials markets. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit SEMI at www.semi.org.

About Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

Axcelis Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, provides innovative, high-productivity solutions for the semiconductor industry. Axcelis is dedicated to developing enabling process applications through the design, manufacture and complete life cycle support of ion implantation, rapid thermal processing, and cleaning and curing systems. Axcelis Technologies has key technology centers in Beverly, Massachusetts, and Rockville, Maryland as well as in Toyo, Japan through its joint venture, SEN. The company's Internet address is: www.axcelis.com.