Brooks Automation, Inc. Cluster Tool Shipments Surpass 1000.

Business/Technology Editors

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 2001

More Than 80 OEMS Worldwide Have Designed in Brooks'

Tools With Their Processes, Establishing Brooks as a Leader in the

Cluster Tool Market.

Brooks Automation, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRKS), a leader in semiconductor tool and factory automation solutions for the global semiconductor industry, announced today that it has shipped its 1000th cluster tool to a major Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Brooks cluster tools can be found in the world's largest semiconductor, data storage, and flat panel display fabs, including IBM, Motorola, Seagate, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Fujitsu and Sony.

"A decade ago, growth in the semiconductor market drove equipment manufacturers to increase tool productivity, reliability, and reduction in defects. Brooks was one of the first equipment manufacturers to commit to the cluster tool technology, an unexplored terrain in the market, but one that had potential for ensuring all these benefits. Today, the shipment of our 1000th unit indicates that Brooks played an important role in leading to broad acceptance of cluster tools in the market," said Chuck McKenna, executive vice-president, Automation Solutions Division, Brooks Automation. "Brooks remains at the forefront of this important technology, with more than 80 OEMs successfully using our tools."

Cluster tools offer many advantages over stand-alone tools. One cluster tool can replace several stand-alone tools, saving expensive fab space. Maintaining wafers in a controlled environment allows multiple process steps to be performed without requiring an extra process to restore the wafer surface between processes. The ultra clean environment maximizes product yield, improves quality, and reduces defect rate. Replacing human wafer handling with robotic handling by Brooks' unsurpassed high speed 10 million cycle MagnaTran(TM) 7 robot improves profit by reducing labor costs and minimizing down time. Brooks' cluster tool products consist of the original first generation Marathon(TM), and newer generations: Marathon Express(TM), Atmospheric Express(TM), Gemini Express(TM) and Hercules Express(TM). All Brooks cluster tools are designed according to SEMI standards and meet all safety CE and S2 requirements.

Brooks Automation, Inc.

Brooks Automation, Inc. is the leading global supplier of OEM tool automation and factory management software for the semiconductor, data storage and flat panel display manufacturing industries. As an established market leader in hardware and software automation, Brooks continues to pioneer "Best-in-Class" technologies that outperform their competitors - from vacuum and atmospheric robots, cluster tool platforms and modules, ultra-clean mini-environments for isolating processing equipment and wafers - to factory and tool automation software and integration services. Both OEM and fab customers leverage Brooks Automation's products and environments. The Company has ISO 9001 certification, is headquartered in Chelmsford, MA and has direct operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. Brooks' web-site is www.brooks.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The foregoing discussion contains forward-looking statements relating to the expected benefits of the Brooks Automation cluster tool products. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks relating to the manner in which the customer uses the products and integrates the products with other components, the Company's dependence on the cyclical semiconductor industry, the ability of the Company to continue to successfully develop and market new products and product enhancements on a timely basis, the Company's dependence on relatively few customers for a significant portion of its revenues, the Company's reliance on sales to OEM customers and the lengthy sales cycles of those customers, the highly competitive nature and rapid technological change that characterize the industries in which the Company competes, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Company's future results will not be materially different from those projected. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only of the Company's expectations as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.