Brooks Automation, Inc. Signs Multi-Million Dollar Agreement with ProMOS Technologies Inc.

Business/Technology Editors

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2001

ProMOS will implement SEARAMS, Brooks' advanced software tool for

improving overall factory efficiency, in its 200mm and 300mm fabs.

Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKS), a leading supplier of tool and factory hardware and software automation solutions for the global semiconductor industry, today announced that it has received a multi-million dollar order from ProMOS Technologies Inc. for its SEARAMS(TM) product and installation services. ProMOS will deploy SEARAMS in both its 200mm and 300mm factories. Installation services will begin immediately.

SEARAMS will enable ProMOS to connect and monitor status and performance of all key tools in the fab. ProMOS chose SEARAMS because Brooks was able to demonstrate actual improvement in tool productivity. "One of the attributes of a world-class semiconductor manufacturer is the ability to completely and accurately assess the performance of each tool in the factory," said Dr. Len Mei, vice president for manufacturing, ProMOS Technologies Inc. "This means that key state data from each tool must be automatically collected, analyzed and summarized in a manner that allows factory personnel to take quick and decisive action to correct inefficient operations. After a lengthy evaluation, we chose Brooks' SEARAMS product for this purpose. SEARAMS promises to provide the best and most usable solution for ProMOS to meet its productivity goals."

"For a DRAM leader such as ProMOS, maximum productivity is a requirement for continuing business success," said Jeff Cassis, senior vice president, Brooks Automation. "SEARAMS will enable ProMOS to gain a competitive cost advantage by achieving new levels of automatic productivity monitoring. We are pleased that ProMOS, a leader in high-volume wafer fabrication, selected SEARAMS, and we look forward to working with the ProMOS team to help them improve tool productivity metrics that directly affect factory performance."

SEARAMS will provide ProMOS with the utilization of each tool over time. Utilization reports include graphical representations of both the productive and non-productive time with indications for the reasons for each period of non-productivity. Fab engineers can analyze the data and, based on their analysis, take specific actions to improve overall fab productivity. SEARAMS also provides the most complete implementation of ARAMS (Automated Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability Standards) E10, E58 and E79 as defined by SEMI.

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.

ProMOS Technologies Inc.

ProMOS Technologies Inc. was founded in 1996 in Science-based Industrial Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan by incorporating the capital, technologies, markets and talents of Mosel Vitelic Inc. and Infineon Technologies. The first Taiwan DRAM company to successfully manufacture 64Mb DRAM, ProMOS' business scope includes research, development, production, manufacturing and sale of 64Mb, 128Mb, 256Mb DRAMs and higher density memory products. Through the introduction of leading edge technologies as well as the capacity uplift, ProMOS has established itself as a dedicated DRAM manufacturer with the most up-to-date technologies and the largest capacity in Taiwan. For more information, please visit the ProMOS web site at www.promos.com.tw.

"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 products sold to ProMOS Technologies Inc. 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.