Fremont, CA, February 13, 1997 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASYT), the leading supplier of minienvironment and SMIF-based technology to the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced that Applied Materials' (Santa Clara, CA) Dr. Ashok K. Sinha and MiCRUS' (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) Mr. Stanley J. Grubel have joined the company's board of directors. Sinha, president of Applied Materials' CVD product business group, and Grubel, MiCRUS' chief executive officer, were appointed to the Asyst board effective January 21, 1997. They fill a position vacated by William H. "Bill" Reed and further expand board membership. Reed, recently retired president of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), resigned to pursue personal interests.

Dr. Mihir Parikh, Asyst's chairman and CEO, stated, "We greatly appreciate Bill's contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavors." Parikh continued, "Looking forward, Ashok's and Stanley's experiences and insights will further broaden the board's expertise. Along with our other prominent directors, Ashok and Stanley will be instrumental in helping Asyst develop new strategies for corporate growth in the years ahead."

Sinha brings a strong technological background to the Asyst board. Prior to joining Applied Materials in 1990, he spent 20 years with AT&T Bell Laboratories in various positions, including head of the VLSI Processing Technology and Fabrication department. He also held the position of vice president of Manufacturing Technology Development while on assignment to SEMATECH, the industry/government consortium for semiconductor manufacturing research. Sinha, who holds over 25 patents, received his doctorate in materials science from Oxford University in England.

Before joining MiCRUS, an advanced semiconductor manufacturing company jointly owned by Cirrus Logic, Inc. and IBM Corporation, Grubel spent nearly 30 years with IBM in various engineering and management positions. Most recently, he was the plant manager for semiconductor manufacturing at IBM's Microelectronics Division in East Fishkill, N.Y. Grubel received a bachelor's of science degree in electrical engineering from City College of New York, N.Y., and a master's degree in industrial administration from Union College (Syracuse, N.Y.).

In addition to Parikh, Sinha and Grubel, Asyst's board of directors includes: Tsuyoshi Kawanishi, senior advisor for Toshiba Corp.; James E. Springgate, independent consultant and former president of Monsanto Electronic Materials Company; and Walter W. Wilson, president of Solectron North America.

About Asyst
Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of material handling systems that help semiconductor manufacturers improve their integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing productivity. The company's Asyst-SMIFTM System combines state-of-the-art minienvironments with advanced robotics to create ultraclean processing environments that are both comprehensive and flexible. The SMART-TravelerTM System (STS) works in tandem with SMIF to eliminate misprocessing. Both Asyst-SMIF and its companion STS products are integral to seamless factory automation. Asyst Software, Inc., is dedicated to the development of software products for equipment communications and automated material handling, identification and tracking. Founded in 1984, Asyst Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Fremont, CA, with facilities in Europe and the Far East. Asyst Software is located in San Jose, CA The company's common stock trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ASYT.