Mattson Technology Selects Asyst's Spartan Automated Tool Front-End S

    Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

    FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2005--Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYTE) announced today that Mattson Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:MTSN) has selected Asyst's Spartan(TM) Portal, a next-generation unified atmospheric equipment front-end module (EFEM), for Mattson's advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The combination of Asyst's EFEM module and Mattson's high-throughput processing systems provides chipmakers highly reliable, low-cost-of-ownership solutions for a wide range of applications.
    "Asyst's Spartan EFEM meets the high quality we demand of our products, including the integration of clean, high-performance wafer handling at the front-end of the tool," said Robert B. MacKnight, chief operating officer for Mattson Technology. "This collaboration with Asyst is another example of how our CFE partnerships enable us to deliver to our customers the most productive, technologically advanced solutions for their production requirements."
    Wayne Nobles, vice president and general manager, Factory Interface Division, for Asyst, said, "As a customer and development partner, Mattson's relationship with Asyst spans many years. Given Mattson's commitment to quality, on-time delivery, and customer satisfaction, its choice of the Spartan Portal is a strong endorsement of our new technology and of Asyst's capability as an integration and supply chain partner."
    Unlike traditional EFEMs that are produced through the highly labor and time-intensive integration of off-the-shelf components, the Spartan Portal was designed from the outset as a unified atmospheric wafer-handling solution. As an integrated system, Spartan Portal offers the ability to start up quickly, provides higher throughput and reduced particle levels, is smaller, lighter and less complex, more reliable, easier to integrate into 300mm automated fabs, and more energy efficient than any functionally equivalent system.

    About Mattson Technology, Inc.

    Mattson Technology, Inc. is a leading supplier of semiconductor wafer processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company's dry strip and RTP equipment utilize innovative technology to deliver advanced processing capabilities on high-productivity platforms for the fabrication of current- and next-generation devices. Since beginning operations in 1989, the company's core vision has been to help bring technology leadership and productivity gains to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. For more information, please contact Mattson Technology, Inc., 47131 Bayside Parkway, Fremont, Calif. 94538. Telephone: 800-MATTSON/510-657-5900. Fax: 510-492-5911. Internet: www.mattson.com.

    About Asyst

    Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that enable semiconductor and flat panel display (FPD) manufacturers to increase their manufacturing productivity and protect their investments in materials during the manufacturing process. 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 chip and FPD manufacturers, as well as 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.

    "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

    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: Asyst's ability to provide targeted customer benefits and product efficiencies and performance, to integrate its systems effectively with those of OEM customers, to deliver and support its products in a timely manner, and other factors more fully detailed in Asyst's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 27, 2004, and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    "Asyst" is a registered trademark of Asyst Technologies, Inc. "Spartan" is a trademark of Asyst Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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CONTACT: Asyst Technologies, Inc. Pamela Mah, 510-661-5000 (Media) pmah@asyst.com John Swenson, 510-661-5000 (Investors) or Mattson Technology Lauren Vu, 510-492-6518 lauren.vu@mattson.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE SOFTWARE COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Asyst Technologies, Inc.

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