Asyst Technologies, Inc.

Advanced manufacturing technology is more important than ever for semiconductor manufacturers seeking to remain profitable in today's increasingly competitive marketplace. Leading integrated circuit (IC) suppliers constantly seek manufacturing gains that are pivotal to their success. Thus, opportunities abound for companies that provide a manufacturing edge through reduced costs and increased yields. Asyst Technologies, Inc. targets these markets with its integrated system solutions.

Asyst Technologies' pioneering product line, the Asyst-SMIF™ (Standard Mechanical InterFace) System, established yield boosting potential in the mid-1980s. Today, this key technology enables semiconductor device makers to establish a manufacturing protocol that increases productivity and yields. Through a system of minienvironments and automated transfer mechanisms, the Asyst-SMIF System isolates the semiconductor wafer from the production environment, thus protecting the product from contamination, which can adversely affect its performance. In conjunction with SMIF systems, Asyst also provides an electronic, paperless lock-and-key approach, the SMART-Traveler™ System (STS), for material tracking and control, automating and validating wafer lot management transactions - thus preventing misprocessing of expensive materials.

In recent years, state-of-the-art factory automation has emerged as a critical path in helping chipmakers meet both their technology and manufacturing goals. Asyst's full family of software products supports this initiative by enabling material management and control, equipment automation and integration with fab-wide factory automation solutions. Focused on this important software development effort, Asyst is able to leverage its core competencies in sophisticated tool and factory automation systems to provide some of the critical missing links in today's advanced automation solutions.

Addressing these emerging solutions, Asyst recently acquired Hine Design Incorporated - a leading supplier of wafer-handling robots for semiconductor process tools. Operating as a wholly owned subsidiary, Hine Design represents Asyst's latest development in its strategic vision, extending Asyst's offerings of more complete factory (or tool) automation solutions. Hine Design, recognized as a technology innovator in providing customized robotic wafer-handling solutions to the OEM market, has developed the unique capabilities to meet the requirements for harsh environment applications, a specific need for CMP, copper processing and other tools. Combining Hine Design's wafer handling robotics with Asyst's core competencies in SMIF, minienvironment technology, WIP tracking, lot validation, and factory automation software, Asyst now has all of the building blocks necessary to provide OEMs with a single-source for their automation-enabling tool front ends.

Asyst continues to develop customized solutions that address specific manufacturing challenges and provide a migration path to increased use of fab-wide automation. A public company trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ASYT, Asyst Technologies is headquartered in Fremont, California and Hine Design Incorporated is located in Sunnyvale, California. Asyst operates sales offices and regional support centers throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.