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Technology Stocks : Asyst Technologies (ASYT) Good Value/Where is the Bottom? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: SemiBull who wrote (2114)6/27/2002 8:03:51 AM
From: Proud_Infidel  Respond to of 2313
 
Asyst Ships Volume Quantities of New G3 ``CoolCase'' 300mm Wafer Carrier to Leading North American Microelectronics Manufacturer
Asyst Named Best-of-Breed FOUP Supplier, Extending Its Leadership in 300mm Arena
FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 2002-- Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYT - News), a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that maximize semiconductor manufacturing productivity, today announced that it has made volume shipments of its new G3 CoolCase(TM) front-opening unified pod (FOUP) wafer carrier to a major North American microelectronics manufacturer in fulfillment of a multimillion-dollar order. With these shipments, Asyst is now positioned as the leading supplier of 300mm wafer carriers to more than three-fourths of the world's current production 300mm fabs.

The new G3 CoolCase was developed to meet new standards for improved protection from fire and smoke propagation in 300mm fabs. The new standards address concerns raised by insurance providers and chip manufacturers regarding the fire and smoke propensity of materials used in FOUP wafer carriers, which are used by the thousands to store, transport and process 300mm wafers in newer, multibillion dollar fabs. Asyst developed and qualified the new fire and smoke retardant material used to manufacture the G3 CoolCase. In addition, the new G3 CoolCase addresses concerns regarding visibility of the wafers and process segregation control by introducing transparent color segregation options with this new product release.

Wayne Nobles, vice president and general manager of Asyst's Wafer and Reticle Carrier Group, said, "This CoolCase demonstrates Asyst's continued commitment to technology advancements and operational excellence by providing leading-edge system solutions to 300mm customers. The most meaningful accolades are those received from our customers, and it is a significant honor to have been selected as the best-of-breed supplier by this industry leader. Such recognition underscores our leadership in the 300mm FOUP market and acknowledges our company's success in providing a variety of automation products to leading chipmakers worldwide."

Building on Asyst's early-generation 300mm FOUPs, the G3 CoolCase is fully compatible with all other Asyst 300mm product offerings. Also integrated into the new CoolCase are transport grooves designed to facilitate high-speed transport on next-generation automated material handling systems (AMHS), such as Asyst's FasTrack(TM), which is based on the company's unique continuous-flow technology.

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, general economic conditions, semiconductor industry cycles, risks associated with the acceptance of new products and product capabilities and other factors more fully detailed in the Company's recent 10Q quarterly report on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Asyst

Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that enable semiconductor manufacturers to increase manufacturing productivity and protect investments in silicon wafers during the manufacture of integrated circuits, or ICs. The company offers a broad range of 200mm and 300mm solutions that enable the safe transfer of wafers and information between process equipment and the fab line throughout the IC fabrication process, while reducing IC damage caused by human, environmental, mechanical and chemical factors. 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 chipmakers and 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 asyst.com.

Note to Editors: CoolCase and FasTrack are trademarks of Asyst Technologies, Inc.



To: SemiBull who wrote (2114)7/10/2002 8:02:55 AM
From: Proud_Infidel  Respond to of 2313
 
Asyst Launches SMART-Fab Suite of 300mm Automation Software Tools
Smart Software Combines with Proven Asyst 300mm Hardware Products to Optimize Fab Productivity and Overall Equipment Efficiency
FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2002-- Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYT - News), a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that maximize the productivity of semiconductor manufacturing, today launched a suite of software tools that help chipmakers achieve greater overall equipment efficiency (OEE) and fab productivity. The new SMART-Fab(TM) suite incorporates the company's AdvanTag(TM) wafer identification and tracking technology -- the leading auto-ID system for 300mm -- to create an entirely new set of comprehensive, yet easy-to-use, 300mm automation software tools.

The SMART-Fab suite leverages best-practice processes and methods to provide actionable information from data available in an automated semiconductor factory. The first of these advanced software products, Asyst SMART(TM)-WIP for work-in-process lot monitoring, was installed at a foundry in July 2001, enabling the customer to ramp production more quickly and achieve higher equipment utilization and shorter lot cycle time. In addition to SMART-WIP, the new 300mm tool suite includes the Asyst FOUP Management System, which tracks the usage and maintenance of the front-opening unified pods (FOUPs) used to transport and store costly 300mm wafers, and the Asyst 300FL Monitoring System, which analyzes the performance of the front-load-to-tool interface to help ensure the load port is operating as efficiently as possible.

The SMART-Fab suite builds on Asyst's proven 300mm expertise and is specifically designed to complement Asyst's 300mm automated front-ends and wafer carriers. This includes Asyst's recently introduced IsoPort(TM) 300mm loadport, which the company believes is the industry's most advanced 300mm loadport to date, as well as the company's G3 and G3 CoolCase(TM) FOUP wafer carriers, which have been adopted as a best-of-breed 300mm product by six leading IC manufacturers in the United States, Europe and Taiwan.

Rick Friedman, Asyst's vice president of Fab Solutions, said, "Our 300mm customers need sophisticated solutions that will enable them to minimize cycle times, optimize equipment productivity and increase total fab throughput. The typical OEE for a 300mm fab ranges from 40 to 60 percent. Based on a typical investment of $1-$2 billion in 300mm tools in a full production fab, even a one- percent increase in OEE is worth tens of millions of dollars. By optimizing front-end tool and FOUP utilization and productivity, our new SMART-Fab software tools can provide as much as a two- to three- percent improvement in OEE, representing considerable cost savings for integrated device makers and foundries."

Asyst's new software suite represents a holistic solution with capabilities unmatched by currently available material control systems. The SMART-WIP system, which monitors lots as they move through the fab to let operators quickly locate and retrieve lots, is highly flexible to accommodate rapid changes in lot setup. It also handles buffers, helping operators maintain maximum wafer-per-hour throughput of bottleneck equipment. The FOUP Management System automatically tracks all the FOUPs in the fab, monitoring the parameters of each, and stores FOUP history data to facilitate analysis. The data this tool provides helps the operator quickly and easily determine if FOUPs need to be washed, inspected, repaired or even replaced. The front-load monitoring system works in concert with both the FOUP and the load port, monitoring their interaction to ensure automated wafer hand-offs are as smooth and efficient as possible. The system tracks front-load performance, supporting enhanced availability, e-diagnostics and fab bottleneck avoidance tools.

Pricing and Availability

Asyst's SMART-Fab 300mm fab software tool suite can be purchased individually or as a package. The FOUP Management System and 300FL Monitoring System are available this month.

About Asyst

Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that enable semiconductor manufacturers to increase manufacturing productivity and protect investments in silicon wafers during the manufacture of integrated circuits, or ICs. The company offers a broad range of 200mm and 300mm solutions that enable the safe transfer of wafers and information between process equipment and the fab line throughout the IC fabrication process, while reducing IC damage caused by human, environmental, mechanical and chemical factors. 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 chipmakers and 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 asyst.com

Forward-Looking Statements

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, general economic conditions, semiconductor industry cycles, risks associated with the acceptance of new products and product capabilities and other factors more fully detailed in the Company's recent 10Q quarterly report on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Note to Editors: SMART-Fab, AdvanTag, SMART-WIP, IsoPort and CoolCase are registered trademarks of Asyst Technologies, Inc.



To: SemiBull who wrote (2114)7/12/2002 8:08:41 AM
From: Proud_Infidel  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 2313
 
Asyst's New Plus Portal XT System Cost-Effectively Delivers Improved Performance and Serviceability to Front-End Automation
System Enhancements Provide Increased Throughput, Ease-of-Installation, Interoperability and Ease-of-Maintenance
FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 2002-- Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYT - News), a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that maximize semiconductor manufacturing productivity, today introduced its next-generation automated equipment front-end (AFE) system, the Plus(TM) Portal XT. Building on the expertise gained with Asyst's industry-leading Plus Portal system, this new turnkey AFE system incorporates a unique design approach and the latest in robotics and front-load technology to cost effectively deliver enhanced productivity, serviceability and ease-of-integration with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) semiconductor process, metrology and inspection tools.

The industry transition to 300mm wafers continues to drive the demand for heightened levels of semiconductor fab automation. At the same time, faced with the industry's volatile business cycles and fierce competition, semiconductor OEMs are increasingly seeking ways to outsource non-core technologies and to reduce tool manufacturing costs and increase tool productivity and ease-of-use. The Plus Portal XT system -- optimized for 300mm applications -- addresses these issues by delivering a greater than 10 percent increase in throughput and unparalleled carrier interoperability in a unique unibody frame, which simplifies manufacturing and integration with OEM equipment, as well as system service and maintenance.

"Many of the significant enhancements in the Plus Portal XT resulted from our work with OEM customers of our previous-generation AFEs," said Jon Sabol, Asyst's vice president, Equipment Solutions. "While ensuring that this new generation remains compatible with the previous Plus Portal generation, we reduced the number of components and optimized subsystem layout, as well as incorporated the latest in wafer-handling technology. The result is a completely integrated, highly configurable system designed to help our OEMs meet their customers' most stringent semiconductor manufacturing requirements."

Asyst's new front-end system incorporates the IsoPort(TM) 300mm load port, which includes a configurable front-opening unified pod (FOUP) latch-key mechanism, multiple info pad and mechanical pins, and multiple E-84 ports to provide the greatest level of interoperability available today. The Plus Portal XT also includes the newly introduced FastSwap(TM) wafer-handling robot. Using dual-yaw wrist architecture, FastSwap conducts rapid wafer exchanges in and out of the OEM's tool. The increased throughput resulting from the enhanced robotics helps to ensure maximum utilization of process and metrology tools incorporating the Plus Portal XT front end.

The Plus Portal XT comes with the Smart-Plus(TM) control system, a powerful and extendable interface that ensures overall system extendibility. With a multi-tiered architecture design, Smart-Plus easily handles industry-changing AFE functions and requirements. Plus Portal XT's operating system and software are compatible with current SEMI standard protocols required for all 300mm and advanced 200mm factory automation systems.

Asyst's Plus Portal technology incorporates a series of integrated building blocks that can be custom-configured to meet the needs of each OEM and fab customer. The complete Plus Portal XT system fully integrates its critical functions into a turnkey material-handling and factory-automation interface for the full range of wafer process and metrology tools. In tailoring Plus Portal systems to meet the stringent requirements of today's fabs, Asyst works in close partnership with both OEMs and semiconductor manufacturers to develop an optimized fab/process interface that complies with all SEMI and I300I standards and guidelines.

The Plus Portal XT system will be available for beta site testing in the third quarter of 2002, and in production volume by the fourth quarter of this year. Asyst will be demonstrating its new Plus Portal XT in its booth #1338 at SEMICON West, July 22-24, at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

About Asyst

Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that enable semiconductor manufacturers to increase manufacturing productivity and protect investments in silicon wafers during the manufacture of integrated circuits, or ICs. The company offers a broad range of 200mm and 300mm solutions that enable the safe transfer of wafers and information between process equipment and the fab line throughout the IC fabrication process, while reducing IC damage caused by human, environmental, mechanical and chemical factors. 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 chipmakers and 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 asyst.com

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, general economic conditions, semiconductor industry cycles, risks associated with the acceptance of new products and product capabilities and other factors more fully detailed in the Company's recent 10Q quarterly report on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



To: SemiBull who wrote (2114)7/17/2002 4:10:05 PM
From: Proud_Infidel  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 2313
 
Asyst Technologies Reports 46% Net Sales Growth for Fiscal First Quarter
Book-to-Bill is 1.46
FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2002--Asyst Technologies, Inc., (Nasdaq NM: ASYT - News), a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that maximize the productivity of semiconductor manufacturing, today announced financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2002. Results were in line with company guidance.

Net sales for the quarter were $55.9 million, up 46% sequentially from $38.4 million reported in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002. Net orders in the quarter were $81.4 million, up 58% over $51.5 million in the prior sequential quarter, for a book-to-bill ratio of 1.46. Pro forma gross margin for the quarter was 29.2%, compared with 23.8% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002. Pro forma operating expenses were $27.6 million. (See footnote and tables for explanation of pro forma adjustments.)

"We are pleased to report strong sequential sales growth, and our second consecutive quarter of bookings growth well in excess of industry averages," said Mihir Parikh, chairman and CEO of Asyst. "Our strong outperformance, albeit early in the recovery, is being driven by the strength of our relationships and products across a broad spectrum of customers and markets. Both directly and via OEM relationships, we are seeing demand from U.S. IC manufacturers that are building out 300mm capacity, current customers in China that are expanding 200mm foundry capacity, and other Asian foundry customers who are upgrading 200mm lines and simultaneously expanding 300mm capacity. This broad exposure to both 200mm and 300mm, our leading market position in foundries, and our enviable sales and support infrastructure in Asia have positioned Asyst well for this upturn."

Pro forma net loss for the quarter was $9.8 million, or $(0.27) per share. Including all items, the company reported a GAAP net loss of $13.5 million, or $(.37) per share.

At quarter-end, the company had $82.8 million of cash and short-term investments, down $2 million from levels at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002.

Outlook

For the second fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2002, the company expects net sales of approximately $70 million, which would represent quarterly sequential growth of approximately 25%. Depending on sales mix, for the fiscal second quarter the company expects to be at or near break even on a pro forma operating basis.

Recent Highlights

On July 12, the company announced the introduction of the Plus(TM) Portal XT , which is the next generation in its Plus Portal line of fully automated equipment front-end systems. The new system provides up to 10% greater throughput and offers higher levels of carrier interoperability.
Also on July 12, the company announced the introduction of the Axys FastSwap atmospheric wafer-handling robot. The FastSwap uses a dual-yaw wrist architecture, which allows wafer exchanges on the order of 50 to 100 percent faster than currently available commercial robots used for this application.
On July 10, the company announced the availability of its SmartFab(TM) Suite of 300mm fab productivity software tools. The suite optimizes the performance of Asyst's 300mm load ports, wafer carriers and Auto-ID systems to provide up to a 2% improvement in overall equipment effectiveness.
On June 27, Asyst announced that it has shipped volume quantities of its new G3 CoolCase(TM) 300mm FOUP wafer carrier to a major North American microelectronics manufacturer. Asyst now is the majority supplier of wafer carriers to approximately three-fourths of the world's 300mm production fabs.
On May 24, the company announced the signing of a definitive agreement related to its previously announced planned joint venture with the Automated Materials Handling Systems (AMHS) division of Shinko Electric Co. of Japan. Under terms of the agreement, Asyst will purchase a 51% interest in the joint venture, which will contain the entire AMHS business of Shinko. Shinko is the world's leading supplier of 300mm AMHS products and services, having won half of the 300mm AMHS installations to date.
Pro Forma Adjustments: Pro forma adjustments include the impact of amortized acquisition-related stock-based compensation, the amortization of acquired intangible assets, in-process research and development costs of acquired businesses, and related tax effect.

About Asyst

Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated automation systems for the semiconductor manufacturing industry, which enable semiconductor manufacturers to increase their manufacturing productivity and protect their investment in silicon wafers during the manufacture of integrated circuits, or ICs. 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 chipmakers and 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 asyst.com

Conference Call Details

A live webcast of the conference call to discuss the quarter's financial results will take place today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The webcast will be publicly available on Asyst's website at asyst.com. A replay of the Webcast may be accessed via the same address. In addition, a standard telephone instant replay of the conference call is available by dialing (303) 590-3000, followed by the passcode 483854. The audio instant replay is available from July 17 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time through July 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

"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: the volatility of semiconductor industry cycles, failure to respond to rapid demand shifts, dependence on a few significant customers, the transition of the industry from 200mm wafers to 300mm wafers, risks associated with the acceptance of new products and product capabilities, including our Plus Portal systems, competition in the semiconductor equipment industry, failure to efficiently integrate acquired companies, failure to retain employees, and other factors more fully detailed in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2002, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission

Asyst Technologies, Inc.
Pro Forma Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited; in thousands, except per share data)

Three Months Ended Pro Forma Pro Forma
June 30, 2002 Adjustments Results
--------------------------------------------
Net sales $ 55,902 $ -- $ 55,902
Cost of sales 39,589 (37) 39,552
-------- -------- --------
Gross profit 16,313 16,350
-------- --------
Operating expenses:
Research and development 10,511 (269) 10,242
Selling, general and
administrative 17,490 (115) 17,375
Amortization of acquired
intangible assets 2,000 (2,000) --
In-process research and
development costs of
acquired business 2,500 (2,500)
-------- -------- --------
Total operating expenses 32,501 27,617
-------- --------

Operating income (loss) (16,188) -- (11,267)
Other income (expense), net (1,756) -- (1,756)
-------- -------- --------

Income (loss) before
provision (benefit)
for income taxes (17,944) -- (13,023)
Provision (benefit)
for income taxes (4,486) 1,230 (3,256)
-------- -------- --------

Net income (loss) $(13,458) $ (9,767)
======== ========

Basic net income
(loss) per share $ (0.37) $ (0.27)

Diluted net income
(loss) per share $ (0.37) $ (0.27)
======== ========

Shares used in the per
share calculation:
Basic 36,565 36,565
======== ========
Diluted 36,565 36,565
======== ========

Asyst Technologies, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited; in thousands, except per share data)

Three Months Three Months
Ended Ended
June 30, 2002 June 30, 2001
--------------- --------------

Net sales $ 55,902 $ 67,259
Cost of sales 39,589 49,765
-------- --------
Gross profit 16,313 17,494
-------- --------
Operating expenses:
Research and development 10,511 11,319
Selling, general and administrative 17,490 23,075
Amortization of acquired
intangible assets 2,000 3,542
Non-recurring charges -- 18,652
In-process research and
development costs of
acquired business 2,500 2,000
-------- --------
Total operating expenses 32,501 58,588
-------- --------

Operating income (loss) (16,188) (41,094)
Other income (expense), net (1,756) (32)
-------- --------

Income (loss) before provision
(benefit) for income taxes (17,944) (41,126)
Provision (benefit) for
income taxes (4,486) (13,571)
-------- --------
Net income (loss) $(13,458) $(27,555)
======== ========

Basic earnings (loss) per share $ (0.37) $ (0.79)
======== ========
Diluted earnings (loss) per share $ (0.37) $ (0.79)
======== ========

Shares used in the per share
calculation:
Basic 36,565 35,007
======== ========
Diluted 36,565 35,007
========= ========

Asyst Technologies, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands)

June 30, March 31, June 30,
2002 2002 2001
---------- ----------- ----------
(unaudited) (unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 64,658 $ 74,738 $ 41,613
Restricted cash equivalents
and short-term investments 4,158 5,052 43,032
Short-term investments 14,000 5,000 --
Accounts receivable, net 40,545 29,715 57,650
Inventories 43,008 45,110 69,750
Deferred tax asset 33,937 33,906 34,460
Prepaid expenses and other
current assets 15,272 15,006 14,433
-------- -------- --------
Total current assets 215,578 208,527 260,938
-------- -------- --------

Long-term assets:
Property and equipment, net 39,162 38,366 40,914
Deferred tax asset 33,265 30,294 --
Intangible assets and other
assets, net 72,571 67,228 131,120
-------- -------- --------

Total long-term assets 144,998 135,888 172,034
-------- -------- --------

$360,576 $344,415 $432,972
======== ======== ========

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Short-term loans $ 19,964 $ 16,707 $ 63,622
Current portion of long-term
debt and finance leases 1,880 2,130 1,808
Accounts payable 16,919 10,246 19,075
Accrued liabilities and other 34,064 47,859 49,179
Deferred revenue 7,555 4,476 8,995
--------- --------- ---------

Total current liabilities 80,382 81,418 142,679
--------- --------- ---------

Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt and finance
leases, net of current
portion 91,238 91,265 4,883
Other long-term liabilities 6,520 6,795 378
--------- --------- ---------

Total long-term liabilities 97,758 98,060 5,261
--------- --------- ---------

Shareholders' equity:
Common Stock 325,273 294,316 293,049
Retained earnings (deficit) (142,837) (129,379) (8,017)
--------- ---------- ---------
Total shareholders' equity 182,436 164,937 285,032
--------- ---------- ---------

$ 360,576 $ 344,415 $ 432,972
========== ========== ==========