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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 (2170)	6/24/2003 11:00:04 PM
From: robert b furman	Respond to of 2313

Hi Semi, As always I greatly appreciate your discipline and monitoring of the sectors announcements. Cohu dipped into the 14's today.I'm thinking the news for this sector will be poor. I keep looking back at the failed rally in November of 97,wondering if a double bottom has to occur 11 months later (October 98). Could possibly set us up for great value in September this year?? I've read some articles favoring back end, but I don't see it yet in Cohu or Intest. On the othe rhand I'm amazed at TER. Thanks again for your usual excellence. Bob

To: SemiBull who wrote (2170)	6/27/2003 12:43:44 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 2313

Asyst raises fab-automation bar at Intel, SMIC By Mark LaPedus Semiconductor Business News (06/27/03 12:12 p.m. EST) SAN FRANCISCO -- It's been a difficult period for Asyst Technologies Inc. The Fremont, Calif.-based chip-equipment maker has announced losses, layoffs, and other cost-cutting measures amid the current and severe IC downturn. And it has also divested its wafer-carrier lines, selling the products to Entegris Inc. earlier this year (see Feb. 11 story ). But Asyst has also raised the bar in the fab-automation market, as evidenced by recent orders and installations at Intel Corp. and China's Semiconductor International Manufacturing Corp. (SMIC), according to a new report from Bill Ong, an analyst at American Technology Research in San Francisco. Asyst is paving the way in fab-automation, especially for 300-mm fabs. “Unlike 200-mm fabs, where only about 25 percent of these fabs were equipped with factory automation tools and systems, all 300-mm fabs are required to be automated for ergonomics and cost-yield reasons,” Ong wrote in the report. “This provides an enormous opportunity for both Asyst and Brooks Automation.” Another benefactor is Intel, which has deployed Asyst's fab-automation equipment within its state-of-the-art Fab 11X plant in Rio Rancho, N.M., according to the report. Intel's 11X fab is a high-volume 300-mm fab, based on 0.13-micron technology. The plant produced its first chips in late-2002 and is running 6,600 wafers starts per month. It plans to transition to a 90-nm process in the second half of 2003, according to the report. “We believe Intel is one of the few early adopters of full-factory automation for 300-mm production,” according to the report. “Fab 11X uses Asyst tools for all intrabay wafer movements, which in turn, connect into a dual stacked interbay automated material handling system (AMHS). By having all wafer movement automated with no manual transport, fab yields improve dramatically by increasing safety and throughput, and, reducing cost and inventory management,” according to the report. Intel's 11X plant is expected to become the model in fab automation. “We believe fab managers will try to emulate Intel's 300-mm highly automated Fab 11X,” the report said. Asyst has also installed the technology in 8-inch plants, including at Chinese foundry startup SMIC of Shanghai. SMIC's Fab 1 plant achieved first silicon within its 8-inch plant in October 2001. During 2002, SMIC Fab 1 was able to rapidly convert from 0.35- to 0.18-micron within a year. “Fab automation also played an essential role in the ramp in both volume and technology node advancement. Fab 1 adopted Asyst's SMIF mini-environment system throughout the fab,” the report said. “We believe other chipmakers will begin to evaluate full-factory automation for their 300-mm and/or 200-mm fab needs as we continue to move along in this industry recovery,” the report added.

To: SemiBull who wrote (2170)	7/8/2003 8:30:41 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2313

Asyst Selected to Provide 300mm Automated Material Handling System for New UMCi Fab in Singapore Tuesday July 8, 6:31 am ET Competitive Win Includes First 300mm Implementation of FasTrack(TM) CFT Technology FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 2003-- Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYT - News) announced today it has won a multi-million dollar order to provide its 300mm automated material handling system (AMHS) to UMCi, a Singapore-based 300mm joint venture fab between United Microelectronics Corp. (NYSE:UMC - News), Infineon Technologies, AG (NYSE:IFX - News), and the Singapore Economic Development Board's investment arm. The installation is expected to be the first to include both high-performance Asyst-Shinko AMHS technology and Asyst's innovative FasTrack continuous flow technology. "UMCi will be a next-generation fab offering world-class efficiency and wafer cycle times, which made the choice of an AMHS supplier a critical, strategic decision," said Chris Chi, president of UMCi. "We selected Asyst because Asyst-Shinko offers a novel, high-performance 300mm AMHS solution and FasTrack offers the flexibility to unify intrabay with interbay transport systems, which allows equipment-to-equipment delivery capability. We defined this type of automation as a necessary feature to implement into the industry's second generation of 300mm fabs such as UMCi." Steve Schwartz, chairman and CEO of Asyst, said, "UMC and Infineon are pioneers of 300mm, and their decision to choose Asyst for their AMHS solution is a strong endorsement of our technology. It validates Asyst-Shinko's clear market leadership in 300mm AMHS, the appeal of our revolutionary FasTrack technology, and the ability of Asyst and Asyst-Shinko to integrate our sales and solutions toward the common goal of increasing 300mm market share." Asyst-Shinko is the world leader in 300mm AMHS, having won 8 of the world's 14 300mm production fabs. Asyst's FasTrack AMHS is based on Continuous Flow Technology (CFT) and unique tool-loading technology, called FastLoad. In certain high-throughput or high-traffic applications, FasTrack has demonstrated material delivery between tools four times faster than conventional vehicle-based technology. 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, the risk of orders being cancelled or shipment delayed, 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 most recent 10-K and 10-Q reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.