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

To: zook2 who wrote (1288)	4/8/1999 11:36:00 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 2313

Thursday April 8, 8:31 am Eastern Time Company Press Release Asyst Technologies Unveils Revolutionary New Robotic Platform for Advanced IC Manufacturing Requirements FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 1999--Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYT - news), the leading supplier of manufacturing automation and Standard Mechanical InterFace (SMIF) isolation solutions to the semiconductor industry, today introduced Asyst Titan, a revolutionary new robot specifically designed for today's most advanced integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing requirements. Representing the first significant departure from traditional robotic platform designs in more than a decade, Titan delivers the increased reliability, repeatability and robustness that will be essential for advanced processes with complex wafer transport requirements and/or harsh processing environments such as chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) and copper deposition. Commenting on this new product introduction, Dan Hutcheson, president of VLSI Research Inc., noted, ''In recent years, robotic technology has not kept pace with advances in semiconductor processing technology. In fact, virtually all of the commercially viable robots incorporated in IC manufacturing systems are based on the same fundamental platforms developed more than a decade ago. ''As a result, these systems have not been optimized for today's production realities, which include harsh processing environments, increasingly intricate wafer paths, and larger and heavier wafers, as well as unparalleled accuracy requirements. Of equal concern for leading chipmakers is the lack of reliability and robustness that will be needed to meet productivity requirements for both current 200 mm fabs and the emerging 300 mm fabs of the future.'' Titan was specifically designed to resolve all of these production requirements. Built on an entirely new, modular platform, this innovative robotic system features both mechanical and software advances customized for the rigors of the production environment. These advances include brushless motors designed to eliminate failure and maintenance modes, and a backbone frame and linear bearing assembly that increase accuracy and repeatability. Other innovations include monolithic tubular arm links and a rotating mast drive coupled with enhanced software capabilities that allow for better path planning with less mechanical complexity and lost motion. Architected for reliability, Asyst's new Titan robot also affords the design simplicity not found in current solutions, while delivering a level of adaptability and extendibility previously unattainable. Hutcheson also noted, ''Asyst is known for bringing revolutionary approaches to market. With the new Titan robot, they are striving to be the first to meet robotic requirements of the new millennium. By designing Titan to be a very robust, reliable solution that offers extendibility well into the future, they are making great strides to help both equipment and chip manufacturers resolve the automation challenges that lie ahead.'' According to Asyst, Titan is the first new product to emerge from its acquisition of Hine Design Incorporated last year. Representing the synergistic engineering and process technology strengths that the Asyst/Hine team brings to robotic technology, the new Titan platform further enhances Asyst's comprehensive and fully integrated tool front-end solution set. This solution enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to focus on core competencies and IC manufacturers to have consistent front-ends throughout the fab. Explaining how this new product fits into Asyst's long-term strategy, Asyst's chairman and chief executive officer Mihir Parikh said, ''In addition to meeting a broader range of our customers' process automation requirements, Titan is expected to open up new market opportunities for Asyst by giving the company a further competitive edge in three growing areas: CMP, copper processing and 300 mm technology.'' The Titan platform will first be leveraged for the aforementioned applications and later applied to other atmospheric process tools in which robot reliability, accuracy, repeatability and adaptability are essential technology features. biz.yahoo.com

To: zook2 who wrote (1288)	4/10/1999 6:42:00 PM
From: advinfo	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 2313

Hi Zook, Sorry for the delay in response, I had a bone crusher of a week. I don't know anything about Cognex, but I like the chart. CYMI had a nice bounce off of support on Friday but I didn't like the way it hit its head on the 200 dEMA and closed almost a buck down from that high. But, the volume was strong and the indicators are reloaded, there could be a nice run into earnings. There has been talk on the CYMI thread about insider selling and competition. CYMI still has a lock on the market and I assume that will last for a few years. FWIW, I bought CYMI on Thursday...ASML has been strong. I got smashed in IPEC, I bought in that base at 13 and took my eye off of the ball and I paid dearly...what a melt down. IMO, SFAM-IPEC has a tough road ahead of them, AMAT is kicking ass. Seems like the market has ASYT in a wait and see mode as well. Nice move off of support but increased competition and the loss on that patent suit are negatives. The move to 300mm and new fabs would obviously bode well for ASYT and the sector but that's projected to be another year or two out, right? I got back in ASYT at 15. I position trade the sector, the stocks are very volatile and IMO they are to be rented, not owned. Not in the semi's, but take a look at AXC and SNRS. If you haven't already, take a look at the oil patch. I jumped back in Thursday and Friday morning. The worthy stocks have started textbook reversals. Like any sector, there are some dogs in this watchlist: !OIX !OSX APA APC BDI BHI BJS BR CDG CDIS CLB CXIPY DO EEX EGAS ESV FGII FGI FLC GIFI GLBL GLM GMRK GRKA HAL HEC HLX HMAR KEG MDR MIND MRL MRO NBR NE OEI OIL OMNI PDE PESC PGO PKD PRZM PTEN RDC RIG RON RRC SEV SCSWF SGO SII SLB TCMS TDW TMAR TRMB UFAB UTI VRC VRI VTS WFT WG Have a good weekend!