Amtech Announces Contract to place its Ion Implant System at The Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands (ECN) -- to be used in High Efficiency Cell Technology R&D

TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYS), a global supplier of production and automation systems and related supplies for the manufacture of solar cells, semiconductors, and sapphire and silicon wafers, today announced that its solar subsidiary, Tempress Systems®, signed a contract with ECN, a world leader in solar research, to cooperate on the development of low cost, high efficiency cell technologies utilizing our IonSolar™ system (an ion implant tool). The IonSolar system was developed and manufactured by Kingstone Semiconductor, a majority-owned subsidiary of Amtech. The IonSolar system, together with existing Tempress Systems' equipment already installed at ECN, will be used for these research and development activities.

Fokko Pentinga, Chief Executive Officer of Amtech, commented, "This cooperation with ECN is another indication of the potential  of Kingstone's IonSolar system for future cost effective cell technologies and demonstrates our investment in research and development, which is delivering highly relevant technologies to the market. We are very proud that our long standing partnership with ECN, and their world-leading solar development efforts on cost effective solar cell and module technology, is now expanded to include our ion implant technology. ECN has an excellent track record on commercialization of their R&D efforts.  In the technology roadmap of Tempress Systems and Kingstone Semiconductor, the integration of our ion implant technology and our diffusion and PECVD deposition technology is critical to enable the next generation of low cost, high efficient solar cells."

About Amtech Systems, Inc.

Amtech Systems, Inc. manufactures capital equipment, including silicon wafer handling automation, thermal processing and ion implant equipment and related consumables used in fabricating solar cells, LED and semiconductor devices. Semiconductors, or semiconductor chips, are fabricated on silicon wafer substrates, sliced from ingots, and are part of the circuitry, or electronic components, of many products including solar cells, computers, telecommunications devices, automotive products, consumer goods, and industrial automation and control systems. The Company's wafer handling, thermal processing and consumable products currently address the diffusion, oxidation, and deposition steps used in the fabrication of solar cells, LEDs, semiconductors, MEMS and the polishing of newly sliced silicon wafers.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release is forward-looking in nature. All statements in this press release, or made by management of Amtech Systems, Inc. and its subsidiaries ("the Company" or "Amtech"), other than statements of historical fact, are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "would," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.  Examples of forward-looking statements include statements regarding Amtech's future financial results, operating results, business strategies, projected costs, products under development, competitive positions and plans and objectives of the Company and its management for future operations.

We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized, although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and potentially inaccurate assumptions. The Form 10-K that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year-ended September 30, 2012 listed various important factors that could affect Amtech's future operating results and financial condition and could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results and expectations based on forward-looking statements made in this document or elsewhere by Amtech or on its behalf.  These factors can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Form 10-K and investors should refer to them.  Because it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors, any such list cannot be considered a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.  Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Amtech Systems, Inc.