AMTECH SYSTEMS, INC. ANNOUNCED
                       $5 MILLION FUNDING FOR GROWTH PLAN

     Tempe, AZ - September 14, 2000 - AMTECH SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ:  ASYS) today
announced the completion of a $5 million  private  placement of common stock and
common stock purchase warrants.  The proceeds will be used to fund the Company's
growth  initiatives.  The funds were raised  through the  private  placement  of
383,000 shares of the Company's  common stock at a price of $13.75 per share and
five-year  warrants to purchase  38,300 shares with an exercise  price of $15.12
per share.  Gross proceeds in the transaction were  $5,266,000.  Net proceeds to
the Company,  after deducting fees of the placement agents, but before deduction
of legal and accounting fees were $4,690,000. The Company has agreed to register
the resale of the shares issued in the  transaction,  including  those  issuable
upon exercise of the warrants.

     The Company  stated that its growth plan includes  continuing to expand its
optical  component  customer  base and other  strategies  to  increase  sales of
existing  products,  sales growth from new products within its existing products
lines, begin sales of its new technology asher,  which was previously  announced
and continues to be in the research and development  stage,  and acquisitions of
synergistic product(s) or business(es).  J.S. Whang, the Company's President and
CEO,  stated "The first two  components of our growth  strategy are  essentially
organic  growth,  which  generally can be financed with existing  resources.  We
intend to use the funds raised today to bring the new technology asher to market
and for acquisitions.  We plan to begin shipments of the new technology asher in
fiscal 2002, barring any complications in development.  In addition, we are also
negotiating  a bank line of credit  to  further  increase  funds  available  for
implementing our growth plan."

     Amtech Systems,  Inc.  manufactures  capital  equipment,  including silicon
wafer  handling  automation,  semiconductor  processing  equipment  and  related
consumables  used  in  fabricating  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 computers,  telecommunications devices, automotive products,
consumer goods and  industrial  automation  and control  systems.  The Company's
semiconductor  handling and processing  products currently address the polishing
of newly sliced  silicon  wafers and reclaimed test wafers and the oxidation and
deposition  steps used in the  fabrication  of  semiconductors.  The Company has
recently found application for its products in the optical component market.

     The  Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform  Act of 1995  provides a "safe
harbor" for forward-looking  statements.  Certain  information  included in this
press  release  (as well as  information  included in oral  statements  or other
written  statements  made  or to be  made  by  Amtech  Systems,  Inc.)  contains
statements that are forward-looking. Such forward looking information involves a
number of known and unknown  risks and  uncertainties  that could  cause  actual
results to differ  materially from those discussed or anticipated by management.
Potential  risks  and  uncertainties  include,  among  other  factors,  industry
specific and general business conditions, competitive market conditions, success
of Amtech's growth and sales strategies,  the possibility of customer changes in
delivery  schedules,   cancellation  of  orders,  potential  delays  in  product
shipments,  delays in obtaining  inventory  parts from  suppliers and failure to
satisfy customer acceptance requirements.

     The  Company  does not  undertake  any  obligation  to update  any of these
forward-looking  statements for changing  circumstances.  For more  information,
review the  Company's  filings  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,
including, but not limited to, Amtech Systems, Inc.'s annual report on Form 10-K
and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.