August 7, 1996


Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549

         Re:      Amtech Systems, Inc.
                  Redeemable Common Stock Purchase Warrants

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We  have  acted  as  counsel  to  Amtech  Systems,   Inc.,  an  Arizona
corporation  (the "Company"),  in connection with its Registration  Statement on
Form S-3 (the  "Registration  Statement") filed under the Securities Act of 1933
relating to the  registration of 2,835,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock,
$.01 par value (the  "Common  Stock"),  consisting  of (i)  2,415,000  shares of
Common Stock  issuable  upon the exercise of issued and  outstanding  Redeemable
Common  Stock  Purchase  Warrants  (the  "Redeemable  Warrants")  issued  in the
Company's December 15, 1994 public offering of Units (the "Unit Offering"), each
Unit  consisting  of six shares of Common Stock and three  Redeemable  Warrants;
each Redeemable Warrant exercisable for two shares of Common Stock; (ii) 210,000
shares of Common  Stock  issuable  as  components  of up to  35,000  Units  (the
"Representative's  Units") that are issuable upon exercise of a warrant  granted
to the underwriter of the Unit Offering (the  "Representative's  Warrant");  and
(iii) 210,000 shares of Common Stock underlying the Redeemable Warrants issuable
as  components  of  the  Representative's  Units  issued  upon  exercise  of the
Representative's Warrant.

         In that connection, we have examined such documents,  corporate records
and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of
this  opinion,  including  the Articles of  Incorporation,  as amended,  and the
Bylaws of the Company.

         Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

         1. The Company  has been duly  organized  and is validly  existing as a
corporation under the laws of the State of Arizona.
Securities and Exchange Commission
August 7, 1996
Page 2
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         2. The 2,415,000  shares of Common Stock  issuable upon the exercise of
the issued and outstanding Redeemable Warrants issued in the Unit Offering, when
issued and sold in accordance with the terms of the Redeemable Warrants, will be
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         3. The 210,000  shares of Common Stock  issuable as  components  of the
Representative's  Units that are issuable upon exercise of the  Representative's
Warrant;  and the  210,000  shares of Common  Stock  underlying  the  Redeemable
Warrants  issuable  as  components  of the  Representatives  Units  issued  upon
exercise of the  Representative's  Warrant,  when issued and sold in  accordance
with the terms of the Representative's  Units, the Representative's  Warrant and
the Redeemable Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         We hereby  consent  to the use of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration Statement.

                                                     Very truly yours,

                                                     SQUIRE, SANDERS & DEMPSEY