11.12.2001 18:00:00 CET

ASM Receives Wire Bonder Orders

BILTHOVEN, The Netherlands, December 11, 2001 - ASM International N.V. (Nasdaq: ASMI and Euronext Stock Exchange in Amsterdam) today announced that its 55%-owned subsidiary, ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd. (Stock Exchange in Hong Kong: 0522), received initial orders for its AB 339 Eagle gold wire bonder from four new customers, located in Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia.
According to Patrick Lam, managing director of ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd. (ASMPT), three customers will use the AB339 Eagle bonders for fine pad pitch ball grid array (BGA) and QFP packages and the fourth customer, for a new chip scale package quad flat pack no-lead (CSP-QFN) assembly solution. The latter chip packaging structures are used in portable electronic applications such as laptop computers, mobile phones, and PDAs.
Mr. Lam cited the Eagle wire bonder's superior fine pitch process capabilities, higher throughput, efficient off-line programming and better portability as the principal reasons for selection by these new customers, as demonstrated during their various field evaluations. ASMPT's AB 339 Eagle gold wire bonder was recently awarded a Semiconductor International magazine Editors' Choice Best Product Award for 2001. In 1998, the Company's predecessor AB 339 gold wire bonder received this award which is given to companies whose products make a difference in semiconductor manufacturing.
Deliveries to the BGA customers are scheduled for the current quarter while delivery to the QFN customer is targeted for the first quarter of 2002. Bonders to the QFN customer will be incorporated in ASMPT's IDEALine configuration consisting of a new generation, high speed AD898 die bonder, the Eagle bonders and the IDEALmold, a new generation auto-mold that offers reduced cycle time and a very favorable cost-of-ownership structure. ASMPT has pioneered an IDEALine factory automation solution for CSP that achieves major reductions in manufacturing cycles from a few days to less than an hour.

About ASM


ASM International N.V. is headquartered in Bilthoven, the Netherlands. ASM International is a global company, serving one of the most important and demanding industries in the world. The Company possesses a strong technological base, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, a competent and qualified workforce and a highly trained, strategically distributed support network. ASM International's subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International and its subsidiaries provide production solutions for wafer processing, assembly and packaging through their facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM International's common stock shares trade on Nasdaq (symbol ASMI) and the Euronext Stock Exchange in Amsterdam (symbol ASM). For more information, visit ASM's Web site at http://www.asm.com

ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd, headquartered in Hong Kong, with operations in Shenzhen, China, Singapore and Malaysia, is a dominant global supplier of a full line of assembly and packaging equipment for the semiconductor industry. With its strong financial strength and R&D resources, ASMPT offers its customers total solution in process innovation, package development and factory automation. ASMPT is 55% owned by ASM International N.V. ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd. trades on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the symbol: 0522. For more information, visit ASMPT's web site at http://www.asmpacific.com

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Safe Harbor Statement under the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements regarding orders, earnings development and the effects of research and new products on ASM's future, and other matters discussed in this statement, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to economic conditions in the semiconductor industry, currency fluctuations, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, risk factors related to litigation and other risks indicated in filings from time to time with the SEC and Stock Exchange Authorities.

Jerry Dellheim
V-P Strategic Marketing
ASM Pacific Technology, Ltd.
+1 408 451 0804
jdellheim@asmpacific.com

Robert de Bakker
Chief Financial Officer
+31 30 2298540
robert.de.bakker@asm.com

Mary Jo Dieckhaus
Investor Relations
+ 1 212 986 2900
maryjo.dieckhaus@asm.com