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                                                                   Exhibit 10.7

                           EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


                                      PARTIES:

     DONALD M. NUTZMANN, Vice President, Engineering ("Executive")
     10830 Alberton Court
     Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077
     AUGUST TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION ("Company")
     5237 Industrial Boulevard
     Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439

     Dated this 19th day of August, 1999.

                                      RECITALS

A.   The parties desire to provide for employment of Executive by Company as its
     Vice President, Engineering.

B.   Company desires reasonable protection of Company's confidential business
     and technical information which has been developed over the years by
     Company at substantial expense.

Company and Executive, each intending to be legally bound, covenant and agree as
follows:

1.   EMPLOYMENT.  Upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement,
     Company hereby employs Executive, and Executive accepts such employment as
     its Vice President, Engineering.  Except as expressly provided herein,
     termination of this Agreement by either party shall also terminate
     Executive's employment by Company.

2.   DUTIES.  Executive shall devote his full-time and best efforts to Company
     and fulfilling the duties of his position which shall include such duties
     as may from time to time be assigned him or her by the CEO or Board of
     Directors of the Company; provided that such duties are reasonably
     consistent with Executive's education, experience and background.

3.   EMPLOYMENT DATE.  Executive's employment shall commence as of the date
     hereof ("Employment Date"), and continue until terminated as provided
     herein.  In any event, the Agreement shall automatically terminate without
     notice when the Executive reaches 70 years of age.  If employment is
     continued after the age of 70 by mutual agreement, it shall be terminable
     at will by either party.

4.   COMPENSATION.

     (a)  BASE SALARY.  For all services rendered under this Agreement during
          the term of Executive's employment, Company shall pay Executive a Base
          Salary ("Base Salary" shall mean regular cash compensation paid on a
          periodic basis exclusive of benefits, bonuses or incentive payments)
          at the annual rate of $104,000,


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          payable twice monthly subject to adjustment by the Board of
          Directors at least annually.  If the Executive's salary is adjusted
          during the term of this Agreement, the adjusted amount shall be the
          Base Salary until further adjusted by the Board of Directors.

     (b)  BONUS AND INCENTIVE.  Bonus or incentive compensation shall be in
          accordance with the August Technology Annual Award Plan (Exhibit-A).
          Company reserves the right to alter, amend or eliminate any bonus or
          incentive plans in accordance with their terms.

     (c)  FRINGE BENEFITS.  In addition to the compensation payable to Executive
          as provided in paragraphs 4(a) and (b) above:

          i)     VACATION.  Executive shall be entitled to accrue three (3)
                 weeks paid vacation for each year of employment, which shall be
                 calculated in arrears on a monthly basis commencing as of the
                 end of the month following the Employment Date.  Vacation shall
                 accumulate, so that if the full vacation that is earned and
                 accrued in a particular year of employment is not taken in that
                 particular year of employment, any unused portion will be
                 carried into and may be taken in the following year of
                 employment only.

          ii)    OTHER BENEFITS.  The Executive shall be entitled to participate
                 in all other benefit programs offered by the Company to its
                 full-time executive employees, including, but not limited to,
                 health/medical/cafeteria plans; retirement benefits through the
                 Company's 401k plans; personal days off benefits; and other
                 benefits that may be offered from time to time by the Company.

     (d)  STOCK OPTIONS.  Company hereby agrees to grant the Executive Incentive
          Stock Options under the Company's 1997 Stock Option Plan to purchase
          up to 45,000 shares of its common stock.  Such options shall have an
          exercise price equal to fair market value (FMV) as determined by the
          Board of Directors, or shall be set equal to the share price achieved
          during an equity offering (if offering occurs within 120 days of this
          Agreement).  Options shall expire seven (7) years from the date of
          hereof shall vest 20% per year commencing August 30, 1999 (subject to
          paragraph 10 hereof), and shall have other provisions generally
          included in stock option agreements of the Company.  Such stock
          options shall be governed by the terms of the Company's applicable
          stock option plan(s) and a stock option agreement with Executive.  It
          is the intention of the Board of Directors, from time to time, to make
          additional options available to executives based on performance.

5.   BUSINESS EXPENSES.  Company shall, in accordance with, and to the extent
     of, its policies in effect from time to time, bear all ordinary and
     necessary business expenses incurred by the Executive in performing his
     duties as an employee of Company, provided that Executive accounts promptly
     for such expenses to Company in the manner prescribed from time to time by
     Company.


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6.   TERMINATION.  Subject to the respective continuing obligations of the
     parties, pursuant to paragraphs 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, this Agreement may
     be terminated as follows:

     (a)  BY THE COMPANY.  The Company may terminate this Agreement under the
          following circumstances:

          (i)    WITH CAUSE, ETC.  Company may terminate this Agreement
                 immediately for cause, which for purposes of this agreement
                 shall include without limitation, fraud, misrepresentation,
                 theft or embezzlement of Company assets, material intentional
                 violations of law or Company policies, actions involving moral
                 turpitude or a material breach of the provisions of this
                 Agreement, including specifically the repeated failure to
                 perform his duties as required by paragraph 2 after notice of
                 such failure from Company and the expiration of thirty (30)
                 days without corrective action having been undertaken by
                 Executive.

          2.     WITHOUT CAUSE.  Company may terminate this Agreement without
                 cause on sixty (60) days' advance written notice subject to the
                 severance payment provisions set forth in paragraph 7.

     (b)  BY EXECUTIVE.  Executive may terminate this Agreement without cause on
          sixty (60) days' notice.

     (c)  DEATH.  If Executive should die during the term of this Agreement,
          this Agreement shall thereupon terminate; provided, however, that the
          Company shall pay to the Employee's beneficiary or estate, the
          compensation as provided in paragraph 7 below.

     (d)  PERMANENT DISABILITY.  In the event the Executive should became
          permanently disabled during the term of this Agreement, then this
          Agreement shall terminate.  For the purposes hereof a permanent
          disability shall mean that disability resulting from injury, disease
          or other cause, whether mental or physical, which incapacitates the
          Executive from performing his normal duties as an employee, appears to
          be permanent in nature and contemplates the continuous, necessary and
          substantially complete loss of all management and professional
          activities for a continuous period of six (6) months.

     (e)  PARTIAL DISABILITY.  If the Executive should become partially
          disabled, he shall be entitled to his salary as provided herein for a
          period of six (6) months.  At the end of said period of time, if such
          Executive remains partially disabled, the disabled Executive's salary
          shall be reduced according to the amount of time the disabled
          Executive is able to devote to the Company's business.

     (f)  In the event the Executive should become disabled, but such disability
          is not permanent, as defined above, such disabled Executive shall be
          entitled to his



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          salary for a period of six (6) months.  If such temporary
          disability continues longer than said period of time, then the
          disabled Executive shall be deemed to have become permanently
          disabled for the purposes of this Agreement at the end of said six
          (6) month period.

7.   REMEDIES FOR EARLY TERMINATION.

     (a)  In the event of termination pursuant to paragraph 6, Base Salary and
          any other compensation shall be paid as follows:

          (i)    In the event of termination pursuant to paragraph 6(a)(i), Base
                 Salary shall continue to be paid on a semimonthly basis
                 prorated through the date of termination specified in any
                 notice of termination and Executive shall be entitled to
                 continue to participate in those benefit programs provided by
                 Subparagraph 4(c)(ii) for the minimum time period required by
                 law following termination at his own cost.

          (ii)   In the event of termination pursuant to paragraph 6(a)(ii),
                 Base Salary shall continue to be paid on a semi-monthly basis
                 for three (3) months following the date of termination
                 specified in any notice of termination, and Executive shall be
                 entitled to continue to participate in those benefit programs
                 provided by Subparagraph 4(c)(ii) for the longer of three (3)
                 months or the minimum time period required by law following
                 termination, provided that the Company shall bear the cost of
                 such benefits for no longer than three (3) months.

          (iii)  In the event of termination pursuant to paragraph 6(b),
                 compensation shall continue to be paid as follows:  if the
                 notice of termination is given by Executive at any time, Base
                 Salary shall continue to be paid on a semi-monthly basis
                 prorated through the date of termination specified in such
                 notice and Executive shall be entitled to continue to
                 participate in those benefit programs provided by Subparagraphs
                 4(c)(ii) for the minimum time period required by law following
                 termination at his own cost.

          (iv)   In the event of termination of this Agreement by reason of
                 Executive's death, payment of Base Salary shall terminate as of
                 the end of the month following the Executive's death.

          (v)    In the event of disability, payment of Base Salary shall
                 terminate as of the end of the month in which the last day of
                 the three (3) month period of Executive's inability to perform
                 his duties occurs.

     (b)  In the event of termination by reason of Executive's death or
          disability (clauses (a)(iv) and (a)(v) above):


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          (i)    Executive shall receive a pro rata portion (prorated through
                 the last day Base Salary is payable pursuant to clauses
                 (a)(iii) and (a)(iv), respectively) of any bonus or incentive
                 payment (for the year in which death or disability occurred),
                 to which he/she would have been entitled had he/she remained
                 continuously employed for the full fiscal year in which death
                 or disability occurred and continued to perform his duties in
                 the same manner as they were performed immediately prior to the
                 death or disability; and

          (ii)   The exercise of any options then held by Executive shall be
                 governed by the terms of the applicable Company stock option
                 plan.

8.   CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

     (a)  For purposes of this paragraph 8, the term "Confidential Information"
          means information which is not generally known and which is
          proprietary to Company or which has been made available to the Company
          in a manner reasonably understood to require confidential treatment,
          including (i) trade secret information about Company and its products;
          and (ii) information relating to the business of Company as conducted
          at any time within the previous two (2) years or anticipated to be
          conducted by Company, and to any of its past, current or anticipated
          products, including, without limitation, information about Company's
          research, development, manufacturing, purchasing, accounting,
          engineering, marketing, selling, leasing or servicing.  All
          information that Executive has a reasonable basis to consider
          Confidential Information or which is treated by Company as being
          Confidential Information shall be presumed to be Confidential
          Information, whether originated by Executive or by others, and without
          regard to the manner in which Executive obtains access to such
          information.

     (b)  Executive will be governed by the terms of the Employee Assignment and
          Disclosure Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit-B.

9.   INVENTIONS.

     (a)  For purposes of this paragraph 9, the term "Inventions" means
          discoveries, improvements and ideas (whether or not in writing or
          reduced to practice) and works of authorship, whether or not
          patentable or copyrightable, (1) which relate directly to the business
          of Company, or to Company's actual or demonstrably anticipated
          research or development, (2) which result from any work performed by
          Executive for Company, (3) for which equipment, supplies, facilities
          or trade secret information of Company is utilized, or (4) which were
          developed during the time Executive was obligated to perform the
          duties described in paragraph 2.

     (b)  Executive will be governed by the terms of the Employee Assignment and
          Disclosure Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit-B.


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10.  NO ADEQUATE REMEDY.  The parties declare that it is impossible to measure
     in money the damages which will accrue to either party by reason of a
     failure to perform any of the obligations under this Agreement.  Therefore,
     if either party shall institute any action or proceeding to enforce the
     provisions hereof such person against whom such action or proceeding is
     brought hereby waives the claim or defense that such party has an adequate
     remedy at law, and such person shall not urge in any such action or
     proceeding the claim or defense that such party has an adequate remedy at
     law.

11.  MISCELLANEOUS.

     (a)  SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and
          inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of Company, whether
          by way of merger, consolidation , operation of law, assignment,
          purchase or other acquisition of substantially all the assets or
          business of Company and shall only be assignable under the foregoing
          circumstances and shall be deemed to be materially breached by Company
          if any such successor or assign does not absolutely and
          unconditionally assume all of Company's obligations hereunder.  Any
          such successor or assign shall be included in the term "Company" as
          used in this Agreement.

     (b)  NOTICES.  All notices, requests and demands given to or made pursuant
          hereto shall, except as otherwise specified herein, be in writing and
          be delivered or mailed to any such party at its address which:

                    In the case of the Executive shall be:

                         Donald Nutzmann
                         10830 Alberton Court
                         Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077

                    In the case of Company shall be:

                         August Technology Corporation
                         5237 Industrial Boulevard
                         Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439


     Either party may, by notice hereunder, designate a changed address.  Any
     notice, if mailed properly addressed, postage prepaid, registered or
     certified mail, shall be deemed dispatched on the registered date or that
     stamped on the certified mail receipt, and shall be deemed received within
     the second business day thereafter or when it is actually received,
     whichever is sooner.

     (c)  CAPTIONS.  The various headings or captions in this Agreement are for
          convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of
          this Agreement.


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     (d)  GOVERNING LAW.  The validity, construction and performance of this
          Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota and
          any and every legal proceeding arising out of or in connection with
          this Agreement shall be brought in the appropriate courts of the State
          of Minnesota, each of the parties hereby consenting to the exclusive
          jurisdiction of said courts for this purpose.

     (e)  CONSTRUCTION.  Wherever possible, each provision of this Agreement
          shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under
          applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement shall be
          prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be
          ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity
          without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining
          provisions of this Agreement.

     (f)  WAIVERS.  No failure on the part of either party to exercise, and no
          delay in exercising, any right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a
          waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right
          or remedy hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or
          the exercise of any other right or remedy granted hereby or by any
          related document or by law.

     (g)  MODIFICATION.  This Agreement may not be and shall not be modified or
          amended except by written instrument signed by the parties hereto.

     (h)  ENTIRE AGREEMENT.  This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement and
          understanding between the parties hereto in reference to all the
          matters herein agreed upon; provided, however, that this Agreement
          shall not deprive Executives of any other rights Executives may have
          now or in the future, pursuant to law or the provisions of Company
          benefit plans.


     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, The parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed and delivered as of the day and year first above written.



     _______________________________________
     Donald Nutzmann


AUGUST TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

By   _______________________________________

Its: _______________________________________


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