<PAGE>

                                                                   Exhibit 10.8

                         EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

                                    PARTIES:

                  Mayson Brooks, Vice President, Sales & Marketing ("Executive")
                  120 Woodridge Road
                  Beech Mt, North Carolina 28604

                  August Technology Corporation ("Company")
                  5237 Industrial Boulevard
                  Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439

                  Dated this 20 day of May, 1999.

                                    RECITALS

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

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, Sales & Marketing. Except as expressly provided
         herein, termination of this Agreement by either party shall also
         terminate Executives employment by Company.

2.       DUTIES. Executive shall devote his full-time and best efforts to
         Company and fulfilling die 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.


                                                                          Page 1
<PAGE>

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 $109,500,
                  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 55,000. 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 July 5, 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.


                                                                          Page 2
<PAGE>

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.

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 p of this agreement
                           shall include without limitation, fraud,
                           misrepresentation, theft or embezzler Company assets,
                           material intentional violations of law or Company
                           policies, actions involving turpitude or a material
                           breach of the provisions of this Agreement, including
                           specifically the failure to perform his duties as
                           required by paragraph 2 after notice of such failure
                           from Company 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 become
                  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 disabled Executive is able to devote to the
                  Company's business.


                                                                          Page 3
<PAGE>

         (f)      TEMPORARY DISABILITY. 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 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:

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

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


                                                                          Page 4
<PAGE>

                  (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 Companies 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.

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.


                                                                          Page 5
<PAGE>

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:

                           Mayson Brooks
                           120 Woodridge Road
                           Beech Mt, North Carolina 28604

                  In the case of Company shall be:

                           August Technologv 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.

         (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


                                                                          Page 6
<PAGE>

                  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.

         ------------------------------------
         Mayson Brooks

         AUGUST TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

         By
            ---------------------------------

         Its:
            ---------------------------------


                                                                          Page 7