AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     Whereas,  Amtech Systems, Inc. ("Employer) and John R. Krieger ("Employee")
entered into an Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") dated July 1, 1997; and

     Whereas,  Employer and Employee now desire to modify the Agreement pursuant
to  Paragraph  2.19  thereof,  and to enter into this  Amendment  to  Employment
Agreement ("Agreement");

     The parties hereto  therefore agree to the following  modifications  to the
Agreement,  to be effective as of the date set forth below;  with all unmodified
portions of the Agreement to remain in full force and effect as written:

     1.   Paragraph 2.4 of the  Agreement is hereby  deleted and replaced by the
          following:

          2.4 Employee's  duties for Employer will be determined  based upon the
     mutual  agreement of Employee and  Employer,  through its  President or the
     Chairman  of its Board of  Directors,  as they may agree from time to time.
     Employee shall devote his time, attention,  skills and energies to complete
     the mutually  agreed upon  assignments in a professional  and timely manner
     and shall  serve  Employer  faithfully,  diligently  and to the best of his
     ability.  Employee's  assignments  shall  be  primarily  in  the  areas  of
     corporate development,  and he will not have direct line responsibility for
     P.R.  Hoffman  Machine  Products,  Inc.,  but may have  responsibility  for
     specific  assignments  related to P.R.  Hoffman as agreed upon  pursuant to
     this  paragraph.   Employee  will  initially  be  principally   located  in
     Dillsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and will  transition  to  residence in Prescott,
     Arizona  on a schedule  to be  determined  by him.  While in  Arizona,  and
     working on assignments for Employer,  Employee may be required to report to
     Employer's  corporate offices in Tempe, Arizona no more than three days per
     week.  Employee  will  be  responsible  for  all  travel  expenses  between
     Prescott,  Arizona and Employer's corporate offices in Tempe,  Arizona, and
     will not be  reimbursed  for such  expenses.  Employer  shall  not hold the
     position of Director  of  Employer  or any of its  subsidiaries  and agrees
     immediately to resign, and hereby does resign, as President and Director of
     P.R. Hoffman Machine Products, Inc.

     2.  Employer  will  not  furnish  Employee  with a car or pay any  expenses
associated with a leased vehicle.

     3. Employer will include  Employee in its  Pennsylvania  payroll until such
time as Employee  notifies Employer in writing that he has relocated to Arizona.
Beginning at the time of receipt of such notice,  Employer will include Employee
in its  Arizona  payroll.  Employer  is  entitled  to rely upon the notice  from
Employee as to the date of change in his state of his  residence.  Employee will
indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Employer from and against any claims by any
state or local  taxing  authority  arising out of the  inclusion  of Employee on
either Employer's Pennsylvania payroll or Employer's Arizona payroll.
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     4.  Paragraph  2.6(b)  of the  Agreement  and the  last  two  sentences  of
Paragraph  2.7 of the  Agreement  are hereby  deleted  and are  replaced  by the
following:

          2.6(b) Employee shall be entitled to participate in any group benefit,
     insurance  or  pension  plan  to the  same  extent  as  similarly  situated
     employees  in  Pennsylvania  or, after he  designates  his  relocation,  in
     Arizona.  Employee  will not accrue or be entitled to any paid  vacation or
     holidays  and shall not be paid any  vacation  or  holiday  pay at any time
     regardless of the number of hours worked.

     5. Employer will reimburse  Employee for long distance telephone charges in
connection  with  Employer  business,  including  but not limited to charges for
calls between Prescott,  Arizona and Tempe,  Arizona,  subject to his furnishing
appropriate documentation as required by Paragraph 2.7 of the Agreement.

     6.  Employer  will  provide  Employee  with  a  desktop  computer  with  an
approximate  value of  $1,500  for  Employee's  use at his  residence  in either
Pennsylvania  or Arizona,  which computer will be owned by Employer and returned
to Employer upon termination of the Agreement.

     7. Paragraph 2.21 of the Agreement is amended by substituting "Arizona" for
"Pennsylvania" in the second line thereof.

     8.  Paragraph  2.18 of the  Agreement is amended by  inserting  "as amended
herein" between "Agreement" and "constitutes" in the first line.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties  hereto have executed this Amendment this
21st day of January, 1999.

                                        Amtech Systems, Inc.


                                        By /s/ Robert T. Hass
                                           -------------------------------------

                                        Its Vice President-Finance
                                            ------------------------------------


                                        /s/ John R. Krieger
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        John R. Krieger