Amtech Systems (ASYS)

          12          GENERAL PROVISIONS

            12.1     Successors and Assigns.  This Agreement binds and is for the benefit of the successors and permitted assigns of each party.  Borrower may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations under it without Bank’s prior written consent (which may be granted or withheld in Bank’s discretion).  Bank has the right, without the consent of or notice to Borrower, to sell, transfer, negotiate, or grant participation in all or any part of, or any interest in, Bank’s obligations, rights, and benefits under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

            12.2     Indemnification.  Borrower agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Bank and its directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys, or any other Person affiliated with or representing Bank harmless against:  (a) all obligations, demands, claims, and liabilities (collectively, “Claims”) asserted by any other party in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents; and (b) all losses or Bank Expenses incurred, or paid by Bank from, following, or arising from transactions between Bank and Borrower (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), except for Claims and/or losses directly caused by Bank’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.

            12.3     Limitation of Actions.  Any claim or cause of action by Borrower against Bank, its directors, officers, employees, agents, accountants, attorneys, or any other Person affiliated with or representing Bank based upon, arising from, or relating to this Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any other transaction contemplated hereby or thereby or relating hereto or thereto, or any other matter, cause or thing whatsoever, occurred, done, omitted or suffered to be done by Bank, its directors, officers, employees, agents, accountants or attorneys, shall be barred unless asserted by Borrower by the commencement of an action or proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction by the filing of a complaint within one year after the first act, occurrence or omission upon which such claim or cause of action, or any part thereof, is based, and the service of a summons and complaint on an officer of Bank, or on any other person authorized to accept service on behalf of Bank, within thirty (30) days thereafter.  Borrower agrees that such one-year period is a reasonable and sufficient time for Borrower to investigate and act upon any such claim or cause of action.  The one-year period provided herein shall not be waived, tolled, or extended except by the written consent of Bank in its sole discretion.  This provision shall survive any termination of this Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document.

            12.4     Time of Essence.  Time is of the essence for the performance of all Obligations in this Agreement.

            12.5     Severability of Provisions.  Each provision of this Agreement is severable from every other provision in determining the enforceability of any provision.

            12.6     Amendments in Writing; Integration.  All amendments to this Agreement must be in writing signed by both Bank and Borrower.  This Agreement and the Loan Documents represent the entire agreement about this subject matter and supersede prior negotiations or agreements.  All prior agreements, understandings, representations, warranties, and negotiations between the parties about the subject matter of this Agreement and the Loan Documents merge into this Agreement and the Loan Documents.

            12.7     Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties on separate counterparts, each of which, when executed and delivered, are an original, and all taken together, constitute one Agreement.

            12.8     Survival.  All covenants, representations and warranties made in this Agreement continue in full force until this Agreement has terminated pursuant to its terms and all Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement) have been satisfied.  The obligation of Borrower in Section 12.2 to indemnify Bank shall survive until the statute of limitations with respect to such claim or cause of action shall have run.

            12.9     Confidentiality.  In handling any confidential information, Bank shall exercise the same degree of care that it exercises for its own proprietary information, but disclosure of information may be made: (a) to Bank’s Subsidiaries or Affiliates; (b) to prospective transferees or purchasers of any interest in the Credit

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