EXHIBIT 4.2

                        INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT


         BY THIS INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT ("Agreement") made and entered
into this _____ day of  _______________,  19__ ("Grant  Date"),  AMTECH  SYTEMS,
INC., an Arizona corporation (the "Company), and ___________________________, an
employee of the Company  (the  "Optionee")  hereby  state,  confirm,  represent,
warrant and agree as follows:

                                        I

                                    RECITALS
                                    --------

         1.1 The Company,  through its Board of  Directors  (the  "Board"),  has
determined to advance the interests of Amtech  Systems,  Inc. (the "Company") by
inducing  persons of  outstanding  ability and potential to join and remain with
the Company, by encouraging,  motivating and enabling employees to acquire stock
ownership in the Company,  and by providing the participating  employees with an
additional  incentive to promote the success of the Company through the grant of
options to purchase shares of the Company's Common Stock.

         1.2 The Company adopted the Amended and Restated 1995 Stock Option Plan
(the "Plan") on October 20, 1995.

         1.3 By this Agreement, the Company and the Optionee desire to establish
the terms upon which the Company is willing to grant to the  Optionee,  and upon
which the Optionee is willing to accept from the Company,  an option to purchase
shares of common stock of the Company ("Common Stock").

                                       II

                                   AGREEMENTS
                                   ----------

         2.1  Grant  of  Incentive  Stock  Option.  Subject  to  the  terms  and
conditions  hereinafter  set  forth  and  those  provisions  set forth and those
contained in the Plan,  the Company  grants to the Optionee the right and option
(the  "Option")  to purchase  from the  Company all or any part of an  aggregate
number  of  _______________  (______)  shares of Common  Stock,  authorized  but
unissued or, at the option of the  Company,  treasury  stock if  available  (the
"Optioned Shares").

         2.2  Exercise of Option.  Subject to the terms and  conditions  of this
Agreement and those of the Plan,  the Option may be exercised only by completing
and signing a written notice in substantially the following form:

                  I hereby  exercise the Option granted to me by AMTECH SYSTEMS,
                  INC.  and  elect to  purchase  _____  shares of $.01 par value
                  Common Stock

                  of  AMTECH  SYSTEMS,   INC.  for  the  purchase  price  to  be
                  determined  under Paragraph 2.3 of this Incentive Stock Option
                  Agreement.

         2.3 Purchase  Price.  The price to be paid for the Optioned Shares (the
"Purchase Price") shall be $_______ per share,  which was not less than the Fair
Market  Value of the  Optioned  Shares as  determined  by the Board on the Grant
Date, or, in the case of an Option granted to an employee who, on the Grant Date
owns ten percent (10%) or more of the Common Stock, as such amount is calculated
under Section  422A(b)(6) of the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
"Code")  not less than one  hundred  and ten  percent  (110%) of the Fair Market
Value of the Optioned Shares.

         2.4 Payment of Purchase  Price.  Payment of the  Purchase  Price may be
made as follows:

                  (a) In United States  dollars in cash or by check,  bank draft
         or money order payable to the Company; or

                  (b) At the  discretion  of the Board,  through the delivery of
         shares of Common Stock with an aggregate  fair market value at the date
         of such delivery, equal to the Purchase Price; or

                  (c) By a combination of both (a) and (b) above.

The Board or a  Committee  appointed  by the Board  shall  determine  acceptable
methods for tendering Common Stock as payment upon exercise of an Option and may
impose such limitations and conditions on the use of Common Stock to exercise an
Option as it deems  appropriate.  At the  election of the  Optionee  pursuant to
Section 18 of the Plan,  and subject to the  acceptance  of such election by the
Board  or  a  Committee  appointed  by  the  Board,  to  satisfy  the  Company's
withholding  obligations,  it may retain such  number of shares of Common  Stock
subject to the  exercised  Option which have an aggregate  Fair Market Value (as
defined in the Plan) on the date of exercise  equal to the  Company's  aggregate
federal,  state, local and foreign tax withholding and FICA and FUTA obligations
with respect to the exercise of the Option by the Optionee.

         2.5  Exercisability  of Option.  Subject to the provisions of Paragraph
2.6,  and except as  otherwise  provided  in  Paragraph  2.8,  the Option may be
exercised by the Optionee while in the employ of Company which shall include any
parent  ("Parent") or subsidiary  ("Subsidiary")  corporation  of the Company as
defined in Sections  424(e) and (f),  respectively,  of the Code, in whole or in
part from time to time  prior to  expiration,  but only in  accordance  with the
following schedule:
                                        2

                                               Cumulative Percentage of
      Elapsed Number of Years               Shares Subject To Options As To
         After Grant Date                    Which Option May be Exercised
      -----------------------                -----------------------------








In no case may any Option be exercised as to less than One Hundred  (100) shares
at any one time, or the remaining  shares covered by the Option if less than One
Hundred (100) shares. An Option may not be exercised for a fraction of a share.

         2.6 Termination of Option.  Except as otherwise  provided  herein,  the
Option, to the extent not heretofore  exercised,  shall terminate upon the first
to occur of the following dates:

                  (a) The date on which the Optionee's employment by the Company
         is  terminated,   whether  voluntary  or  for  cause,  except  if  such
         termination  is due to  retirement,  death  or  disability  within  the
         meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code;

                  (b) Ninety (90) days after termination due to retirement;

                  (c) One (1) year after  termination  due to disability  within
         the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code; or

                  (d) One (1) year  after the  Optionee's  death (or such  other
         period of time as determined by the Board).

         2.7 Adjustments.  In the event of any stock split, reverse stock split,
stock divided,  combination or reclassification of shares of Common Stock or any
other  increase  or  decrease  in the  number of issued  shares of Common  Stock
effected without receipt of consideration by the Company, the number and kind of
Optioned  Shares   (including  any  Option   outstanding  after  termination  of
employment or death) and the Purchase  Price per share shall be  proportionately
and appropriately adjusted without any change in the aggregate Purchase Price to
be paid therefor upon exercise of the Option.  The determination by the Board as
to the  terms  of any of the  foregoing  adjustments  shall  be  conclusive  and
binding.

         2.8 Liquidation,  Sale of Assets or Merger.  In the event of a proposed
dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Option will terminate immediately
prior to the consummation of such proposed action,  unless otherwise provided by
the Board.  In the event of a proposed sale of all or  substantially  all of the
assets  of the  Company,  or the  merger  of the  Company  with or into  another
corporation,  the  option  shall be  assumed or an  equivalent  option  shall be
substituted by such successor corporation,  unless the Board determines that the
Optionee  shall  have the right to  exercise  the Option as to all of the Common
Stock subject to the Option,  including  shares as to which the Option would not
otherwise be exercisable. If the Board makes
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an Option fully exercisable, the Board shall notify the Optionee that the Option
shall be fully  exercisable  for a period of  thirty  (30) days from the date of
such  notice  (but not  later  than the  expiration  of the  Option  term  under
Paragraph 2.6, above), and the Option will terminate upon the expiration of such
period.

         2.9 Change in Control. In the event of a Change in Control, each Option
that is outstanding  on a Control Change Date, as defined in the Plan,  shall be
exercisable in whole or in part on that date and thereafter during the remainder
of the Option  period  stated in the  Option  Agreement.  A "Change in  Control"
occurs if, after the date of the initial Agreement,  (1) any person, including a
"group" as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act, becomes the owner or
beneficial owner of the Company's  securities having 20% or more of the combined
voting power of the then outstanding  Company's  securities that may be cast for
the election of the Company's  directors  (other than as a result of an issuance
of securities initiated by the Company, or open market purchases approved by the
Board of Directors as long as a majority of the Board of Directors approving the
purchases is in the majority at the time the purchases are made);  or (2) as the
direct or indirect  result of, or in connection  with, a cash tender or exchange
offer, a merger or other  business  combination,  a sale of assets,  a contested
election,  or any  combination  of  these  transactions,  the  persons  who were
directors  of the  Company  before  such  transactions  ceased to  constitute  a
majority of the Company's  Board of Directors or any successor's  board,  within
two years of the last of such  transactions.  For purposes of this Section,  the
"Control  Change  Date" is the date on  which an event  described  in (1) or (2)
occurs.  If a Change of Control  occurs on account of a series of  transactions,
the Control Change Date is the date of the last of such transactions.

         2.10  Notices.  Any notice to be given under the terms of the Agreement
("Notice")  shall be  addressed  to the Company in care of its  Secretary at 131
South Clark  Drive,  Tempe,  Arizona  85281,  or at its then  current  corporate
headquarters.  Notice to be given to the  Optionee  shall be addressed to him or
her at his or her then current  residential  address as appearing on the payroll
records.  Notice shall be deemed duly given when  enclosed in a properly  sealed
envelope and deposited by certified mail,  return receipt  requested,  in a post
office  or  branch  post  office  regularly  maintained  by  the  United  States
Government.

         2.11  Notification  of  Disposition  of  Shares.  The  Optionee  hereby
acknowledges  that a  disposition  of shares of Common Stock  acquired  upon the
exercise  of the  Option  within two (2) years from the Grant Date or within one
(1) year after the  transfer of such shares of Common  Stock to him or her would
result in  detrimental  income tax  consequences  to the Optionee.  The Optionee
hereby  agrees to promptly  notify the Company of any  disposition  of shares of
Common Stock within either of the above time limitations.

         2.12 Modification of Agreement. With the consent of Optionee, the Board
may at any time and from time to time direct that the  Agreement  be modified in
such  respects  deemed  advisable in order that the Option shall  constitute  an
incentive stock option pursuant to Section 422A of the Code.

         2.13 Transferability of Option. The Option shall not be transferable by
the Optionee otherwise than by the will or the laws of descent and distribution,
and may be exercised during the life of the Optionee only by the Optionee.
                                        4

         2.14 Optionee Not A  Shareholder.  The Optionee shall not be deemed for
any  purposes  to be a  shareholder  of the Company  with  respect to any of the
Optioned  Shares except to the extent that the Option herein  granted shall have
been exercised with respect thereto and a stock certificate issued therefor.

         2.15 Not a Contract of Employment.  Nothing contained in the Plan or in
any Option  Agreement  executed  pursuant  to the Plan shall be deemed to confer
upon any  individual  to whom an Option  may be granted  hereunder  any right to
remain in the  employ  or  service  of the  Company  or a parent  or  subsidiary
corporation of the Company.

         2.16 Disputes or  Disagreements.  As a condition of the granting of the
Option  herein  granted,  the  Optionee  agrees,  for himself  and his  personal
representatives, that any disputes or disagreement which may arise under or as a
result of or pursuant to this Agreement  shall be determined by the Board in its
sole discretion,  and that any  interpretation by the Board of the terms of this
Agreement shall be final, binding and conclusive.

         2.17  Shareholder  Approval.  If  the  Plan  is  not  approved  by  the
stockholders  of the  Company  within  one  year of its  date of  adoption,  the
Optionee  acknowledges that the Option granted hereunder shall,  without further
action on behalf of the Company, become a nonstatutory option under the Plan.

         IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  Company  has caused  this  instrument  to be
executed by its duly authorized  officer,  and the Optionee has hereunto affixed
his or her signature.

                                       AMTECH SYSTEMS, INC.,
                                       an Arizona corporation



                                       By ______________________________________

                                             Its _______________________________

                                                                       "COMPANY"




                                       _________________________________________
                                                                      "OPTIONEE"
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