<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001181431-08-041640
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20080630
<FILING-DATE>20080702
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20080702
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>FLYNN MATTHEW P
<CIK>0001314443
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-30941
<FILM-NUMBER>08932839
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<PHONE>978-787-4000
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
<STREET2>108 CHERRY HILL DRIVE
<CITY>BEVERLY
<STATE>MA
<ZIP>01938
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES INC
<CIK>0001113232
<ASSIGNED-SIC>3559
<IRS-NUMBER>341818596
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>108 CHERRY HILL DRIVE
<CITY>BEVERLY
<STATE>MA
<ZIP>01915
<PHONE>978 232 4001
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>108 CHERRY HILL DRIVE
<CITY>BEVERLY
<STATE>MA
<ZIP>01915
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>EATON SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT INC
<DATE-CHANGED>20000501
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>rrd211062.xml
<DESCRIPTION>FLYNN 2008 RSU VEST
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2008-06-30</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001113232</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ACLS</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001314443</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FLYNN MATTHEW P</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>108 CHERRY HILL DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BEVERLY</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>01915</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>EVP, Customer Operations</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-06-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>844</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>4.148</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>154428</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-07-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>6336</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>5.17</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>148092</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Of the shares held as of June 30, 2008, 136,471 were issuable on vesting of restricted stock units granted to the executive under the 2000 Stock Plan and are subject to forfeiture.  A portion of these shares will be withheld by the Company on vesting to satisfy tax withholding requirements.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Shares withheld by the Company equal to tax liability of the executive officer incident to the vesting of restricted stock units issued in accordance with Rule 16b-3.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Represents the closing price of the common stock at vesting (July 1, 2008).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Of the shares held as of July 1, 2008, 116,515 were issuable on vesting of restricted stock units granted the executive under the 2000 Stock Plan and are subject to forfeiture. A portion of these shares will be withheld by the Company on vesting to satisfy tax withholding requirements.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Purchased under the Axcelis Technologies, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan, qualified under I.R.C. Section 423.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Lynnette C. Fallon, as attorney in fact for Matthew P. Flynn</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2008-07-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
