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The Basics of ISMI Licensed Test from FACTSTable of Contents
Ready for TestingSchedule a FACTS test after you are certain that the tool, an operator, and any necessary support personnel will be available for the entire testing period. We will need all the technical and commercial documentation to be physically present in the FACTS headquarters office 14 days prior to the scheduled test start date. Normally, FACTS cannot accept a request for testing less than 14 days prior to the anticipated availability of the test article (tool). Lead time is necessary for efficient resource scheduling, review of the test article documentation, preparation by our test engineer, and to minimize travel expenses. FACTS requires a minimum of 7 day notice of cancellation in the event that the test article becomes unavailable. Testing procedures conducted by FACTS are expected occur at the location, time, and date you specify in the standard Agreement for Semiconductor Equipment Testing Services. Changes to ANY of these parameters within 7 days of a scheduled test activity will be subject to a cancellation or change fee. This covers costs associated with test preparation activities and non-refundable travel costs. Back to TopTool Automation DocumentationEngineers rarely approach the completion of documentation assignments with the same enthusiasm shown when designing and implementing the software. However, an in depth review of the tool’s automation documentation must be completed before requesting a formal test. An Automation Users Guide or GEM Manual, which accurately reflects the tool’s current automation software and its configuration, is required to be delivered to FACTS 14 days prior to the scheduled date of testing. The information in this documentation will be used to partially pre-configure the testing software prior to our engineer’s arrival at your site. Delays to testing or significant corrections to test configurations that are caused by grossly inaccurate or outdated documentation will be treated as STANDBY time. The status of the test article’s automation documentation (how accurately it represents the actual test article) will be included as a part of your formal test report. Back to TopThe Testing EnvironmentThe condition of the test article should approximate its condition at the time of delivery to the customer. FOUP(s) with test wafers (if applicable) should be available. If Nitrogen, vacuum, or DI Water is required to operate the tool it should be available and connected. A trained and knowledgeable operator must be available and is required to operate the test article during the entire test. As a condition of testing, your tool must be under the direct control and supervision of a knowledgeable employee/operator from your company at all times during the testing process. FACTS personnel will never directly operate a customer’s tool. Therefore, the unavailability of a qualified operator during the schedule test activity will be viewed as the unavailability of the test article, and will be subject to either the provisions of our STANDBY time policy until available, or a cancellation fee. The test article’s serial number and the automation software’s revision status will be recorded as a part of the official test record. Your customer will usually expect that the test article will be the exact same object that is going to be delivered to them in all respects. If you believe that there are different expectations from your customer regarding this (such as testing a “similar tool” or using a “tool simulator”) FACTS recommends that this detail be clarified between you and your customer in advance of our testing. This recommendation is made to avoid the unnecessary expense of being required to test/retest a different test article. Although testing is performed over a several day period, the testing must be run from start to finish without interruption or a significant failure that renders the test article inoperable. Should a minor problem occur that you wish to correct immediately in order to avoid a test cancellation, we have a STANDBY time policy that is described below. If ANY change is made to the tool’s automation software (with the exception of minor configuration variable changes or settings), the formal test process must be restarted from the beginning in order to be a valid test. If a Test Restart situation occurs more than twice during the formal testing process, the testing that has been purchased under the current purchase order will be presumed to have been completed. If this situation does occur, a test report will be provided to you for the testing that was completed up until the point of failure. Back to TopConfidential InformationFACTS at your request will execute a standard non-disclosure or confidential information agreement that is specifically related to the proposed test article and its test data. All data concerning the test article that FACTS may receive (directly or indirectly) from performing testing services will be treated by FACTS as your confidential and proprietary information. The deliverables for this activity will be delivered only to a KEY CONTACT individual who you will identify in our Standard Agreement for Semiconductor Equipment Testing Services. FACTS will never provide any information relative to a specific test article to any third party and it is our policy that we will not accept a request to do so, even if it originates with the original contracting party. Unless otherwise required by the Customer in writing, FACTS will retain copies of test setup data, log files, and other engineering information related to the specific test article’s automation testing. This will enable FACTS to perform subsequent testing for you at a reduced rate. This data will remain on file at FACTS for a period of one year. Back to TopNormal Working HoursThe test article should normally be available between the hours of 8:00am and 6:00pm local site time. Unless previously requested by the Customer and agreed to by FACTS, if the test article is not available during these hours, a premium will be assessed for testing during other, non-standard, working hours. Back to TopStandby TimeFACTS anticipates that there will be situations when our customers, despite their best efforts, will not be ready for Test Services to be performed at the scheduled time and place. Such variables as available tool time, the availability of consumables, key customer engineering resources, or other intangibles such as early test failures are anticipate. FACTS provides up to a maximum of 4 hours of STANDBY time during the testing process as a part of our normal and customary service. In order to purchase additional STANDBY time, a written request to FACTS stating that you are willing to invoke STANDBY time up to a specific maximum time limit or dollar value can be made, in writing, to FACTS. An email to FACTS from your KEY CONTACT or a memo to the FACTS on-site engineer from the KEY CONTACT is an acceptable means to invoke STANDBY time. Back to TopDeliverables
Back to TopFollow-up ServiceIn the event that the Customer has questions regarding the test report FACTS will provide up to two, one hour telephone consultations with our engineering staff within thirty days of the delivery of the formal test report, in order to provide your engineering team with any clarification or interpretive information regarding our findings. This is a part of our normal and customary service. Back to Top
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