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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEMATECH and
FACTS Announce
FACTS Licensed
as Third-Party Test Service Provider for
300 mm
Automation Software
Austin, Texas (30 August 2004)
– International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), a SEMATECH subsidiary,
and FACTS, Inc. today announced the licensing of FACTS
by ISMI to provide third-party services for the testing of automation software
conformance to manufacturers of
300 mm
semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
According to the terms of the
agreement, FACTS has been licensed as an independent service
provider of the SEMATECH Test Protocol – a methodology created by SEMATECH for
objectively evaluating semiconductor manufacturing equipment automation software
to determine its conformance with industry standards and common requirements.
ISMI is making this service available through FACTS and other
independent test service providers to give equipment manufacturers a widely
accepted and reliable method of reducing the extensive and costly factory floor
acceptance testing of their new
300 mm
tools.
“With
300 mm
tools, automation has become much more complex and critical to successful
manufacturing,” said Scott Kramer, director of the International SEMATECH
Manufacturing Initiative, a SEMATECH subsidiary working with test service
providers. “Our member companies need better automation conformance assurance
practices from equipment suppliers, so that equipment procurement cycle times,
qualification times and costs are reduced, and operation quality is increased.”
Kramer said members asked
SEMATECH to work with suppliers to test equipment for specific automation
operational scenarios in their respective fabs. In response, SEMATECH developed
a set of software tests and procedures that capture the members’ consensus
requirements. FACTS is licensed by ISMI to provide objective,
third-party testing for equipment conformance to those specifications. The
protocols include test procedures, formats, and templates; criteria and
methodologies for conducting conformance testing; report formats; and results
analysis criteria, guidelines, and tools.
The SEMATECH protocols go
beyond typical industry tests by simulating
300 mm
factory automated production, and allowing an equipment maker to:
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Establish that a tool meets a particular baseline capability
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Eliminate some source inspections
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Reduce
field support
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Distinguish common automation requirements from special customer needs
“The
ability to provide
300 mm
automation conformance testing in accordance with the specific technical
objectives and automation goals of the SEMATECH member companies is a wonderful
addition to our growing list of professional service offerings,” said Tom Hogel,
President of FACTS. “We are gratified to join the growing ISMI
family of independent test service providers.”
About FACTS
Based in
Austin, Texas FACTS provides professional services and strategic
consulting in support of factory automation programs and is dedicated to the
improvement of factory automation capabilities for the semiconductor industry.
FACTS professional services offerings including Automation
Capabilities Management (ACM), Equipment Automation Testing and Source
Inspections, and Test Outsourcing Services that are uniquely tailored to the
requirements of the IC Maker and Equipment Supplier. For
more information,
visit www.fact-solutions.com.
About
ISMI
ISMI is a global alliance of the world’s major
semiconductor manufacturers, dedicated to reducing cost per wafer, and
ultimately cost per die, through cooperative programs focused on manufacturing
effectiveness. The consortium conducts programs in manufacturing
infrastructure, methods, standards, and productivity, with the aim of reducing
the costs of producing finished wafers and chips and driving solutions to major
productivity challenges. ISMI is a wholly owned subsidiary of International
SEMATECH of Austin, TX.
About SEMATECH
SEMATECH (dba
International SEMATECH) is a global semiconductor technology development
consortium that has effectively represented the semiconductor manufacturing
industry on innovation issues since 1988. SEMATECH conducts state-of-the-art
research, and is a highly-regarded technology partner whose goal is to promote
the interests common to all chipmakers. It has extensive experience
collaborating with equipment and materials suppliers, as well as government and
academic research centers, to refine the tools and technology necessary to
produce future generations of chips. Additional information may be found at
www.sematech.org. SEMATECH, the SEMATECH logo, International SEMATECH, and the
International SEMATECH logo are registered servicemarks of SEMATECH, Inc. All
other servicemarks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information contact
media.relations@sematech.org.
For More Information Contact:
FACTS, Inc
11900 Metric Boulevard Suite J-101
Austin, Texas 78758
01 512 692-9356
Internet:
info@facts-solutions.com
FACTS Contact Information
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