M. Shams Tabrez, Evans Analytical Group, Sunnyvale, CA, USA

ABSTRACT

With the ever-burgeoning cost of fabs and the constant need to bring new products to market quickly, the pressure to compress time lines is critical. Fabs are themselves evolving the way they do business, in ways such as centralising R&D to focus core research and developmental efforts and driving towards consistency across plants around the world. The impact on semiconductor manufacturers is to look for key strategic partnerships that can travel with them and so help fabs maintain their competitive position.