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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. Central to the requirements for a strategic partner is the ability to respond quickly and globally. By working closely with analytical service providers at the early stage of product/process development, significant advantages can be won. In addition, having a partner that is strategically located around the world speeds up the dispersion and implementation of processes with minimum delay and maximum benefit.