Online information source for semiconductor professionals

Product Briefing Outline: Rudolph Technologies has released ‘Genesis Enterprise’ version 7.0. Genesis is an offline yield analysis and data mining software with parametric yield management tools designed to maximize factory efficiency and identify causes of yield loss. Since Rudolph’s acquisition of the Yield Dynamics software business from MKS Instruments a year ago, Rudolph have made significant performance improvements to the product. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has introduced the ‘Applied SmartMove’ system that enables a comprehensive wafer management solution for non-automated 200mm and 300mm fabs. The SmartMove system brings new efficiency to these fabs, seamlessly integrating with customers’ existing MES software to wirelessly track and direct the movement of wafer lots. Applied Materials claims the system can boost factory output by up to 10%, and typically realize a return on the investment in less than 9 months. Read more >>

One of the equipment suppliers that consistently brings out new products is KLA-Tencor. However, the metrology supplier rarely figures in the most popular rankings in any given year. That has changed in 2008 with its TeraFab tool. Although only released recently, the fifth most popular product was from TEL and Novellus for copper interconnects. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: CIMAC is now offering a new MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) migration packaged service solution for semiconductor fabs with obsolete server platforms. These server platforms run the manufacturing control software that coordinates the movement and processing of material through the fab. Hewlett-Packard (HP) has announced dates when support for their AlphaServer and HP PA-RISC 9000 Server platforms will no longer be available. This could effect up to 100 mostly 200mm fabs. Legacy MES software including WorkStream, PROMIS and FACTORYworks (Applied Materials) all have software versions that run on HP AlphaServers Open as well as HP 9000 Servers. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Imera Systems has announced its next-generation network virtualization solutions for cross-enterprise e-Diagnostics and equipment knowledge base access. The solutions are claimed to connect manufacturers and equipment vendors to maximize productivity and reduce unscheduled equipment downtime with no VPN connection, or a third party service provider without IP leakage. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has introduced the ‘Applied E3’ advanced equipment and process control solution, intended to be a comprehensive factory automation (FA) software package for improving the productivity and reducing the costs of semiconductor, flat panel display and photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing. The modular packages utilize proprietary algorithms that are claimed to boost process capability by >30 percent, reduce unscheduled downtime, and shorten cycle time to achieve up to a 20 percent increase in overall equipment effectiveness. Applied Materials said the system has already been employed by multiple major manufacturers and is currently being used in volume production. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Hach Ultra has introduced the MET ONE 6000 Series Remote Airborne Particle Counters, which offer accurate and reliable continuous particle monitoring. With a sensitivity range of 0.2 to 5.0µm at 0.1 cfm flow rate and 0.5 to 10µm at 1.0 cfm flow rate, the MET ONE 6000 series is designed to meet the specific needs of cleanroom operations within the semiconductor, hard disk drive and flat panel display industries. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Numetrics Management Systems has launched ‘NMX-ERP’ 3.0, its next-generation suite of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for integrated circuit (IC) development organizations. The new software significantly extends the company’s top-down project planning and risk measurement capabilities, handling chips designed in nodes down to 45nm. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Aquest Systems has introduced its new ‘FabEX’ No-Wait-Productivity (SM) Improvement (NPI) solution that is designed optimize material movement in an existing fab by eliminating bottlenecks and congestions that impact IC manufacturers' fab productivity.  The solution is claimed to connect without any changes to the IC manufacturers' existing automated material handling systems (AMHS). Aquest has integrated the FabEX 'highway' into Powerchip Semiconductor's current AMHS, which is designed to provide additional capacity to move 8,000 FOUPS per day at high speeds between their two fabs, 12A and 12B, with average delivery times of less than 140 seconds, the company said. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: A real-time, visual predictive and preventive maintenance (PPM) system that could save semiconductor fabs thousands of dollars annually per tool has been developed by Quality Wise Knowledge Solutions (QWiKS) in cooperation with ATDF, the Austin-based R&D foundry. The PPM system, called QWiKS CBM/PHM, combines condition-based maintenance (CBM) with prognostic health monitoring (PHM) to monitor and maintain semiconductor process equipment more effectively. Read more >>