PRI Integrated Front-end Receives SEMI E78 Certification
Achievement of Highest Compliance Level Facilitates Rapid Integration for OEM Customers
BILLERICA, Mass., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- PRI Automation, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRIA - news), a global leader in factory automation systems, software, and services to the semiconductor industry, today announced that it has received SEMI E78 certification for its Integrated Front-ends (IFEs), and has passed the necessary tests to be SEMI E78 compliant, facilitating rapid integration for its OEM customers.
Not only did these systems pass at the highest level (Level 1) required by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS), the IFE passed without the need for ionizers. This demonstrates that PRI's CE and S2 compliant robots, pre-aligners and tracks are well designed and grounded so that there is absolutely no charge build-up generated during operation.
``Achieving the SEMI E78 standard compliance exemplifies the level of quality and performance of all our products, and further demonstrates the leadership of PRI's OEM Systems Division within the industry,'' said Larry Dulmage, vice president of sales and marketing for PRI's OEM Systems Division. ``The road to SEMI E78 certification began long before compliance testing, and was driven by the needs of our OEM customers to meet ever-increasing ESD and noise immunity requirements. The implementation of conductive coatings across all our product lines is a good example of the use of product synergy to achieve the ultimate goal of full compliance for the IFE product line. Not only does increased immunity to ESD and noise help in meeting various regulatory requirements, it also improves the product's overall reliability, performance and cost-of-ownership goals.''
The newly-certified IFE is a modular, ultra clean, buffering platform that supports up to four wafer loadports integrated within a Class 1 mini- environment consisting of an atmospheric wafer-handling robot with track, a wafer pre-aligner and a controller. The system is designed to handle up to 250 wafers per hour to interact with high throughput tools and can be used to load in-line process modules or a vacuum cluster platform such as PRI's VCP vacuum cluster platform, conforming to all SEMI, I300I, S2-93, and CE requirements. Ideally suited as a bridge tool in the transition to 300mm manufacturing, the IFE also supports 200mm SMIF and open cassette interfaces.
About PRI Automation
PRI Automation, Inc., headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, is a leading global supplier of advanced factory automation systems, software, and services that optimize the productivity of semiconductor and precision electronics manufacturers as well as OEM process tool manufacturers. PRI is the only company to provide a tightly integrated and flexible hardware and software solution that optimizes the flow of products, data, materials and resources throughout the production chain. The company has thousands of systems installed at approximately one hundred locations throughout the world. For more information, visit PRI online at www.pria.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release includes forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to the expected benefits of PRI Automation products. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include; (i) the manner in which the customer uses the products and integrates them with other third party components; (ii) the ability of the Company to continue to successfully develop and market new products and product enhancements on a timely basis; (iii) the cyclicality of the semiconductor industry and the rapid technological change that characterizes the industry in which the Company competes; (iv) uncertainties affecting global markets and currencies, the effects of possible delays by semiconductor manufacturers in the adoption of 300 mm wafer manufacturing and other new technologies, (v) changes in our product sales mix; (vi) competitive factors, such as introduction of new products or technologies by our competitors, and pricing pressures; (vii) the possible impact of any mergers and acquisitions activity by the Company and its ability to successfully integrate and operate any acquired businesses; (viii) business and economic conditions affecting the semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry generally; (ix) and other factors identified in our registration statement on Form S-3, file number 333- 34584, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12, 2000 and amended thereafter. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this release. |
