Taiwanese Memory Chip Maker Selects PRI Automation's Reticle Management System for 300mm Fab
16:48 GMT-04:00 Wednesday, May 08, 2002
Order represents PRI's first bare reticle management system in Taiwan
BILLERICA, Mass., May 8 /CNW/ -- PRI Automation, Inc., (Nasdaq: PRIA, Toronto: PRJ), a global leader in semiconductor factory automation systems, software and services, announced today that leading Taiwanese memory-chip maker Powerchip Semiconductor has selected PRI's Guardian(TM) Bare Reticle Stocker to eliminate bottlenecks and improve productivity in the lithography bay of its new 300mm fab. The order represents PRI's first bare reticle management system in Taiwan.
PRI's Guardian enables semiconductor manufacturers to store reticles in one-fifth the footprint required by competitive systems. It can also save customers $500,000 or more in carrier costs by storing the reticles bare in a specially designed, ultra-clean chamber called the Vault, which provides total reticle isolation while still offering a 40 percent reduction in cycle time for reticle storage and retrieval. When used with PRI's reticle management software, the Guardian can significantly increase the productivity of the lithography bay and, in turn, the fab.
"PRI's Guardian is gaining traction as the best solution for reticle management," said Mitch Tyson, president and CEO of PRI Automation. "PRI has made significant in-roads in this market, particularly in Asia, and we believe reticle management represents a high-growth opportunity."
The Guardian is part of an expanding suite of PRI lithography automation products. The company's integrated Automated Reticle Delivery System, of which Guardian is a part, enables complete hands-off storage, retrieval and delivery of reticles to steppers. |
