Brooks-PRI Receives Order for 200mm and 300mm AMHS Projects
Taiwanese chip-maker Macronix selects Brooks-PRI's AMHS for 200mm production fab and 300mm test line
CHELMSFORD, Mass., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/-- Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRKS - News), which delivers total automation for semiconductor manufacturing, announced today that semiconductor manufacturer Macronix International Co. Ltd., Taiwan's largest nonvolatile memory maker, has selected Brooks-PRI's Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) - including stockers, AeroTrak(TM), AeroLoader® overhead hoist transport vehicles and TransNet(TM) material control software - for both a 200mm production line and a 300mm test line in its Fab 3 facility.
This is Brooks-PRI's second AMHS win since the company was formed on May 14, 2002 as a result of Brooks Automation's acquisition of PRI Automation; the first was the world's largest foundry, Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC. It is also Brooks-PRI's second 300mm project overall. The first is for a North American production fab, at which Brooks-PRI is implementing a fully integrated AMHS capable of handling every wafer and reticle move.
According to Robert J. Therrien, president and CEO of Brooks-PRI Automation, "Macronix wanted an advanced and flexible transport system for Fab 3. After a very competitive review, they selected Brooks-PRI based principally on our experience and the strength of our technology." Therrien noted that Macronix's strategy of initiating a 300mm test line within a 200mm production fab is common in Asia, and can help semiconductor manufacturers gain valuable experience that can ease their transition to 300mm.
"We are very pleased to have won our second AMHS deal in the past 10 weeks, especially in the competitive landscape of Taiwan, which we view as a key market for us," Therrien continued. "These wins are a terrific vote of confidence from our customers in the value our intelligent automation solutions provide, a direct result of the combined hardware and software strengths of Brooks-PRI. It is gratifying to see the hard work of the Brooks- PRI team being rewarded by acceptance in the market."
Brooks-PRI is known for its highly flexible AMHS, which utilizes turntables, a lightweight aluminum track, and sophisticated scheduling and dispatch software to transport work-in-process via the shortest possible route to maximize tool utilization and fab throughput.
About Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc.
Brooks-PRI (Nasdaq: BRKS - News) delivers total automation. The company's hardware, software and services can manage every wafer, reticle and data movement in the fab, helping semiconductor manufacturers accelerate time-to- market while reducing their risk. Brooks-PRI products are used in virtually every fab in the world. For information, visit brooks-pri.com.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The foregoing discussion contains forward-looking statements related to future results and speaks only of the Company's expectations as of the date of this press release. The forward-looking statements involve several known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the continued success of Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. (the "Company") in the marketplace, the Company's dependence on the cyclical semiconductor industry, the highly competitive nature and rapid technological change that characterize the industries in which the Company competes, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Company's future results will not be materially different from those projected. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. |
