Brooks-PRI Receives Order from Leading European Semiconductor Manufacturer To Automate 300mm Fab
Customer also selects Brooks-PRI software - including the new 300works(TM) - as its standard for all future 300mm fabs
Wednesday September 25, 5:03 pm ET
CHELMSFORD, Mass., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRKS - News), which delivers total automation for semiconductor manufacturing, announced today that a leading European semiconductor manufacturer has ordered Brooks-PRI's integrated Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) software for a 300mm fab in Europe, and has selected Brooks-PRI as its standard for CIM systems for all its future 300mm fabs. This win continues Brooks-PRI's track record of having its software installed in every 300mm fab in the world.
The Brooks-PRI solution is designed to track, control and optimize virtually every material movement and fab operation. To meet the demanding requirements of 300mm manufacturing, the customer selected Brooks-PRI's best- in-class Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for Work-in-Process (WIP) and related functions, station control for process equipment, planning and logistics for dispatch and scheduling, maintenance management for equipment, and software integration services to deliver a complete CIM Solution. Deployment of the multi-million dollar software and services order, including Brooks-PRI's new 300works(TM) solution, began in the third quarter of fiscal 2002.
According to Jeff Cassis, senior vice president of Brooks-PRI's FAB Systems Group, this customer conducted an extensive comparison before deciding to make a change from its legacy software. "Our first implementation for this customer will be an R&D facility that processes many single-wafer batches. This requires a highly flexible and adaptive system," said Cassis. "We demonstrated that we could meet the customer's flexibility requirements and still get their fab up and running in less than six months. No other supplier could achieve those results." As a consequence, said Cassis, the customer reconsidered its software strategy for all of its 300mm facilities, and selected Brooks-PRI software as its new CIM standard worldwide. The customer will also collaborate with Brooks-PRI to further refine and enhance future versions of Brooks-PRI's CIM software.
Robert J. Therrien, president and CEO of Brooks-PRI Automation, noted that this customer has a long history with Brooks-PRI software and hardware. "Going forward, our ability to provide total, pre-integrated, pre-tested software solutions will reduce their risk while helping to ensure that they can ramp up their 300mm fabs quickly," said Therrien. "In addition, by collaborating with us on future features and capabilities, the customer is assured that Brooks- PRI will continue to meet its needs now and in the future."
The advent of 300mm wafers, which must be transported by automated systems due to their size, weight, dollar value and complex equipment modeling and wafer routing requirements, means that integrated fab-management software has a more important role in the fab than ever before. Much of the knowledge that used to reside with operators must now be programmed into software. "Integrated and flexible software is the key to getting 300mm fabs up and running on schedule and keeping them running efficiently," said Therrien.
"Brooks-PRI is well positioned to help its customers achieve their operating goals," concluded Therrien. "We're very proud to have won this business after a very competitive review. We truly believe that the cycles of learning we will gain by working with this respected semiconductor manufacturer will define our 300mm software offering for years to come."
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.
Investor Contact: Media Contact:
Mark Chung Rachel G. Mann
Director of Investor Relations Account Executive
Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. Gray & Rice Public Relations
P: (978) 262-2459 P: (617) 367-0100 ext. 114
Mark.chung@brooks-pri.com rgmann@gr2000.com
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Source: Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. |
